By David Robb ——Bio and Archives--November 23, 2023
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At this time of Thanksgiving and despite our difficult times, we still have much to be thankful for. Not the least of which is that we live in a nation founded on and shaped by Christian ideals and beliefs.
It has become common for those who find fault with our country to attack Christianity as a way to attack the roots of our civilization. But things could have been otherwise. It is worth looking at some of what Christianity has brought to us—things that have enduring value for us all.
Nearly all of our concepts of justice are based on Christian teachings. Much of history has been a story of the strong preying on the weak, of might making right. Christianity, with its roots in Judaism, teaches a concept of justice based on law, where the rights of the weak are equal to those of the strong. The law sets standards of behavior that apply to all. Justice then consists of determining if those standards have been upheld or if they were violated and to what degree.
Implicit in that concept is the idea of accountability— something the detractors of Christianity find abhorrent. It is to the Christian God, the God of Israel, that we are ultimately accountable, which is why so many seek to remove all vestiges of Christianity. If there is no God, there is no-one to whom they must account except for themselves. Should they find need to justify their actions, they can always rationalize something, such as "acting in the greater good", or "they deserved what they got" or some similar justification. The standards of the Christian God do not admit to such justifications.
The very concept of rights is also a product of Christianity. Our understanding of rights, sometimes called "natural rights" is that certain things are inherent in our existence by virtue of our nature as children of the Christian God. Our Declaration proclaims that we have rights granted by our Creator, and lists among them as life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Our Constitution further elaborates these rights in the first ten Amendments.
This is not an obvious concept, nor one found in non-Christian nations throughout history. Rather than inherent in each person, rights have typically been seen as things granted by kings, and by the State. Such 'rights' granted by human agents can be revoked by those same human agents. The idea of inherent rights is a unique benefit of our Christian heritage. Those who would eliminate Christianity know that being able to bestow or remove rights gives them great power that Christianity denies them.
Women, especially, should appreciate Christianity. Many cultures throughout history have held women in low esteem. Indeed, even today there are many parts of the world where women are considered inferior, shameful, or otherwise less than men and are coerced to hide themselves in covering garments and are restricted in their activities. It has been Christianity that has recognized the value of women and encouraged their participation.
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Chivalry, a much maligned standard of Christian behavior, originated as a way to restrain arbitrary power. Medieval knights were the supreme military force of the age. Nearly invulnerable in their armor, they could, unless restrained, do whatever they wished and few could oppose them. By introducing the Christian idea that their strength was to serve justice and act in protection of the weak and vulnerable, standards for behavior of these powerful agents were established, and society was much the better for it. Women, especially, were to be respected and protected, a furtherance of Christian recognition of their value and rights.
Some have said that humanity has progressed beyond a need for some imaginary all-powerful being. Science has conquered and overcome superstition, and we have advanced beyond a need for such irrational beliefs. After all, Nietzsche proclaimed that 'God is dead', and that we can create our own standards more suited to our concepts of right and wrong, and adaptive to changing circumstances. They ignore the fact that for thousands of years man has created laws in his own image, and for those same thousands of years has ignored the fact that what laws man creates, man can also ignore or change at whim.
Christian cultures take as so obvious as to be invisible the ancient law 'Thou shalt not kill'. Consider, though, a society where killing was commonplace. Perhaps it might even be condoned where one could obtain a 'hunting license' that would grant permission to someone who wished to kill another, and would eliminate any sanction against murder. What would life be like in such a society where no-one's life was safe? It is the Christian respect for the life of every individual that has established the society we enjoy. Where that respect has been diminished, largely through rejection of Christianity, murder has proliferated.
I could go on much longer about the virtues of a Christian society, but this should give a flavor of what might be said. It takes but little imagination to come up with one's own list, and making such a list could be an appropriate activity on this day of Thanksgiving.
True, there have been things done in the name of Christianity that have been wrong, harmful, or unjust, but they are not exemplary of Christianity. Christianity should not be judged by those who failed in its application.
Far more has been inspired by Christianity, beyond our system of government and our culture. Much of the world's greatest music has been written to give glory to the God of Christianity. Many of the most beautiful works of art were made in Christian celebration. The ideas of Christian service and accountability to the highest standards have led to the most noble deeds of history, and the greatest advances in moral society.
Writing as a scientist, I can state unequivocally that science has not proven, nor can it ever prove that the Christian God does not exist. Rather, at some point every question in science comes to a place where one asks: how did this come to be? There are only a few good answers.
I wish everyone a bountiful Thanksgiving full of restored faith and hope.
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David Robb is a practicing scientist and CTO of a small firm developing new security technologies for detection of drugs and other contraband. Dave has published extensively in TheBlueStateConservative, and occasionally in American Thinker.