Judeo-Christian influences clearly helped to shape American and European democracies.
Regardless of whether one is an atheist, agnostic, Muslim, Jew, or a Christian, people who live the United States of America have long enjoyed the benefits of liberty and freedom, self-government and rights of conscience because of the ideas developed from the Bible, not apart from it.
From the Founders and so many other historical accounts throughout American history, it was understood that the ideas of freedom and liberty were built upon, supported by, and not in conflict with the Judeo-Christian influence in this country.
Teleological ideas about the true nature of man. Theological ideas about God. Natural law, moral law, liberty, rights of conscience.
Even certain ideas that shaped the concepts of a democratically elected Constitutional Representative Republic and 3 equal branches of Government were influenced by studying the Hebrew commonwealth in the Scriptures. Even the deist Jefferson acknowledged its influence.
However, there has never been and never will be a theocratic civil government in the United States of America, because of the influence of the Christian religion, because of its ideas concerning God, Man and Government.
Did individual practitioners use and misuse their faith for unjust purposes? Did entire denominations down through our history do the same? Sadly, yes.
Slavery is but one example where churches and entire denominations twisted and misinterpreted scripture to justify this unjust and inhumane practice. Many remained silent when their consciences told them otherwise. Many churchmen and women were complicit themselves, and preachers often justified it in their pulpits. Had churches in slave-holding states awakened earlier to what they knew in their hearts to be wrong and immoral, and what the Christian religion clearly condemned, and had they had a greater influence in these slave-holding states, we may never have had to fight a costly civil war. However, it was not Christianity, but their complicity that fostered this evil.
England abolished slavery without a civil war. Because of men like Wilberforce and Newton, who were devout Christian men of faith. Newton, an often drunk captain of a slave-cargo ship, penned the words to ‘Amazing Grace’, after he was converted and joined Wilberforce and others to pressure and persuade lawmakers in England to abolish slavery.
However, it was a 2nd Great Awakening in churches in the Northern States in this country, that spread through the preaching of the likes of Charles Finney (founder of Oberlin College) and others, that directly impacted the growing abolitionist movements and helped to awaken the conscience of the nation that eventually led to the abolishment of slavery. Here it was the right practice of true Christianity that led to the abolishment of slavery
Study carefully the abolitionist movements, the underground railroad, etc. Those who were at the forefront were deeply devout men and women of the Christian faith. Many railed like the Hebrew prophets of old as they cried out for justice.
Study Lincoln. While he was not a member of one particular church or denomination, they always had a seat reserved for him at the Presbyterian Church in downtown Springfield, Illinois. He was deeply influenced by the Christian religion. So was Frederick Douglass.
There is so much history in this country of the many positive effects that true Christianity has had on society that one hardly knows where to begin.
Education (Harvard, Yale etc. were all founded by and upon the influences of the Christian religion), Arts, Commerce, Business and Finance (the origin of our bankruptcy laws came from the influence of the Hebrew Old Testament and the “Year of Jubilee”, where people struggling under the burdens of debt were periodically required to be let go), Medicine and medical care, government, law both civil and criminal, our courts, all were influenced to large extent by the Judeo-Christian ideas of man and government...man and society.
While these were not the only ideas or influences in the development of Western democracy, Christianity had the most profound and greatest impact in producing the freest and most just society in the history of mankind.
Furthermore, none of these influences and ideas ever lead to anything even close to a “theocracy” and they never will.
Animus against Christianity is horribly misguided and misplaced. For in attacking Christianity and burning Bibles, as was recently done by protesters, people are attacking the very foundations that led to the freest and most just society ever known.
Those who would attack the Bible and Christianity, falsely accusing both as oppressive, are terribly misguided.
They fail to understand that there are very few if any Christian churches or denominations throughout the world who teach that Old Testament laws that were specifically directed to the emerging nation of Israel ought to be reinstated and adopted by the civil governments, both here in the United States and other democracies throughout the world.
That does not mean, however, that the laws adopted by any nation or its people cannot reflect certain intrinsic "values" reflected in both the Old and New Testaments which are entirely consistent with natural law, decency, liberty and common sense if a government and its people choose to do so.
True Christianity is about liberty. It is about freedom. Liberty and freedom with and for a purpose. A purpose dedicated to the love and service of God and mankind.
However, liberty and freedom must have a moral foundation that transcends and transforms us. If not, we will descend into and become a slave of our own making, appetites and desires.
Liberty is one of mankind’s most precious gifts, however it cannot and should not be liberty and freedom “from” and should and always be liberty and freedom “for.” Otherwise it turns into utilitarianism, or a type of “libertarianism,” that atomizes individuals, creating a society with ever-weaker social bonds and that will inevitably turn into license and lawlessness.
The lawlessness and anti-Christian bigotry and hostility that we are now witnessing with greater and greater frequency —continued unabated— is an internal threat to America’s very survival as a country.
Her only hope is a return to true Christianity; a massive revival, renewal and awakening, that restores and rediscovers the very foundations of liberty and decency in this country.
Those committed to the eradication and destruction of Christianity, those who burn Bibles and call for the tearing down and removal of symbols depicting Christ, are in fact committed to the destruction of America whether they fully realize it or not.
