Posted on 04/22/2014 8:33:32 AM PDT by No One Special
One of the most enlightening books I have ever come across was The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success by Rodney Stark. And at the very end of this book there is a quote from a Chinese scholar who had been part of an investigation into the causes of Western economic success. This is a direct quote of what this Chinese scholar had said:
One of the things we were asked to look at was the success, in fact, the pre-eminence of the West, all over the world. We studied everything we could from the historical, political, economic and cultural perspective. At first, we thought it was because you had more powerful guns than we had. Then we thought it was because you had the best political system. Next we focused on your economic system. But in the past twenty years we have realised that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. That is why the West is so powerful. The Christian moral foundation of social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don’t have any doubt about this.
I was reminded of this by an article in London’s The Telegraph with the self-explanatory heading, China on course to become ‘world’s most Christian nation’ within 15 years. And while you may be sure the Chinese government has been keeping a watchful eye on where this might go, they have also not been attempting to stamp it out. And there are reasons for this, in keeping with that earlier study:
Some officials argue that religious groups can provide social services the government cannot, while simultaneously helping reverse a growing moral crisis in a land where cash, not Communism, has now become king.
They appear to agree with David Cameron, the British prime minister, who said last week that Christianity could help boost Britain’s “spiritual, physical and moral” state.
Ms Shi, Liushi’s preacher, who is careful to describe her church as “patriotic”, said: “We have two motivations: one is our gospel mission and the other is serving society. Christianity can also play a role in maintaining peace and stability in society. Without God, people can do as they please.”
In place of a moral order we now have political correctness and the pagan religion of Gaia and the environment. China, meanwhile, may become a Christian nation as we in the West depart from what may be the single most important part of the inheritance we have.
bkmk
“Without God, people can do as they please.” – Probably poorly translated. Most major atheist philosophers admit to one great problem with their belief, to wit: if there is no God, if there is no supreme moral force, if there is no overarching law, then all morality devolves to mere opinion. And no opinion can be considered any more or less valid than any other opinion. The very concepts of right and wrong, good and evil, become utterly meaningless – there are no real rules because we truly are animals.
You can have your personal morality (growing up around hippies they were constantly pontificating about their morality – which had a nice veneer but when pressured always seemed to conveniently revolve around them and their personal wants, desires and self-gratification). And I can have mine. If it makes me happy to kidnap people, rape and torture them and then eat them alive (Caligula) then who is to say my morality is any less valid than yours?
“Without God, people can do anything they want”.
Are Christians perfect? Depressingly far from it. But Christianity is the only religion that preaches love, peace, kindness, gentleness, honesty, humbleness etc. as more than an after thought. Islam has certain rules but they only apply to other Muslims – not to infidels. The central tenet of Buddhism is to not care – about anything or anyone. Hinduism studied as a whole is depraved and produces incredible cruelty.
Without the self restraint born of Christianity capitalism will not function well – or at all. Without SELF restraint the culture will clamor for government – the progressives, regressive dream. And that government will be oppressive.
there are no real rules because we truly are animals.
There is a real rule, and it is survival of the fittest, and we are animals if not constrained by a higher power's authority.
5.56mm
“Without God, people can do as they please”
Governments too!
Ping myself for later.
America’s fate —
Hosea 4:6
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”
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