The Secular Benefits of Christianity

The Secular Benefits of Christianity

Proverbs 11:11

By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

The Bible teaches that believers bring God's blessings to even the unbelievers who live around them. For example, the Lord blessed Potiphar's entire household because Joseph was placed in charge of it. Yet, enemies of Christianity, especially secular humanists, almost never grant that Christians bring blessings to those among whom they live.

Recently, Guenter Lewy of the University of Massachusetts set out to write a book entitled Why America Doesn't Need Religion. He wanted the book to be "a defense of secular humanism and ethical relativism." Lewy is not a Christian and does not believe in God. But he was determined to offer his results as objectively as possible.

As Lewy assembled his extensive research, he received a surprise. He found himself forced to conclude that Christianity has a record of strong support for social justice and human dignity. Other research forced him to conclude that Christians at that time constantly showed a lower rate than non Christians of the behaviors associated with social ills and moral failure. These include divorce, domestic violence, out of wedlock births, adult crime and juvenile delinquency. He finally concluded, from other studies, that people who actually live the Christian life have higher rates of happiness and are healthier. The final title of his book is Why America Needs Religion.

Christians should not be fearful about living out their faith, even among unbelievers. As they live out their faith, God is not only blessing them, but also the unbelievers who surround them.

Prayer: I thank You, dear Father, for all Your goodness to me. Help me live out the faith You have given me. Amen.

References: Charles Colson, "The Gospel according to Jesse: Is religion a crutch?" Minnesota Christian Chronicle, December 2, 1999, p.16.

Why America needs religion: secular modernity and its discontents
By Guenter Lewy
http://books.google.com/books?id=KfxJA_7zG7MC&pg=PA65&lpg=PA65&dq...

1935 Photos Slide Show
http://www.resistnet.com/photo/photo/showPopout?feed_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.res...

Quotes by Evolutionary Scientists Against Evolution - http://www.warneveryone.com/evolution_scientists_quotes.htm

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Charles
• Colson

[BibleBelieverAV1611]

Interestingly enough.. Humanist manifesto I and II makes the claim the of the "religion" of secular humanism.

But, most secular humanists say they are not religious??

The epitome of confusion.

[hoygans]

I like how some of the things in this video is just an outright lie. Take their little divorce spiel. Atheists are 3% less likely per capita to to divorce than christians. Someone care to explain that?

[aakesson1]

Homocide rates per 100,000 population

USA: 5.0

Sweden: 0.89

Belief in a God

USA: 91% (with a religion)

Sweden: 23%

How is it posible for theists to state that christians have a lower rate of adult crime?

[13SuperKings]

This is just one of many studies done on this topic.

[AmosPressley]

I am glad for the study, but you are right - - it should have been obvious.

Something else equally obvious that was apparently all but ignored here is the blessing that comes on a society through its Jewish citizens.

[AmosPressley]

Mark Twain was certainly entitled to his religion and his definition of faith. I have a different definition of faith, and should be just as entitled to mine.

[ktorch]

Mark Twain said, "Faith is believing what you know ain't so". And so you continue to try to instill that faith in others! You make a lot of noise, but as all federal courts have declared, "Creationism is Junk Science", so so it is so.

[jakedevon]

Lewy had to do a study before he came to a conclusion that should have been obvious.