Impact of Christianity on Human Society

B

Bev123!

Registered Member
This is in response to a challenge thrown out in recent times to begin a new thread listing the many positive influences that Christianity has had in human society throughout the ages.

Christianity's astounding impact included:

1. Laws that required justice among all people. (Before this, power and oppression ruled.)
2. Laws that required providing for the feeding of the poor by leaving grains and produce for the poor in the fields.(Law of Moses)
3. Dietary laws instituted hygeine at a time when few practiced it.

4. Jesus' life and teachings have transformed all of world history into two periods as A.D. ("Anno Domini", Latin for "in the year of Our Lord",) and B.C. (before Christ).

5. Christians were the force behind getting the vote for women

6. Christianity is the basis of our jurisprudence, economics, and owning property.

7. Christianity is the force behind fairness for the poor, orphans, widows, and the disenfranchised of every age.

8. Wilberforce's Christian beliefs motivated him to work for liberation of slaves, and to work for child labor laws.

9. Pragmatic evidence of Jesus' teachings: WORK IN REAL LIFE.
Jesus' teachings promote healthy relationships, strong marriages, honest business practices, positive parenting, racial reconciliation, cultural kindness, champion the value & dignity of all humans regardless of creed, race, sex, nationality, or orientation.

10. During the great plagues, and black death - Christians cared for the sick. Jesus said to love your enemies, love everyone regardless, and care for others.

11. The Red Cross was begun by a devout Calvinist Christian, Henry Dunant.

12. Salvation Army and Y. M. C. A. were begun by Christians.

13. Divorce is less than 10% when families pray together regularly, attend church regularly, and read the bible regularly.

14. When the French statesman, Alexis de Tocqueville came to this country in the early 1800's. he was startled by the volunteerism that was carried out by associations mostly founded and run by Christians, and said that America's volunteer spirit is its greatest strength. (He went on to say that he did not know ten men in all of France who would do what ordinary Americans do every day as a matter of course.)

15. Mission shelters and soup kitchens in virtually every community in this nation is sponsored for the most part by Christians to dispense Christian mercy and compassion with food and shelter to the destitute.

16. Habitat for Humanity builds homes, Prison Fellowship ministers to the imprisoned outcasts of society. It's Project Angel Tree delivers hundreds of thousands of gifts and Christmas cheer to children of inmates every year.
I'm running out of room or I would continue on and on and on listing the impact of Christianity in this world!
 
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do some history research

hey take a look at history many of the things that you mentioned there occured before christianity even existed


small notes
-5. Christians were the force behind getting the vote for women

no incorrect it was feminism women wanting for freedom yes they may have been christian but that wasn't the cause

-1. Laws that required justice among all people. (Before this, power and oppression ruled.)

no incorrect again a democracy that required the same principles, existed before christ (in Athens, Greece)

-3. Dietary laws instituted hygeine at a time when few practiced it.

uh hygeine wasn't caused by christianity it was the fact that we then knew at the time what was making us sick

-6. Christianity is the basis of our jurisprudence, economics, and owning property.

have you heard of the form of government called tyrrany???

-13. Divorce is less than 10% when families pray together regularly, attend church regularly, and read the bible regularly.

yeah but these people just seem to annoy me they always refer as god doing this for them and they are so grateful for that when its really their work thats putting the food on the table not gods


-9. Pragmatic evidence of Jesus' teachings: WORK IN REAL LIFE.
Jesus' teachings promote healthy relationships, strong marriages, honest business practices, positive parenting, racial reconciliation, cultural kindness, champion the value & dignity of all humans regardless of creed, race, sex, nationality, or orientation.

yeah they might if you are never exposed to violence and hate which im sorry to say are always going to be there



-16. Habitat for Humanity builds homes, Prison Fellowship ministers to the imprisoned outcasts of society. It's Project Angel Tree delivers hundreds of thousands of gifts and Christmas cheer to children of inmates every year.
I'm running out of room or I would continue on and on and on listing the impact of Christianity in this world!


so what im ATHEIST and help out in my commnity i.e. i donnat my old clothes i help out at retierment homes and do many other things to be a good person and i am not a christian.(and neither were my parents)



k im summing up my point and it is that hardly anything on that list is completly and solely from christianity, its all based on morals in which most people believe in on this earth and have been repeated many times through out history SO THESE ARE NOT NEW CONCEPTS THAT CHRISTIANITY CAME UP WITH THEY HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE BEFORE THE BEGINING OF THE RELIGION
 
Re: do some history research

Originally posted by some_guy01
hey take a look at history many of the things that you mentioned there occurred before Christianity even existed
Click to expand...


The Christian belief is rooted in Judaism, which began somewhere around 2,000 B.C. through Abraham.

it was feminism women wanting for freedom yes they may have been christian but that wasn't the cause
Click to expand...

Elizabeth Stanton's resolution for women's suffrage: it was "the duty of the women of this country to secure to themselves the sacred (i.e. having to do with religion or religious practices) right to the elective franchise".
Susan B. Anthony was a devout quaker. Quakers were known for their strong stand against slavery and equality of all. They regarded all humans equal before God and addressed everyone as "thou" and refused to refer to peoples' ranks and titles.

a democracy that required the same principles, existed before Christ (in Athens, Greece)

Again, reference to Hebrew nation, which superceded Grecian empire.

uh hygeine wasn't caused by Christianity it was the fact that we then knew at the time what was making us sick
Again, Hebrew nation was born at a time when few were aware of the presence of bacteria and viruses.

have you heard of the form of government called tyranny???
You need to explain this statement. It makes no sense as written. And again, because Christianity's roots are Hebraic, at the time of the exodus, Judaic law was unique in its government

-9. Pragmatic evidence of Jesus' teachings: WORK IN REAL LIFE.
Jesus' teachings promote healthy relationships, strong marriages, honest business practices, positive parenting, racial reconciliation, cultural kindness, champion the value & dignity of all humans regardless of creed, race, sex, nationality, or orientation.

yeah they might if you are never exposed to violence and hate which im sorry to say are always going to be there

The point I am making is that Jesus' teachings promote health and happiness IN SPITE OF THE VIOLENCE AND HATE.

So what im ATHEIST and help out in my commnity i.e. i donnat my old clothes i help out at retierment homes and do many other things to be a good person and i am not a christian.(and neither were my parents)

I am not reducing or devaluing the good that atheists do. My point is that generally a society built on Judeo-Christian beliefs, provides the environment in which there is the best opportunity that this good may take place. And the majority of good does, when you look objectively at the facts, come from people who espouse belief in God.
 
I just love this ...

I just love the idea that if someone who does something good happens to be Christian, it's "Christianity does good", while large numbers of Christians behaving badly, whether Inquisitory or Misogynist, &c., don't represent the religion.

And I do agree that many things on the list predate Christianity. But if we're going to hold up Christianity as ... well, okay ... as I look through the list for the third time, it's funnier than I thought. I'll give it more consideration and give a longer response later.

thanx,
Tiassa :cool:
 
thanks, tiassa!

You make me feel better at spending the time typing these responses when I should be practicing piano and getting ready to teach.

Have a great day!:D
 
Greetings -

Just a few questions.. are you implying that these changes wouldn't have come about without Christianity? Are you sure that everything on that list is, in reality, good? If so, are you judging them objectively, or solely within a Christian mind set? If the former, please post the reasoning supporting it :) If the latter, than what distiguishes your post from any other viewpoint? A Nazi or KKK member posting would view their 'accomplishments' much the way Christians view theirs; to the benefit of humanity. "Clearly," you would say (as would I, but that is beside the point) "they are incorrect." But why?

Food for though :D

Thanks,
FyreStar
 
a little history lesson

yes the roots may go father back in time however the judaic law does not acoount for the people on different parts of the world with vareid cultures to develope almost the same concepts.
Even so if judaism was thought to be the religous influence it could have not have been, because the law in acient greece was developed on its own with polytheism and judaism is a monotheism BY the way i have never heard of a hebrew nation that existed in 2000 b.c. I know thats when the religion starts but there never was a nation in the mesopotamia region, their may have been a religion but it was never dominate atleast not until the ad years, unless it came between the 2100-1800 in which i have no knowlege of all i know is that there were battles for land durring this time. however by 550 bc the persian empire ruled which i know were not jewish but welcomed different religions before the persains were the chaldeans which were deffinatly not jewish; they were known for their cruelty. So Jews were a few through out this time, in fact they were slaves of chaldeans. By the way the region of Greece started to develope democracy in 800 bc before judaism was know in europe Just because the roots are older doesn't mean they had an influence.
there is my history lesson

-i love the fact that christianity was the religion of the mid ages to the rennassance and beyond but it took alomst 2000 years to actually abide by the bibles teachings even though it was read thousands of times during that time period i.e. slavery ws abolished only about 120 years ago but the bible is against it

just a little thought
 
Yes. These would have not come about without Judeo-Christian influence and Judeo-Christian motives.

If by "good" you mean the ability to live with enough shelter, food, health, safety, stable family units to raise well-adjusted chidren, and equality among mankind, I believe that all of the influences I listed are good.


My judgment is objective in the sense that all of these influences are beneficial to the individual.

Which of the impacts do you believe would not be good, and please state your reason why.
 
***BevKay said:
Yes. These would have not come about without Judeo-Christian influence and Judeo-Christian motives.

How utterly and unambiguously arrogant. I like that in a person :D

***BevKay said:
If by "good" you mean the ability to live with enough shelter, food, health, safety, stable family units to raise well-adjusted chidren, and equality among mankind

Why no, thats not what I meant. I meant morally and ethically good. One does not need to be ethical to live by any of the standards you listed. In fact, morality doesn't directly touch any of those standards save the last.

***BevKay said:
My judgment is objective in the sense that all of these influences are beneficial to the individual

Beneficial to the individual? Which individual would that be? Seriously though, you have yet to demonstrate objectively that any of these things are good. Some of them are. Can you demonstrate that outside the context of Jesus? All I'm looking for is some support for all of your assertions.

***BevKay said:
Which of the impacts do you believe would not be good, and please state your reason why.

For a specific example; Jesus said to love your enemies, love everyone regardless, and care for others. This is foolish. If you are lawful, ethically good, then to love a man who tries to destroy you is to love and support evil. Care for others? Which others? For what purpose? When it is taken as a moral imperative that one should care for others, then the opposite, to not care for others, is to be immoral. So, suddenly, you are evil for not placing another's well being over your own. In this way, men willingly become slaves of others.

Other things that don't make sense to me; why you bother to attribute all these things to Christianity.. Until recently, various facets of the Christian faith have encompassed the majority of Western civilization. Of course they will be behind the majority of the changes. And, since the Christian faith seems to be able to pick and choose what is and isn't good whenever suited, it should come as little surprise that good seems to stem from within them. Another thing; most of these inequities or wrongs were carried out by Christians, and they're only recently trying to change that. Does it not strike you as odd that almost everything you list happened in America, the first country to be founded through the use of democracy and rational human thought? (I'll go so far as to mention the secularity of the U.S. government, and no farther) Lastly, what about the other cultures that have developed the items on your list without the use of Christianity?

Thanks,
FyreStar
 
christians on the ego stroking again

christ on the cross it's the christians sucking each other off again,man does this shit get old...:eek:
 
I anticipate the reasons why Christianity has affected other, secluded cultures with the ideas of moral right and wrong that are said to be Christian only.
Man lives in duality. Perhaps it was our first concept of the world in which we live; watching day and night we develop a notion of give and take, good and evil. To say that this idea did not exist before the advent of Christianity requires some very strong argument. How could Christianity emerge from a world without right and wrong? I guess God's presence would describe that. Forgive me if you mean elsewise, or that our current values are based on Christianity.
There are striking similarities in all of man's tolerable and organized effort throughout histroy. A sense of loss at death that requires justification. Gain leads to pride in all cultures. Men always covet. Our ability to reason allows us to be gluttonous. A chaste and good tribal member who has never been exposed to Christianity is going to Hell?
I don't believe you interpret the religion this narrowly though simply because you don't constantly quote the Bible.
If Christianity proves true, then no civilization could have existed before it that it could influence, right? This is a dichotomy that begs resolution.
Who says Christianity would have existed were it not for external influence, something by which Christians could measure their good?
Opposition always puts our ideas into perspective, and man has always encountered opposition in life. This situation, the notion of opposition, creates ideas of right and wrong, often in detail very different from person to person but as a whole tolerable and uniform.

Truly,
Lathan

-I like a church; I like a cowl;
I love a prophet of the soul;
And on my heart monastic aisles
Fall like sweet strains, or pensive smiles;
Yet not for all his faith can see
Would I that cowled churchman be.

Why should the vest on him allure,
Which I could not on me endure?
 
*Originally posted by BevKay
The Christian belief is rooted in Judaism, which began somewhere around 2,000 B.C. through Abraham.*

You still have it wrong. You should really listen to some_guy01 and read your history. If you look at laws in general most systems of governing and judgement come from Roman practices. Heck the US is a complete rip off of Rome in every way: a Senate, a Caesar, and a seperate judiciary. Our laws are fundamentaly based on their laws as well. For proof look to the basic Christian/Jewish laws: the Ten Commandments. Correct me if I'm wrong but coveting thy neighbors wife is not against the law. In fact don't we have a special clause that seperates church from state. I know it's nice for you to believe that your religion has some sort of positive influence, but I can think of no successful theocracies. Think back to the puritan US: Witch trials! Before that think to the Roman Catholic Inquisitions! Stil not convinced: what about all the existing theocracies. They all just happen to lie in the Middle East. Jordan and Afghanistan are not fun places to live.

Weighing any positive side affects also requires the negative impacts. You forget to mention the Inquisition, Salem witch trials, Crusades, and the many wars sparked due to this difference in religions. Only by looking past religion can one live in peace. We create groups only so that we may destroy other groups.
 
Re: Re: do some history research

Originally posted by BevKay
The Christian belief is rooted in Judaism, which began somewhere around 2,000 B.C. through Abraham.
Click to expand...

Did Abraham aware that they were not alone?

Chinese also started around 2,100 B.C., why there was no impact of Christianity on Chinese society for 3500 years?
 
I posted a thread on this very subject around the time I first joined. The problem with religion, specifically those that have a single 'moral' god, is they have been the center of countless wars and suppression. You mentioned in your list how the Christians took care of those during the Black Plague. Do you have any idea as to how they took care of the sick? It was a common practice to put leeches all over the person suffering from the plague to drain the blood out of you. In other words, they weaken your immune system. They took really good care of those victims didn't they? You fail to relies the amount of destruction that has been brought about by religion of your type. Just Christianity itself has been the creator of multiple crusades, inquisitions and solely responsible for the dark ages, the worst period of time in mans history.
The biggest problem I have with Christianity is the sacrifice of all thought to a book and worse yet, whatever priest that happens to be at your church. There is a Baptist church near my work. They have a large attendance there, 1000+ people at its best. They organized a gathering to support the WTC tragedy and had a turnout of more than 2000 people. It was an amazing sight to see them all there, most of which were not affiliated with the church. They seen it start and joined in. Police and fire trucks were driving up and down with their sirens on in support. It all seemed good until I heard what they were pushing along with the rally. People were talking about what had happened and Islam. The priest had told his congregation that the Koran stated plain and simply that Christianity, all it followers, the USA and all its citizens needed to be killed, wiped off the face of the planet. Funny how there were no other opinions among them. None had read the Koran of course, the priest knew what he was talking about. That rally was not just harboring support, it was a center for hate to gather. Hate against all Islamic people. The general view between them was the need to obliterate Islam, no matter what.
As Marilyn Manson said "Hate every other mother f^&*er in your way."

" Correct me if I'm wrong but coveting thy neighbors wife is not against the law."

You are. Adultery has been in the law books for quite some time, at least in the USA. It is against the law to sleep with someone's wife/husband. However, the law is not enforceable in modern times. There is no denying it, much of American law is based on the bible. That is another problem I have with religion, it always wants to control everyone else. Conform to my law or else. It happens to be my biggest problem with Bush as well. Yes there is a clause covering the separation of church and state but if you haven't noticed the constitution means very little. The first amendment is a great example. It almost does not exist. Public opinion is the supreme rule here and it happens to include a lot of Christian bull shit. I guess that is just life.
 
For Fyrestar re: Christian Impact

***BevKay said:
If by "good" you mean the ability to live with enough shelter, food, health, safety, stable family units to raise well-adjusted chidren, and equality among mankind

Why no, thats not what I meant. I meant morally and ethically good. One does not need to be ethical to live by any of the standards you listed. In fact, morality doesn't directly touch any of those standards save the last.
Click to expand...

The list has everything to do with morality (i.e., concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct).
***BevKay said:
Which of the impacts do you believe would not be good, and please state your reason why.
For a specific example; Jesus said to love your enemies, love everyone regardless, and care for others. This is foolish.
Click to expand...
Someone once said that in order for evil to triumph, good men must do nothing.
There is a widespread misunderstanding of what love is. Love doesn't mean allowing evil to happen without acting. That would be the ultimate evil. Jesus is teaching against inappropriate responses to evil. God placed governments in control to inact justice against evil.

Other things that don't make sense to me; why you bother to attribute all these things to Christianity..
Click to expand...

You have to understand that when I refer to Christianity, I am not referring to a religion begun 2,000 years ago, or for that matter a religion at all. (Religion is man's effort to reach God). I refer to the belief in God as Creator of all things, who made Man in His image, who loved man so much that He gave man the ability to choose himself over God, who when faced with man's rebellion and fall, stepped into His own Creation, becoming flesh Himself, paying the price to reverse the reversal with Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

We, having been made in God's image, still carry a faint glimmer that is evident in our desire to right wrong, and care for others. Another evidence for this is our deep longing for Everlastingness. Those with mouse-trap minds accept this as a matter of course. But this great yearning for Eternity is inherent in all the great religions of the world. We're like fish in water. The fish have never known anything else, so they don't even see or believe that the water is present! God put that desire in our hearts because God's highest will is for humans to be eternal beings.
 
Re: Re: Re: do some history research

Originally posted by daktaklakpak


Did Abraham aware that they were not alone?

Chinese also started around 2,100 B.C., why there was no impact of Christianity on Chinese society for 3500 years?
Click to expand...

Realize that the great distance between China and the Middle East would have kept the civilizations separate. Example: Look how separate Japan was until the past 150 years. Virtually no exchange of ideas.
 
Greetings -

***BevKay said:
The list has everything to do with morality (i.e., concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct).

Why, no, no they don't. The actions themselves, may be good or evil, but they to nothing by themselves to distinguish wrong from right. Wrong and right must be proven through philosophy.

***BevKay said:
Love doesn't mean allowing evil to happen without acting. That would be the ultimate evil.

This is blatantly wrong. To require somebody to act, to make it immoral not to act, in the benefit of others, is to enforfce slavery. To enforce slavery is to take away the rights of the individual. To take away the rights of the individual is evil. If you're going to continue saying things like this, please justify them with reasoning.

***BevKay said:
You have to understand that when I refer to Christianity, I am not referring to a religion begun 2,000 years ago, or for that matter a religion at all.

So, in other words, you are not referring to all of that which you listed in your original post. So what then is the point of said post?

***BevKay said:
God placed governments in control to inact justice against evil.

Well, actually, our government was elected by its citizens to prevent the personal and religious beliefs of a few from oppressing the many. But I digress :D

Thanks,
FyreStar
 
you have to realize times have changed and the enemies that we face today are not the enemies of 2000 years ago. nowdays LOVING THEM WILL KILL YOU.

im curious have you seen some of the reports from afghanistan
there are people there that don't care that you are being kind to them or trying to love them they view you as pure evil and will do anything to kill you

I think what daktaklakpak meant was that, that is his point that they were so far away and they developed the same moralities without chrisitanity!


"Someone once said that in order for evil to triumph, good men must do nothing. - who said this???
There is a widespread misunderstanding of what love is. Love doesn't mean allowing evil to happen without acting.- okay what is it then??? That would be the ultimate evil. Jesus is teaching against inappropriate responses to evil.- what do you do when they are holding a gun to your head being redy to shoot you ??? do you just let them or would turning around and bashing their face in be an inapropriate response to evil??? come on God placed governments in control to inact justice against evil"- well he sure did a good job putting the Taliban in place



-is it me or are you just rambling and/or running out of ideas

if you believe all that mumbo-jumbo thats great but it still does not a point
 
*Originally posted by FyreStar
are you implying that these changes wouldn't have come about without Christianity?*

They didn't, without Christianity.

*One does not need to be ethical to live by any of the standards you listed. In fact, morality doesn't directly touch any of those standards save the last. *

Try to get enough shelter, food, health, safety, stable family units to raise well-adjusted chidren, and equality among mankind without morality.
Without morality, you would find it difficult to even stay alive.

*If you are lawful, ethically good, then to love a man who tries to destroy you is to love and support evil.*

On the other hand, to turn around and murder him would not be lawful and ethically good.

*various facets of the Christian faith have encompassed the majority of Western civilization. Of course they will be behind the majority of the changes.*

Too obvious for you, but other countries have other religions, so why didn't they come up with all of that stuff?

*Does it not strike you as odd that almost everything you list happened in America, the first country to be founded through the use of democracy and rational human thought?*

By Christians.

*Originally posted by Teg
You forget to mention the Inquisition, Salem witch trials, Crusades, and the many wars sparked due to this difference in religions.*

She was talking about Christianity, not Catholicism.

*Only by looking past religion can one live in peace.*

Dream on.
You can't even define peace without religion.

*Originally posted by daktaklakpak
why there was no impact of Christianity on Chinese society for 3500 years?*

Christianity has only been around for 2000 years.
You are apparently unaware of the Chinese who follow Jewish customs, and the large numbers of Chinese Christians.

*Originally posted by FA_Q2
Just Christianity itself has been the creator of multiple crusades, inquisitions and solely responsible for the dark ages, the worst period of time in mans history. *

Sorry, it was the Roman Catholic Church.

*The priest had told his congregation that the Koran stated plain and simply that Christianity, all it followers, the USA and all its citizens needed to be killed, wiped off the face of the planet.*

O ye who believe! Fight the Unbelievers who gird you about, and let them find firmness in you: And know that Allah is with those who fear Him.
(Qu'ran, Sura 8)

Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks; at length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them): Thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): But if it had been Allah's Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them (Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with others.
(Qu'ran, Sura 47)

Therefore grant a delay to the unbelievers: Give respite to them gently (for awhile).
(Qu'ran, Sura 86)

*Yes there is a clause covering the separation of church and state but if you haven't noticed the constitution means very little.*

No, there isn't a clause.
Just a letter by Thomas Jefferson.
 
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