The overwhelming impact of Christ’s life on planet Earth has been positive and not negative.
Many in our world think that Christianity is too hard on people, because it teaches that all mankind is sinful and deserving of God’s judgment. In response to that, most man made belief systems teach that man is inherently good not evil.
Many also think Christianity is to blame for the discrimination against women and that the Scriptures condone slavery.
THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE WITHOUT CHRIST
Prior to the coming of Christ, and also in certain parts of the world where the Christian faith is non-existent, life was and is exceedingly cheap.
CHILDREN
In our culture, we as Christians fight for the rights of our children because we believe that their lives are equal in value to ours. But these feelings are not universal. For example, in the ancient world, nations surrounding the children of Israel partook in child sacrifice. Also, in ancient Rome life for an infant was not any better. While killing a Roman man was a serious offence, killing one’s child was a common practice.
WOMEN
The value of human life for a woman was also exceedingly cheap. In ancient Rome a woman’s fate was not much better than a child’s. In India, prior to the influence of Christianity, widows were voluntarily or involuntarily burned with their dead husbands. This brutal practice was known as suttee, which is translated “good woman.” Because the Hindus believed that good women followed their husbands in death.
THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE WITH CHRIST
God’s word continually teaches the value of human life. We are told in the Scriptures that we are created in God’s image.
We are also told of the great lengths God has gone through to save us because he loves us.
Concerning children—God’s word has a lot to say. In the Old Testament God and His people speak harshly against the shedding of the innocent blood of children.
10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire…these things are an abomination to the LORD. Deut. 18:10
Christ also showed the value of children during His earthly ministry.
Jesus gathered the little children unto Himself saying, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them” (Mt. 19:14).
Christians have followed His example. In ancient Rome Christians saved many abandon babies and brought them up in the faith and throughout history you have believers doing the same thing. For example, in the 1800s you have George Mueller who started many orphanages in and throughout England, which have served to helped thousands of children.
WOMEN
There are countless examples of how God looks favorably on women. Think of the women used by God in the Scriptures:
For example, you have missionary William Carey who was influential in putting a stop to the practice of Widow Burning in India. Also, missionary Amy Carmichael fought against the practice of childhood prostitution in India and weaned many girls out of this situation and into a Christian community.
SLAVERY
It is clear from the beginning that the scriptures do not condone slavery. For example, God delivers His children from Egyptian bondage and allows them to be taken as slaves by the Babylonians as punishment for their disobedience.
In Paul’s letter to Philemon, he sends back a runaway slave named Onesimus to his master. In this letter he encourages Philemon to “Receive [Onesimus] not as a slave, but as a beloved brother.”
Over the centuries, Christians have followed these examples. For example, committed Christian William Wilberforce worked tirelessly in an attempt to stop the slave trade from Africa to the West Indies and eventually was successful in doing so. He then worked day and night to free slaves in the British territories. Because of the commitment of Wilberforce, in 1833 700,000 British slaves were freed.
So were it not for Christ we would not be where we are today when it comes to the value of human life.
Many argue that compassion and mercy are not a result of being a Christian, but the result of being a decent human being. There are many non-believers today who are involved in all sorts of community service and many organizations that claim no religious affiliation who say that they care for others out of a sense of civic duty, but not because they are Christian.
With that being said, it is important not to simply look at the state of things now, but go back to the source of what makes individuals charitable and to look at the roots of the charities themselves.
COMPASSION AND MERCY WITHOUT CHRIST
Prior to Christ we learn that people were not too charitable. Ancient Greek historian Polybius reports that the Romans did not have a charitable bone in their body. He says that in Rome, “No one ever gives away anything to anyone if he can help it.” This lack of charity is also seen in other groups as well.
COMPASSION AND MERCY WITH CHRIST
The Scriptures have a lot to say about compassion and mercy.
Solomon says,
21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. Proverbs 14:21
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he set a great example for us by helping the poor and caring for the down and out and calls for his followers to do the same.
He says,
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…and His disciples said, “Lord when did we do all these things…” He said, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Mark 25:35-40
From this teaching come many of our charities.
Apart from Christ we would be without the YMCA which stands for Young Men’s Christian Association which God has used to greatly minister to the physical and spiritual needs of millions of underprivileged people in the urban areas of our world. We would also not have the Salvation Army, which is fueled on today by the love of Christ and is constantly helping the poor in countries around the world.
Internationally, much of the work being done to help the needy is being carried out by the church through various missions’ agencies. There are numerous para-church groups like World Vision international, Samaritan’s Purse, Food for the Hungry, Christian Children’s Relief Fund, and Compassion International that are each making a huge impact when it comes to providing Hope and showing compassion.
So a world without Christ would be a world without charity as we know it.
CRITIQUE OF CHRISTIANITY
Some today argue that people are one of two ways. They are either superstitious religionists or rational secularists, but never both. They also argue that to be a person of faith, you have to some extent abandon learning. Atheist Richard Dawkins says that living by faith “…teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding our world.”
EDUCATION WITHOUT CHRIST
Although people were educated before Christianity, education was not for all people—it was a privilege and there was little concern for the larger numbers of the uneducated and illiterate.
EDUCATION WITH CHRIST
Education for everyone is a Christian idea. This idea grew directly out of the reformation. The reformers pushed for education for everyone because they believed that the only way the Protestant Reformation would hold would be for people themselves—laypeople—to be able to read and understand the Bible in their own language.
EDUCATION IN AMERICA
Many may not know this but the push for education in America was also made by Christians. When the Pilgrims and the Puritans first came to the US, education was a high priority. It was not long until they began to require education for everyone in their colonies. They also used the Bible and other Christian literature when educating their children.
We not only have Christians to thank for lower education but also for our universities. Almost everyone of the first 123 colleges and universities in the United States had Christian Origins—started by Christians for Christian purposes. For example, Dartmouth was founded to train missionaries to the Native Americans and Columbia university, which opened in 1754, put out an early advertisement for the school that read, “The chief thing that is aimed at in this college is to teach and engage children to know God in Jesus Christ.” Past president of Princeton, Rev. John Witherspoon once said, “Cursed be all learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ.”
So were it not for Christianity we would be without prestigious schools like Oxford and Cambridge and Harvard, Yale, William and Mary, Brown, Princeton, New York University and others.
CHRISTIANITY AND WORLDWIDE LITERACY
Many of the world’s languages were first set to writing by Christian missionaries who wanted all peoples to be able to read and understand the Bible in their heart language. This work is still taking place today. Today many tribal languages are being codified by Christians out on the mission field.
Wycliffe Bible Translators (the second largest missions organization in the world) spend most of their resources and send most of their missionaries to obscure areas of the world to learn the language so they can translate the Scriptures into the heart language of the people so the people can then teach the nationals how to read and understand the Bible in their own language.
SO WITHOUT CHRIST MANY OF US WOULD BE UNEDUCATED AND MAYBE EVEN ILLITERATE
CRITIQUE OF CHRISTIANITY
Many believe Christianity along with other belief systems are to blame for the evils in our world. Atheist Bertrand Russell once said, “I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world.”
MORALITY WITHOUT CHRIST
In the Old Testament there are numerous accounts of pagan societies surrounding the people of God who were involved in all sorts of godless and immoral practices. For example, the worshippers of the god Moloch offered up their own children as sacrifices and Baal worship was as sexually immoral as any practice. The Assyrians were barbaric and inhumane in the way they treated they treated others and the standards of morality for the Canaanites were probably the lowest of all.
Though we have many positives today from the Greeks a greater morality is not one of them and the Romans, as earlier discussed, were uncharitable and had little value for human life.
So without Christ things are not good morally.
MORALITY WITH CHRIST
Nothing in all of history compares to what Christianity has done for morality. The Western world in particular owes a great deal to Christ for the way the Christian faith has changed tribes, peoples and nations for the better.
PAGANS OF ROME
Into this cruel, vulgar and immoral world you have the birth of Christ and his impact on the world is unmatched. Historian and author Will Durrant mentions that the Romans took notice of Christians and their morality. He says, “Pliny [who was a governor] was compelled to report to [the emperor] Trajan that the Christians led exemplary lives. Galen described them as ‘so far advanced in self-discipline and (with an) intense desire to attain moral excellence.”
And the ethical influence of Christianity impacted Roman life in a good way.
BARBARIANS AND VIKINGS
Both the Barbarians and Vikings were some of the most ferocious, godless and warlike people this world has ever known conquering and killing everyone who stood in their way including woman and children.
Many Christians from Rome put their lives on the line to take the Gospel to these warring groups and in time, their work was extremely successful. Both the Barbarians and the Vikings were transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And we learn that wherever the Gospel goes, so goes a greater morality.
MODERN MISSION MOVEMENTS
In the past two hundred years churches and mission agencies have been sending out missionaries into the far corners of the world to spread the Gospel.
One of the most incredible stories is that of Mary Slessor, who was from Scotland. She was converted to Christianity in her teens and later felt a call to serve as a missionary in Nigeria in 1876. After she arrived, she learned of the Calabar people who were so ferocious and fierce that even the government soldiers were fearful to enter into the land.
It was said that their customs were so vile that it stretches the imagination to consider the types of things they did to one another. This did not, however, stop Mary Slessor. And not only did God spare her from death, but used her to reach this people for Christ.
SO HAD JESUS NEVER BEEN BORN GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW IMMORAL OUR WORLD WOULD BE.
CONCLUSION
So though atheists like Friedrich Nietschze, Bertrand Russell and Richard Dawkins believe that our world would be better off without Christianity, history shows us otherwise.
Christ is not what’s wrong with the world, but what the world needs most. As you celebrate Christmas this week may you be reminded of the wonderful gift God gave by sending His son.
THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE
CRITIQUE OF CHRISTIANITY
Many in our world think that Christianity is too hard on people, because it teaches that all mankind is sinful and deserving of God’s judgment. In response to that, most man made belief systems teach that man is inherently good not evil.
Many also think Christianity is to blame for the discrimination against women and that the Scriptures condone slavery.
THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE WITHOUT CHRIST
Prior to the coming of Christ, and also in certain parts of the world where the Christian faith is non-existent, life was and is exceedingly cheap.
CHILDREN
In our culture, we as Christians fight for the rights of our children because we believe that their lives are equal in value to ours. But these feelings are not universal. For example, in the ancient world, nations surrounding the children of Israel partook in child sacrifice. Also, in ancient Rome life for an infant was not any better. While killing a Roman man was a serious offence, killing one’s child was a common practice.
WOMEN
The value of human life for a woman was also exceedingly cheap. In ancient Rome a woman’s fate was not much better than a child’s. In India, prior to the influence of Christianity, widows were voluntarily or involuntarily burned with their dead husbands. This brutal practice was known as suttee, which is translated “good woman.” Because the Hindus believed that good women followed their husbands in death.
THE VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE WITH CHRIST
God’s word continually teaches the value of human life. We are told in the Scriptures that we are created in God’s image.
We are also told of the great lengths God has gone through to save us because he loves us.
Concerning children—God’s word has a lot to say. In the Old Testament God and His people speak harshly against the shedding of the innocent blood of children.
10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire…these things are an abomination to the LORD. Deut. 18:10
Christ also showed the value of children during His earthly ministry.
Jesus gathered the little children unto Himself saying, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them” (Mt. 19:14).
Christians have followed His example. In ancient Rome Christians saved many abandon babies and brought them up in the faith and throughout history you have believers doing the same thing. For example, in the 1800s you have George Mueller who started many orphanages in and throughout England, which have served to helped thousands of children.
WOMEN
There are countless examples of how God looks favorably on women. Think of the women used by God in the Scriptures:
Ruth-The Moabite who becomes the ancestor of David and Jesus.Christ also goes out of His way to show the value of women during his earthly ministry. He commends the poor widow for her offering, he ministers to Mary Magdaline who had a questionable reputation and was demon possessed, he ministers to the woman at the well and brings Jairus’ daughter back to life after death. These examples found in the Scriptures have also been modeled by His people.
Esther-the chosen queen who intercedes for her people and prevents the
destruction of Israel.
Mary the mother of Jesus-who is greeted by the Angel
Gabriel with the words, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you.”
For example, you have missionary William Carey who was influential in putting a stop to the practice of Widow Burning in India. Also, missionary Amy Carmichael fought against the practice of childhood prostitution in India and weaned many girls out of this situation and into a Christian community.
SLAVERY
It is clear from the beginning that the scriptures do not condone slavery. For example, God delivers His children from Egyptian bondage and allows them to be taken as slaves by the Babylonians as punishment for their disobedience.
In Paul’s letter to Philemon, he sends back a runaway slave named Onesimus to his master. In this letter he encourages Philemon to “Receive [Onesimus] not as a slave, but as a beloved brother.”
Over the centuries, Christians have followed these examples. For example, committed Christian William Wilberforce worked tirelessly in an attempt to stop the slave trade from Africa to the West Indies and eventually was successful in doing so. He then worked day and night to free slaves in the British territories. Because of the commitment of Wilberforce, in 1833 700,000 British slaves were freed.
So were it not for Christ we would not be where we are today when it comes to the value of human life.
COMPASSION AND MERCY
CRITIQUE OF CHRISTIANITY
Many argue that compassion and mercy are not a result of being a Christian, but the result of being a decent human being. There are many non-believers today who are involved in all sorts of community service and many organizations that claim no religious affiliation who say that they care for others out of a sense of civic duty, but not because they are Christian.
With that being said, it is important not to simply look at the state of things now, but go back to the source of what makes individuals charitable and to look at the roots of the charities themselves.
COMPASSION AND MERCY WITHOUT CHRIST
Prior to Christ we learn that people were not too charitable. Ancient Greek historian Polybius reports that the Romans did not have a charitable bone in their body. He says that in Rome, “No one ever gives away anything to anyone if he can help it.” This lack of charity is also seen in other groups as well.
COMPASSION AND MERCY WITH CHRIST
The Scriptures have a lot to say about compassion and mercy.
Solomon says,
21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. Proverbs 14:21
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he set a great example for us by helping the poor and caring for the down and out and calls for his followers to do the same.
He says,
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…and His disciples said, “Lord when did we do all these things…” He said, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Mark 25:35-40
From this teaching come many of our charities.
Apart from Christ we would be without the YMCA which stands for Young Men’s Christian Association which God has used to greatly minister to the physical and spiritual needs of millions of underprivileged people in the urban areas of our world. We would also not have the Salvation Army, which is fueled on today by the love of Christ and is constantly helping the poor in countries around the world.
Internationally, much of the work being done to help the needy is being carried out by the church through various missions’ agencies. There are numerous para-church groups like World Vision international, Samaritan’s Purse, Food for the Hungry, Christian Children’s Relief Fund, and Compassion International that are each making a huge impact when it comes to providing Hope and showing compassion.
So a world without Christ would be a world without charity as we know it.
EDUCATION
Some today argue that people are one of two ways. They are either superstitious religionists or rational secularists, but never both. They also argue that to be a person of faith, you have to some extent abandon learning. Atheist Richard Dawkins says that living by faith “…teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding our world.”
EDUCATION WITHOUT CHRIST
Although people were educated before Christianity, education was not for all people—it was a privilege and there was little concern for the larger numbers of the uneducated and illiterate.
EDUCATION WITH CHRIST
Education for everyone is a Christian idea. This idea grew directly out of the reformation. The reformers pushed for education for everyone because they believed that the only way the Protestant Reformation would hold would be for people themselves—laypeople—to be able to read and understand the Bible in their own language.
EDUCATION IN AMERICA
Many may not know this but the push for education in America was also made by Christians. When the Pilgrims and the Puritans first came to the US, education was a high priority. It was not long until they began to require education for everyone in their colonies. They also used the Bible and other Christian literature when educating their children.
We not only have Christians to thank for lower education but also for our universities. Almost everyone of the first 123 colleges and universities in the United States had Christian Origins—started by Christians for Christian purposes. For example, Dartmouth was founded to train missionaries to the Native Americans and Columbia university, which opened in 1754, put out an early advertisement for the school that read, “The chief thing that is aimed at in this college is to teach and engage children to know God in Jesus Christ.” Past president of Princeton, Rev. John Witherspoon once said, “Cursed be all learning that is contrary to the cross of Christ.”
So were it not for Christianity we would be without prestigious schools like Oxford and Cambridge and Harvard, Yale, William and Mary, Brown, Princeton, New York University and others.
CHRISTIANITY AND WORLDWIDE LITERACY
Many of the world’s languages were first set to writing by Christian missionaries who wanted all peoples to be able to read and understand the Bible in their heart language. This work is still taking place today. Today many tribal languages are being codified by Christians out on the mission field.
Wycliffe Bible Translators (the second largest missions organization in the world) spend most of their resources and send most of their missionaries to obscure areas of the world to learn the language so they can translate the Scriptures into the heart language of the people so the people can then teach the nationals how to read and understand the Bible in their own language.
SO WITHOUT CHRIST MANY OF US WOULD BE UNEDUCATED AND MAYBE EVEN ILLITERATE
ETHICS AND MORALITY
Many believe Christianity along with other belief systems are to blame for the evils in our world. Atheist Bertrand Russell once said, “I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world.”
MORALITY WITHOUT CHRIST
In the Old Testament there are numerous accounts of pagan societies surrounding the people of God who were involved in all sorts of godless and immoral practices. For example, the worshippers of the god Moloch offered up their own children as sacrifices and Baal worship was as sexually immoral as any practice. The Assyrians were barbaric and inhumane in the way they treated they treated others and the standards of morality for the Canaanites were probably the lowest of all.
Though we have many positives today from the Greeks a greater morality is not one of them and the Romans, as earlier discussed, were uncharitable and had little value for human life.
So without Christ things are not good morally.
MORALITY WITH CHRIST
Nothing in all of history compares to what Christianity has done for morality. The Western world in particular owes a great deal to Christ for the way the Christian faith has changed tribes, peoples and nations for the better.
PAGANS OF ROME
Into this cruel, vulgar and immoral world you have the birth of Christ and his impact on the world is unmatched. Historian and author Will Durrant mentions that the Romans took notice of Christians and their morality. He says, “Pliny [who was a governor] was compelled to report to [the emperor] Trajan that the Christians led exemplary lives. Galen described them as ‘so far advanced in self-discipline and (with an) intense desire to attain moral excellence.”
And the ethical influence of Christianity impacted Roman life in a good way.
BARBARIANS AND VIKINGS
Both the Barbarians and Vikings were some of the most ferocious, godless and warlike people this world has ever known conquering and killing everyone who stood in their way including woman and children.
Many Christians from Rome put their lives on the line to take the Gospel to these warring groups and in time, their work was extremely successful. Both the Barbarians and the Vikings were transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
And we learn that wherever the Gospel goes, so goes a greater morality.
MODERN MISSION MOVEMENTS
In the past two hundred years churches and mission agencies have been sending out missionaries into the far corners of the world to spread the Gospel.
One of the most incredible stories is that of Mary Slessor, who was from Scotland. She was converted to Christianity in her teens and later felt a call to serve as a missionary in Nigeria in 1876. After she arrived, she learned of the Calabar people who were so ferocious and fierce that even the government soldiers were fearful to enter into the land.
It was said that their customs were so vile that it stretches the imagination to consider the types of things they did to one another. This did not, however, stop Mary Slessor. And not only did God spare her from death, but used her to reach this people for Christ.
SO HAD JESUS NEVER BEEN BORN GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW IMMORAL OUR WORLD WOULD BE.
CONCLUSION
So though atheists like Friedrich Nietschze, Bertrand Russell and Richard Dawkins believe that our world would be better off without Christianity, history shows us otherwise.
Christ is not what’s wrong with the world, but what the world needs most. As you celebrate Christmas this week may you be reminded of the wonderful gift God gave by sending His son.
