What Christianity has given to the world

[T4phage]

I got to thinking about everything that Christianity has contributed to the world. So much negativity exists regarding our faith, so I thought I'd share something positive. It's only a Wikipedia page, if anyone else has anything to add, please post 😊

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role_of_Christianity_in_civilization

Thank you for starting this. It’s really nice to be able to focus on the positives of the faith.

Tom Holland made a comment once that we are so saturated with Christianity in the West that we can’t easily see just what a difference it made.

It was going back to early church history and the role of women that helped me see just how radical it was. There was a belief that women could choose another option and not get married. All those virgin martyrs who refused to marry and were killed for it! It seems strange to our modern eyes as we see sex as ‘no big deal’ and chastity as something odd. It’s easy to forget that before contraception, being able to avoid marriage and childbearing could be a plus! Christianity encouraged people to think of women as individuals, able to make their own choices.

The magnificent cathedrals, minsters and churches are part of the cultural landscape which I love.

The music.
So many wonderful, moving and meaningful pieces from so many different traditions.

So much of our society is based upon it and I think either people don't know or they just take it for granted.

You're right about the roles of women in the church as well. So many early Christians were women that it was known as the women's religion.

How could I forget the music? 🥰

I recommend the book "Who is this man?" by John Ortberg, about some of the different ways that Jesus' life and teachings changed the world. One of his points is about servant leadership: that governments/armies/police hold their office on the basis that they are to serve the public, rather than dominate/control. He also talks about the treatment of women and children, and how Jesus valued them more than they were in their time, which changed the trajectory of thinking for the future (it's interesting because there is obviously still some way to go here, but everything Jesus said or did towards women and chldren held them in higher esteem than they were in society at that time.)
Another book is "The Air We Breathe" by Glen Scrivener but I haven't got around to reading that one yet!

Beautiful hymns
Peaceful buildings
Understanding in grief
My lovely vicar friend

It has given us the most important thing of all - the choice of salvation and eternal life through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus.

Surely all the major religions have contributed many positive things to the world?

Of course, but our focus is on Christianity. I think we're just excited to have a "Christian MN" board at last!

So much! Hospitals for poor people, free schools, monogamy, the Big Bang theory (not the TV programme), the end of Trans-Atlantic slavery, cathedrals, music theory (via Bach's cantatas), arguably human rights, genetics (Francis Collins, Gregor Mendel), linguistics and writing (preserving languages by making alphabets for them, printing Bible translations in various 'obscure' tongues), individualism, record-keeping, literacy etc.

Some bad things too! :) and obv. things are complicated. Nothing exists in a vacuum.

I am about as far from any religion as it is possible to be but I would say the buildings. Especially in villages they often look aesthetically pleasing and when they can be hired or lent to the community for other purposes they become very useful.

I have hired both a mosque community centre and a church in the past. Both were excellent and exactly what was needed for the particular occasion.

Yes, but this is the Christian section of MN, so we're talking about Christianity.

Without a doubt Christianity gave us Irish monasticism and without that much of classical ancient writings would have been lost during the Dark Ages.

for more information see the Thomas Cahill book “How the Irish saved Civilisation”.

Did you know that all the cathedrals of the world are built in old pagan ritual sites? Also, all cathedrals and churches have the relic of a dead person

Thank you for sharing these recommendations. John Ortberg’s Who is This Man? sounds like a fascinating exploration of how Jesus’ teachings shaped values we often take for granted, like servant leadership and the dignity of women and children. It’s inspiring to see how Jesus elevated those who were marginalized in His time, leaving a legacy that continues to challenge and transform societies today. I’ve heard good things about The Air We Breathe by Glen Scrivener as well, particularly its focus on how Christian principles have deeply influenced Western culture. I’ll have to look into both books, so thank you for your thoughtful suggestions!