Place Because of
Jesus Christ
he die to save people from their sins as we talked about in other pages of this
website, he also changed the world.
Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and
planted in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds but when it is grown it is greater
than the other plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and nest
in its branches." Matthew 13:31-32
Jesus was born in a stable. His family was poor. He did not have a lot of money.
He did not have an important job, he was a carpenter. In fact, at the end of his life
he did not have a home. But, he became the most important person in history. His
birth is foundation for our calendar. Even non-Christians recognize Jesus Christ
as the most important figure in history. President George W. Bush, a Christian,
said that Christ was the most important influence in his life.
Look at the list below. Could you imagine if we did not have these things?
1. Hospitals.
2. Universities.
3. Free public education for all people.
4. Literacy (teaching people to read) programs.
5. Capitalism and free-enterprise
6. Representative government, especially American democracy.
7. Separation of powers (no single branch of government has all power, this
limits corruption and protects freedom).
8. Freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and religion.
9. Slavery has been made illegal.
10. Modern science.
11. The discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus.
12. Women's rights and equality.
13. Charities (NGO's that help the poor).
14. High standards of justice.
15. Elevation of common people.
16. Condemnation (to say something is bad) of adultery, homosexuality, and
other sexual sins. This has helped to protect the family and saved
people from needless pain and death through disease. Christians love
people who do wrong even if we do not agree with their lifestyle.
17. High value on human life.
18. Establishment of order and government in undeveloped cultures.
19. The written form of many languages.
20. Greater development of art and music.
21. Transformation of many lives as a result of Christ. Murderers and
criminals have been changed for the better.
22. Heaven for countless souls.
All of these things are the result of Christ, Christianity, and Christians.
Christianity also value human life more than other religions because we believe
that every life is unique and special in God's eyes. "So God created human
beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female."
Genesis 1:27
In the culture of the world at and before the time of Jesus human life was not
valued. Prisoners were forced to fight each other to the death or to be killed by
lions for the entertainment of crowds. Babies were killed for as offerings to various
gods. Abortion was widely practiced along with the killing of newborn babies.
Wherever Christianity has become the religion of the majority of the people, these
terrible practices have been made illegal. As Christianity declines in countries
such as the US, abortion and other practices become legal again.
In non-Christian cultures women generally have the same value as farm animals.
They have no rights and are not allowed to do anything without the permission of
their father or husband. Today, in such places as China, it is common for parents
to abort female babies so that their one legal child will be male. Christianity
teaches that men and women are equal before God. "So there is no difference
between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and
women; you are all in one union with Jesus Christ." (Galatians 3:28).
In the US (not to mention all the other nations where Christians live and give)
Jewish and Christian religious institutions donate more than $19 billion each year
to care for children, elderly, education, medicine, food for the hungry, and housing
for the homeless. In addition, more than $6 billion is given yearly in volunteer labor
(free work; doctors, teachers, builders, etc.) People who do not believe in God are
not nearly so generous to the poor. They generally do not give their own money.
Instead they expect the government to help the poor with other people's money.
The belief that all people should receive education came from Christianity. Over
the past two hundred years Christian missionaries were the first to provide
education to hundreds of millions of people in lesser developed nations.
The universities of Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, Princeton were started to teach
people about the Bible and to train pastors. Today, these universities are
anti-Christian but Christians started them.
Much of American democracy is based on Christianity. The idea of limited
government power comes from the idea that God is above all nations and so even
kings must obey God and not take away the rights of the people. The idea of
human rights is based on the teaching of Christianity that humans are created by
God and are given rights that cannot be taken away by the government. The idea
for the separation of powers (President, Congress, Supreme Court) comes from
the Christian teaching that all people are sinful and so no single person should
have all power but that others should limit their power.
Important scientists who believed that God created the universe.
Joseph Lister-antiseptic surgery
Louis Pasteur-bacteriology
Isaac Newton-calculus
Johannes Kepler-mechanics of stars and planets
Robert Boyl-chemistry
Georgess Cuvier-comparative anatomy
Charles Babbage-computer science
John Ambrose Fleming-electronics
Gregor Mendel-genetics
Blaise Pascal-hydrostatics.
William Ramsey-isotopic chemistry
John Ray-natural history
And many more!
Hospitals-The first hospitals that took care of the poor as a ministry were founded
by Christians around the year 350. Christians believe that serving the poor and
the sick is the same as serving Christ.
Matthew 25:34-40
34. "Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by
my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation
of the world.
35. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave
me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I
was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37. "Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and
feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38. When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and
clothe you?
39. When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40. "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of
these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
The Red Cross was founded by Henry Dunant in 1864 to prevent the suffering and
death of soldiers on the battlefield because he felt the call of God to do this.
Source:
Kennedy, D. James. and Newcombe, Jerry (1994) What if Jesus had never been
born? Thomas Nelson Publishing.
