How the Bible Would Solve the World’s Problems
Posted on September 21, 2012 by Brother of Sorrow
People in modern cultures like to separate religion and spirituality from other areas of their lives, personal and professional. That is considered the appropriate thing to do, and in some cases it is the legally required thing to do. We always fall back on the notion of “separation of church and state” to justify this attitude, as if that catch-phrase can override the uncomfortable truth that spirituality is needed in every sphere of life, including state policy. The state obviously shouldn’t coerce people into any spiritual beliefs (which is logically impossible), and it shouldn’t have a clear preference for one spiritual tradition over another.
However, this doesn’t mean that anyone is forbidden from using their spiritual beliefs to inform their decisions, including public officials. I would argue that we should incorporate those beliefs into all aspects of our lives and be completely honest about doing so. For some [selfish] reason, people are put off by the notion that the best policies for human society may have already been given to us by a higher power, rather than cleverly worked out by humans themselves; that we are all like little children in need of clear instruction and guidance from our parents, even when we are fully grown. The truth is, though, that this is exactly what we are – dependent beings/societies that would dissolve into nothingness without the sustaining action of God along with His moral truths and guidance.
Let’s turn our attention specifically to Christianity and the Bible, which I believe to be the one true revelation of God. Many people will erroneously claim that we have already lived under state structures infused with Biblical principles, and that they have failed to produce cooperative, equitable, peaceful and just societies. They will reference Europe during the Holy Roman Empire, in which the Catholic Church played a substantial role, or the fact that all U.S. Presidents have been “Christian”. There are many problems with this argument. One being that the Catholic Church complex was guided by money and politics rather than the Bible and was largely subsumed by the drives of various Kingdoms.
However, the biggest problem with the argument can simply be exposed by looking at what the Bible teaches, and seeing if it matches up with what policies were being implemented. I think it’s rather obvious that it does not match up at all, and that it still has not matched up until this very day. The Presidents of the United States may have all claimed to be Christians, but Biblical Christianity had almost nothing to do with the policies they pursued, and the systemic problems those policies have created. So let’s look at some of these systemic problems and see what the Bible has to say about the underlying issues.
(full post at link above)
Posted on September 21, 2012 by Brother of Sorrow
People in modern cultures like to separate religion and spirituality from other areas of their lives, personal and professional. That is considered the appropriate thing to do, and in some cases it is the legally required thing to do. We always fall back on the notion of “separation of church and state” to justify this attitude, as if that catch-phrase can override the uncomfortable truth that spirituality is needed in every sphere of life, including state policy. The state obviously shouldn’t coerce people into any spiritual beliefs (which is logically impossible), and it shouldn’t have a clear preference for one spiritual tradition over another.
However, this doesn’t mean that anyone is forbidden from using their spiritual beliefs to inform their decisions, including public officials. I would argue that we should incorporate those beliefs into all aspects of our lives and be completely honest about doing so. For some [selfish] reason, people are put off by the notion that the best policies for human society may have already been given to us by a higher power, rather than cleverly worked out by humans themselves; that we are all like little children in need of clear instruction and guidance from our parents, even when we are fully grown. The truth is, though, that this is exactly what we are – dependent beings/societies that would dissolve into nothingness without the sustaining action of God along with His moral truths and guidance.
Let’s turn our attention specifically to Christianity and the Bible, which I believe to be the one true revelation of God. Many people will erroneously claim that we have already lived under state structures infused with Biblical principles, and that they have failed to produce cooperative, equitable, peaceful and just societies. They will reference Europe during the Holy Roman Empire, in which the Catholic Church played a substantial role, or the fact that all U.S. Presidents have been “Christian”. There are many problems with this argument. One being that the Catholic Church complex was guided by money and politics rather than the Bible and was largely subsumed by the drives of various Kingdoms.
However, the biggest problem with the argument can simply be exposed by looking at what the Bible teaches, and seeing if it matches up with what policies were being implemented. I think it’s rather obvious that it does not match up at all, and that it still has not matched up until this very day. The Presidents of the United States may have all claimed to be Christians, but Biblical Christianity had almost nothing to do with the policies they pursued, and the systemic problems those policies have created. So let’s look at some of these systemic problems and see what the Bible has to say about the underlying issues.
(full post at link above)
