Christianity has changed the world in so many important ways, many of which we are probably not even aware of on a daily basis. In his new book, Unimaginable: What Our World Would Be Like Without Christianity, Dr. Jeremiah J. Johnston describes how Christianity has positively impacted the world. and explores what the world would be like without Jesus and his values. He pervades every human life. Dr. Johnston examines the impact Christianity has had and continues to have on the world from cultural, historical, political, and personal perspectives. The following excerpt is based on Dr. Johnston's new book, which draws attention to 10 specific ways Christianity has impacted and changed the world for the better.
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1. With the introduction of Christianity, the world looks radically different. What are the big cultural changes?
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The single biggest change was the concept that God loves His creation, especially humans. In the pre-Christian world, gods were indifferent to humanity. Indeed, gods were sometimes jealous of humans. Humans feared God and tried to appease him or bribe him. However, Christians declared that “God is love,'' and claimed that God sent his Son to bring about reconciliation between God and humanity. Ancient pagans had never heard of such a thing. The idea that God actually loved them, sent His Son to serve humanity, and was even willing to die for humanity was almost incomprehensible.
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2. How did Christ change the overall worldview of most people in modern culture?
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The impact of Jesus Christ on the world is so great that it is probably impossible to fully measure it. Because of Jesus, most of the world came to believe in one God (most of the pre-Christian world was polytheistic). Additionally, most people around the world believe that Jesus is a very important person, even if many people do not believe in him like Christians do. Therefore, many of Jesus' teachings are heeded, at least to some degree. As a result, much of the world was Christianized to some extent, and the quality of life improved significantly.
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3. Why did Christianity gather an incredible number of followers so quickly?
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Christianity spread rapidly for two main reasons. (1) Christians accepted the God of Abraham, the God of the Jews. Many pagans felt that Jewish monotheism made more sense than pagan polytheism. (2) The message of the Resurrection, heavily backed by reliable eyewitness testimony, provided the world with assurances of salvation and life beyond this world that the world had never known or even imagined. The message that God raised Jesus from the dead was a game changer.
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4. Why would a loving God rather than a vengeful God be so revolutionary?
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Most pagans believed that gods felt little or no sympathy for humans. Some gods were even jealous of beautiful humans, talented humans, etc. Pagan gods were narrow-minded, easily angry, and vengeful. Indeed, the gods were often deceitful and could not be trusted. This is why the God of Jesus, who is portrayed as a heavenly Father who loved his children, was patient when they were foolish and sinned, and was a completely trustworthy and faithful God of truth, was to pagans The reason is simply mind-boggling. .
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5. Why did historic Jewish culture not embrace the values that Christianity brought?
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Jewish culture at the time of Jesus drew a clear line between Jews on the one hand and non-Jews (i.e., Gentiles) on the other. Jesus extended his hand out of compassion to the non-Jews. He even said that food does not make a person unclean. These ideas were adopted by his followers, for example Paul declared that in Jesus Christ there was “no Jew or Gentile”. Such ideas were revolutionary for both Jews and Gentiles. Jewish culture resisted such ideas.
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6. The regimes of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and Mao Zedong all had atheistic roots. Why were they drawn to atheistic ideas?
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All four of these people had broken relationships with their fathers. Their fathers were violent, atheist, or both. Atheism served Hitler and his allies well. Because without God, the Judeo-Christian worldview and its attendant ethics and morals could easily be abolished. The absence of God makes it easier to advocate the elimination of undesirable people, to justify violence, to justify war, to promote superior races and ideologies that trample on people. . I mean, if you want to be a thug, it's much easier if God doesn't muddy the waters.
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7. You also attribute women's social and cultural freedom to Christianity. Can you explain how Christ brought about equality? Why was the early church so attractive to women?
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Jewish scripture teaches that God created humans in His image. Jesus and his followers correctly inferred from this teaching that men and women are equal. Men and women may have different and complementary roles in the family and society, but in God's eyes they are equal. Early Christians demonstrated this belief by entrusting women with leadership positions. Talented and educated women were recognized for speaking and providing leadership in Christian communities and churches. The church also showed compassion for the sick, poor, and homeless. The church's compassion and mercy attracted women who often felt abused and unloved.
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8. Why does our world still struggle with many of the values Christ instilled in us?
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Many of Christ's values conflict with selfish worldly values. Even if our human conscience tells us this is wrong, we often do it. People want to do what they want and don't want authority figures to tell them that it's wrong. It's a lot like discipline. Your child may get angry and want to strike out, or your child may want to eat ice cream instead of dinner. The same goes for adults. We are often tempted to do things that hurt ourselves or others. We are all willing to do long-term damage for short-term gratification.
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9. “Unimaginable” highlights the trauma of many atheists. What is the difference between growing hatred and love/salvation?
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Without forgiveness and salvation, trauma can lead to hatred, vengeance, and even self-destruction. Hitler, Stalin, and other violent tyrants were traumatized in childhood and adolescence and never experienced love or salvation. It is difficult to explain why some people respond to God's loving grace and receive salvation while others do not. Hitler himself had a moment when a priest confronted him and challenged him to abandon his evil and violent past. Although he was upset at first, he decided to ignore the pastor's warning. Hitler, like the pharaohs thousands of years before, hardened his heart and then led Germany down a path of unimaginable death and destruction.
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10. How did Christianity ultimately bring us the only salvation available?
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Christianity is the only faith that holds the view that God Himself purchased our salvation. In other religious ideas and systems, we do not find a God, a God who suffers for mankind and in doing so brings salvation. All other systems teach us to learn to accept life as it is, or we try to redeem ourselves. It's no surprise that Christianity's message about a loving and saving God attracts more of his 2.4 billion followers than any other faith.
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Publication date: November 28, 2017
