Ideas have Consequences...
Impact of Christian values has drastically and dramatically altered forever the face of this planet. Values of human life, dignity, honesty, chastity, charity, compassion, forgiveness, patience, education, health, science, history, mathematics, art, music, architecture, the list goes on and on. Professor Alvin J. Schmidt has written a 400 page book on the subject and it is nowhere near systematic or all-inclusive a dissertation.
A theologian was challenged once to a debate, instead of accepting upright (for the challenge was a negation of the usefulness of religion), the theologian challenged the atheist who had proffered the ultimatum that he could show up to the debate with over fifty people who could attest to Christianity changing their lives for the better and if he, the atheist, could find one, only one person to attest to how atheism had saved or bettered his life in some way, he, the theologian, would enter into the debate with him. The atheist never showed.
Because our actions follow our beliefs, our beliefs will produce consequences through our actions. Our ideas have consequences to them. The metaphysical questions of who are we, why are we here, what is truth, what happens once you die, how did we get here, etc. these are the questions we ask and how we answer them determines how we live and how we live determines the outcomes of our actions. They are all interconnected. You cannot separate them from each other. If you do not believe there are answers to metaphysical questions, you still have certain answers for them whether you concur with the questions universality or not. Everyone has some belief as to where they came from, what their purpose is and so forth. Some do not know for certain and are still searching for answers but they do have some answers. Some answer simply in form of a negation. There is no purpose. There is no life after death, etc. They live an empty, depressing life. Those are not my words, they are theirs. One philosopher, who was convinced of the purposelessness of life, failed utterly to convince his followers not to commit suicide for life had no meaning.
But in Christianity, we find a moral standard that is set so unnaturally high that we are unable to fathom or attain it. But, as it has been passed down to me, “It is not about perfection, but direction.” William Wilburforce, under conviction from biblical constancy, sought and won the abolition of slavery in Britain and from thence convicted the world. It was the Christians who sought education in teaching children and building universities, it was the Christians who institutionalized hospitals and invested in medicine and science. It was Christianity that introduced charity to the world and virtuosity. It is these things that came out of Christianity because it is out of the heart of Christianity that these things naturally spring up.
The inquisition and the crusades and other such abominations that were foisted under the name of the Church are not true witnesses of what Christianity is. It is not that those people were ‘too Christian’, too zealous for Christianity, they were ‘too little Christian’. It was a turn away from Christianity that they were able to do what they did. Out of the heart the mouth speaks and from the ideas believed the hand moves. If we take the just idea of Christianity and what it stands for, the purity of said idea would move the heavens and shake the earth, and no chances of evil could ever exit out in any form of consequence from said idea. This does not prove accuracy or truthfulness, but what it does do is add weight to the evidence of truthfulness and accuracy. For we believe that for something to be true, it should be tested by it’s outcomes. If an honest search into Christianity is made, I think you will find that it’s outcomes has been tested, and have been found above reproach.
Jared Williams
A theologian was challenged once to a debate, instead of accepting upright (for the challenge was a negation of the usefulness of religion), the theologian challenged the atheist who had proffered the ultimatum that he could show up to the debate with over fifty people who could attest to Christianity changing their lives for the better and if he, the atheist, could find one, only one person to attest to how atheism had saved or bettered his life in some way, he, the theologian, would enter into the debate with him. The atheist never showed.
Because our actions follow our beliefs, our beliefs will produce consequences through our actions. Our ideas have consequences to them. The metaphysical questions of who are we, why are we here, what is truth, what happens once you die, how did we get here, etc. these are the questions we ask and how we answer them determines how we live and how we live determines the outcomes of our actions. They are all interconnected. You cannot separate them from each other. If you do not believe there are answers to metaphysical questions, you still have certain answers for them whether you concur with the questions universality or not. Everyone has some belief as to where they came from, what their purpose is and so forth. Some do not know for certain and are still searching for answers but they do have some answers. Some answer simply in form of a negation. There is no purpose. There is no life after death, etc. They live an empty, depressing life. Those are not my words, they are theirs. One philosopher, who was convinced of the purposelessness of life, failed utterly to convince his followers not to commit suicide for life had no meaning.
But in Christianity, we find a moral standard that is set so unnaturally high that we are unable to fathom or attain it. But, as it has been passed down to me, “It is not about perfection, but direction.” William Wilburforce, under conviction from biblical constancy, sought and won the abolition of slavery in Britain and from thence convicted the world. It was the Christians who sought education in teaching children and building universities, it was the Christians who institutionalized hospitals and invested in medicine and science. It was Christianity that introduced charity to the world and virtuosity. It is these things that came out of Christianity because it is out of the heart of Christianity that these things naturally spring up.
The inquisition and the crusades and other such abominations that were foisted under the name of the Church are not true witnesses of what Christianity is. It is not that those people were ‘too Christian’, too zealous for Christianity, they were ‘too little Christian’. It was a turn away from Christianity that they were able to do what they did. Out of the heart the mouth speaks and from the ideas believed the hand moves. If we take the just idea of Christianity and what it stands for, the purity of said idea would move the heavens and shake the earth, and no chances of evil could ever exit out in any form of consequence from said idea. This does not prove accuracy or truthfulness, but what it does do is add weight to the evidence of truthfulness and accuracy. For we believe that for something to be true, it should be tested by it’s outcomes. If an honest search into Christianity is made, I think you will find that it’s outcomes has been tested, and have been found above reproach.
Jared Williams
