WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF CHRIST WAS NEVER BORN?

    WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF CHRIST WAS NEVER BORN?

One of the greatest secrets that had been hidden from society is how Christ affected the cultural gateways in which we live. We must get this information out to the younger generation so they can realize the value of how God has looked over mankind because of His love for us. God provides the inspiration and it always has taken individuals to rise up to bring a better quality of life to those around us.

Years ago, I read a book by Dr. D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe called What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?  It gave me great insight into how Christ impacted the world.  I highly recommend you read it, as this chapter gives only a very broad but necessary brush stroke based on information from their book.  How Christ has impacted our world needs to be taught in our churches and schools.

              JESUS CHRIST HAS IMPACTED EVERY AREA OF HUMAN LIFE!

                    (Human life and needs, education, government, science, medicine, morality, art/music)

• Christianity has provided a sanctuary for children.  All through the ages, children have been sacrificed (even up until this day by abortion).  Children were once considered property and infanticide was widespread.  They were enslaved in various forms of child labor and had no legal rights.  Christianity brought value to human life and came to the defense of children.

• Women were considered property in many ancient cultures and they had no rights.  Killing baby girls was very common because they were not wanted.  Christian missionaries, who traveled the world, changed these abuses on women in most cultures.  Feminists claim that Christianity oppressed women, but the truth of the matter is it has set them free.

• The elderly have also been maligned throughout history.  Many cultures had them killed off because they were a burden to society.  Jesus Christ put a value on all life, and the elderly have more respect and are better taken care of today.

• Slavery was commonplace throughout the world in ancient times and continues in some places today.  The teachings of Christianity set men free because of men like William Wilberforce (ended the slave trade in England).  Have there been abuses of the teachings of Jesus Christ – most certainly!  The fact remains, however, that due to the efforts of Christians, slavery ended.  Most of the members of the Abolition Society and Underground Railroad were Christians.

• Many of the early emperors made killing a spectacle and a form of entertainment.  The influence of Christianity accentuated the value of human life.  Christianity ended gladiator contests in the Roman Coliseum, as well as the persecution and killing of Christians.

• In many ancient and primitive societies, cannibalism was very common.  Many cultures believed to eat the one that you have conquered would give you their strength.  The modern mission’s movement and preaching the Gospel have ended this practice in much of the world.

• Human life can be devalued in many ways, suicide being one.  People may commit suicide either to escape life’s problems or because they see it as some type of valiant way of leaving this world behind.  Christianity, again, has respects life and provides a message of hope, as well as gives people a reason to live.

• Evolution has attempted to upset God’s divine order of life.  The Bible most definitely explains that human life is more valuable than an animal’s life.  Regardless, the Bible was always a proponent of animal rights.  God’s Word said to treat animals kindly and take care of them.

• The sanctity of human life is God’s highest concern.  Christianity has also prevented euthanasia from becoming widespread in the world. 

• Human suffering, poverty, oppression, and physical affliction have always been part of life on Earth.  The teachings of Jesus Christ centered on helping the poor, unwanted, lonely, and oppressed.  There is no other religion or philosophy in the world that focuses on and proclaims a love for our fellow man.  Christianity gives a message of hope, charity, and truth that will set people free.

• Christianity originated the first orphanages, hospitals, homeless shelters, places to feed the poor, and mission agencies to care for the physically and mentally afflicted.  It is also the most giving institution on the face of the earth.

• Jesus Christ never believed in ignorance.  The Word of God says that people perish for lack of knowledge.  We are encouraged to search scripture.  The greatest universities in the world were begun by Christians, with their foundation being Jesus Christ.  Even though many of them have become opponents to the Christian faith, there is no denying their origins.

• Christian missionaries and organizations, such as the Wycliff Bible Translators, are putting into writing the languages of many obscure cultures.  It is through these various Bible translations that people around the world are learning to read and write and become educated.

• We value and highly esteem education in our society.  Where and when did it begin?  The Protestant Reformation birthed the idea of education for all.  We have found that nations emphasizing the Word of God have a more educated population.  Christian missionaries have played a big part in this, as they have educated millions in the Third World.

• The origin of education in America was due to one fact:  to know and understand the Bible.  The first Congress of the United States passed the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, wherein they declared: “Religion, morality and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education should for ever be encouraged.”

• A close study of American history shows that we are most definitely a Christian nation.  America would have never existed if Jesus Christ had never been born.  The first settlers who came to America in Plymouth, Massachusetts, wrote America’s birth certificate, called the Mayflower Compact.  The pilgrims who wrote it were part of a separatist movement seeking freedom of religion, so they fled England and other parts of Europe.  This document stated that they came to America for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith.  Modern secular books have ridiculed the Pilgrims and Puritans.  Instead, we need to be very grateful for them coming and for all of the contributions they made.

• The founding fathers of this nation cite the Bible more than any other work in their speeches and writings.Most signers of our Declaration of Independence were Orthodox Evangelical Christians.  They did quote Montesquieu, Blackstone, and John Locke, but quoted the Bible four times more than Montesquieu; 12 times more than Blackstone and 16 times more than Locke.  Our three branches of government are derived from Isaiah 33:22, and the separation of powers came from Jeremiah, Chapter 17. 

• The first act of the first Congress was to hire chaplains to say prayers before the sessions of the House and Senate.  They called for national days of fasting, prayer, and thanksgiving.  In 1890, the U.S. Supreme Court examined thousands of documents and declared America truly a Christian nation.

• The concept of the word freedom has come from the writings of the Bible.  Jesus Christ is the greatest emancipator and declarer of freedom in the world.  He set people free from sin, resulting in positive benefits for society.

• The origin of science came about because of the influence of Christianity.  Christianity is the mother of science.  The Greeks never developed anything like the modern science we have today.  They came up with many interesting facts, but it never developed into the scientific age.  Christianity shows that God created the world, that He is rational and logical, and that physical, moral, and spiritual laws exist. The greatest pioneers of science in any field were committed Christians (see page 101 of Dr. D. James Kennedy’s book, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?).  Another fact to note is they were all creationists.

• The Bible contains many scientific facts within it.  These facts were in the Bible before man had even discovered them.  One example is that the Bible called the world a sphere or a circle while many were saying the earth was flat. Numerous examples!

• Christianity has impacted the economic structures of the world.  It speaks of having a sound work ethic and being a good servant, as well as being fair and honest.

• The free enterprise system was birthed by Christianity.  John Calvin has been credited as being the founder of capitalism.  He said the attainment of wealth should be the resultant fruit of our labors and would be a sign of God’s blessing.

• Family structures and sexual mores and attitudes have been affected by the influence of Christianity.  The traditional family unit and its importance to society had been preserved because of Christianity.  Sexual standards have been set to protect mankind from disease, stop perversions, and keep marriages intact.  Societies that veered away from traditional family structures, and the sexual standards that God has set down in His Word, have fallen.

• Christ the healer has impacted the field of medicine and our health.  Men and women of the Christian faith have stepped forward and made many discoveries in the field of medicine.  Along with the attributes of compassion and the mercy of Jesus Christ, great benefits have come to mankind.  Hospitals, the Red Cross, preventative medicine, and nursing societies as we know them today originated because of the influence of Christianity.

• The Ten Commandments of God, or the moral code, have set a standard throughout the world that man can live by.  This standard protects the weak and the innocent and brings consequences for wrongful actions.  It sets up a deterrent for man’s sinful nature and character.  The idea of selfishness is replaced with the idea of putting the interests of others ahead of our own.

• Art, music, and literature have also been impacted by the influences of Christianity.  Many great works of art, building cathedrals, musical compositions, and writings have been created by inspired people who sought God first and foremost.

• The greatest impact of all, of course, is where Jesus Christ came, died, and rose again to take away the sins of the world.  Countless millions of souls have been saved and gone on to eternity, and now share heaven with God.  The message of hope of the Gospel has been given to the lost and downtrodden of the world.  God is love and He wants to save all people!

In closing out this section, we must make note that men do fail and have misrepresented Christianity throughout the ages.  God has not failed us; it is man who has failed God.  Whether it’s been the Crusades, the Inquisition, Christian anti-Semites, religious wars, the Salem witch trials, or even modern-day church leaders who have fallen, Jesus Christ has never failed us.  We all need to walk in forgiveness and repent for our evil ways.  If we were to truly follow Jesus Christ and walk out our purposes for Him, the world would be a better place.