Let us sing the praises of Christianity

Great Debates
1

A comment by BrainGlutton in this thread (post 97) inspired me with an idea for a thread to commemorate Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday - the holiest weekend for Christians.

Let us - whether Christian or not - list what we find good in Christians and Christianity.

What amazes me about Christianity and Christians is the immense impulse to do charity. Christians are involved in charitable works concerning hospitals, homeless-shelters, soup kitchens, thrift stores, schools, refuges, and much more.

Christians also feel the call to be involved with the world, to lift it up.

Most of the years when I went to school in Pakistan, I attended a Catholic school. With one or two exceptions, all the highly-regarded and good schools there were Catholic. Probably less than one percent of all the schools’ student body together was Christian: the majority of the benefit of these schools fell upon Muslims. They certainly did not mind. The teachers were mostly Muslim (although Christian teachers were not too rare), and Muslims were taught Muslim subjects (such as Islamiyat - about Islam, qir’at - how to recite the Qur’an). Never did they insinuate that Christianity was better than Islam.

I am amazed by the ethos common in more conservative forms of Christianity to change, improve, and submit to a higher standard. Submission and humility are themes very much stressed. Continual repentance - whether confession or changing oneself to become more Christ-like - is also amazing.

The hope I see in Christians is amazing as well. They seem so upbeat, so confident. Their faith in God is unwavering. Their love of Him is wonderful to behold.

This is all I can think of right now (as it is almost 4 in the morning). What say you?

WRS - “[We believe i]n one Lord Jesus Christ [… w]ho for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven. And was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary and was made man; was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried; and the third day rose again according to the Scriptures.” Kyrie, eleison. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison.

2

Thank you, WeRSauron!

3

What is the debate here?

4

Great Debates is also the appropriate forum for witnessing.

5

Atheist checking in.

I will concur with the OP in his regard for Catholic centers of learning. I’ve never known Catholic educational institutions to waver in the pursuit of knowledge, even when it might come into direct conflict with faith. While some might find fault with the minutia of Catholic doctrine, I am actually impressed at the effort to find some sort of consistency, both internally and within the framework of scientific knowledge about our universe.

On the other hand, I am wary of applauding any religious doctrine, if only because I’ve found that the good, intelligent people that I know would be so without benefit of Christianity (or any other religion, for that matter), nor do I know of many evil, ignorant people who have been turned aside because of it. But that has only been my personal experience, so I’ll refrain from anything else.

6

Another atheist checking in but staying on topic. :wink:

I second the OPs reference to charity.

I will also add personal compassion.

Sure, you got your Fred Phelpses out there. And I often get angry at Christian groups who are attempting to impose theocracy. But day to day, the Christians I know – while I disagree with much of their worldview – are honestly striving to love their neighbors and walk humbly with their God.

7

Well, I reckon I just contradicted myself. :smack:

8

WRS and Sample, and others – Nice idea, and great comments!

In view of the day, may I offer the Scherzo from Eliot’s East Coker:

9

To this day, more than 2 decades after I realized I was an atheist, I still love religious choral music. My parents were singers and choir directors and my mother had years of operatic trtaining, so I grew up immersed in classical Christian music. Whatever faith inspired Bach and Handel ain’t all bad in my book.

10

Christianity originally was not opposed to slavery (St. Paul enjoined masters to be kind and slaves to be obedient), but it always contained the seeds of abolitionist tendencies: Christianity introduced the idea – very radical in its time – that every human soul is equally precious, and worth saving. That idea was essential to the abolitionist movements of the 18th and 19th Centuries.

11

Obviously this has to be pure speculation, but I’d bet there are people who are only decent because of the carrot of heaven and the stick of hell, and no other non-supernatural reason would prevent them from doing bad things.

Simply, people are changed by different things, and probably for some only supernatural belief happens to do the trick.

(I’m an atheist fwiw)

12

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Christianity held together western civilization for a thousand years during the Dark Ages.

13

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

(Though now I wonder if someone will start a “Let us condemn the horrors of Christianity” as a counter-thread)

14

Is this a whoosh? They called 'em “Dark Ages” for a reason, bro.

15

The breakdown of the main political entity in the region does tend to do that. The Catholic church(I’m not catholic, nor am I a big fan of the church) was pratically the only infrastructure left in Northern Europe.

16

Yeah, and the reason was that Victorian British historians didn’t like Catholicism. :slight_smile:

17

Christianity has inspired incredible words of art such as this and this.

18

I don’t belong to any religious organization, but I do know God. I know there are no perfect organizations, as there are no perfect people. However, one should honor those organizations that strive to teach humiliy, love and compassion for their fellow man.

19

Galileo Galilei surely would have disagreed.

20

Christianity also inspired the Inquisition. And the Crusades.