StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Christianity and the world at large - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Christianity as one of the oldest religions of the civilized world has made major contributions to the present government and the present lifestyle. For several years, leaders have risen to position because of their solid and dynamic convictions and principles…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.1% of users find it useful
Christianity and the world at large
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Christianity and the world at large"

Christianity and the World at Large Christianity as one of the oldest religions of the civilized world has made major contributions to the present government and the present lifestyle. For several years, leaders have risen to position because of their solid and dynamic convictions and principles. The likes of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington led the United States of America anchoring on Biblical truths and Christianity as a whole. America still looks back and acknowledges that some of the glorious past of this country were under the leadership of these two figures. However, with the passing of time and the changing of the minds and outlooks of people who followed them, there was finally a time when the Church has been separated from the State. This resulted to the secular and the sectarian groups which tend to oppose each other because one appears to be afraid to go under the influence of the other and vice versa. What then is the proper relationship of the Church, particularly Christianity, and the world at large In other words, where does Christianity enter in the present setting Looking at the Papal Encyclical of Pope Pius IX (http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9quanta.htm), the Church's role is to primarily feed the flock (the followers or believers) and nourish them with doctrine and truth as well as guard them from heresies and erroneous teachings that may damage their faith, purity of morals, and their eternal salvation.1 This encyclical calls all Church leaders to unite and fight against these false teachings which may be the reason for the calamities and misfortune that the whole world is experiencing. It calls for all people to pray for God's mercy and grace to forgive men of depravity and for God's mercy to cover the Church so that it will not get contaminated by the various teachings that arise apart from what the Church teaches. Two of these teachings that are not covered by the Catholic Church are Communism and Darwin's theory of Natural Selection. Communism poses as a threat to the Church with its advocate against capitalism and social construct that include the abolition of religion is considered as one of the bourgeois tool of subjugating the proletariat.2 It calls for a classless society without a religion that controls the minds of the people. Its main aim can be summarized in the following ways: 1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes; 2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax; 3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance; 4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels; 5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly; 6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State; 7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State, the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan; 8. Equal liability of all to work and establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture; 9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of all the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the populace over the country; and 10. Free education for all children in public schools, abolition of children's factory labor in its present form and combination of education with industrial production (http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch02.htm).3 Since communism is against any form of subjugation, the Church is considered its enemy for a church has leaders, even a hierarchy of elders who would oversee the flock and make sure that no one goes astray. Charles Darwin's teaching of Natural Selection is anchored on the principle of preservation. According to him, natural selection, "on the principle of qualities being inherited at corresponding ages, can modify the egg, seed, or young, as easily as the adult."4 Plainly speaking, this adheres to the belief that modifications should be made on the different species of living things where only the best ones should thrive. In other words, man will have to intervene, in whatever way he thinks is best, in the process of development of species in order to produce the best kind. Darwin claims that "Natural selection leads to divergence of character and to much extinction of the less improved and intermediate forms of life"5 (http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/origin/chapter4.html). The principle of natural selection seems to go against the Church's teaching of creation and the will and sovereignty of God. With man's intervention in the natural flow of things, particularly in nature, this principle threatens the Christian faith and can be considered heresy or false teaching. In the light of these two teachings, what is the proper way in which the Church is supposed to react or respond What has been the usual practice of the Catholic Church is to issue a declaration denouncing any teaching contrary to the teachings of the Church and remind its followers to be careful in order for them not to be deceived. What seems lacking in the picture is a sense of acceptance and respect for the varying opinions and views of other people, denominations and groups. I think the Church must realize that it cannot dictate the minds and outlooks of all people. Christianity in general should put itself in its proper place and not quarrel with other people insisting only on what it thinks is right. The first step is accepting that people of all ages and nations vary in many ways and one of these is their belief and principle in life. By learning to accept others the way they are leads to a better understanding of why they are so different and why they behave in the way they do. Having an open mind can lead to less prejudice and judgmental spirit. The second step is respect. Since people are free to choose what they should believe in, Christianity should not impose on others what it thinks is right or wrong. In other words, to respect other's religious conviction will lead to a more harmonious relationship. It has been said that man is not supposed to do to others what he does not want others to do to him. In this way, if Christianity seeks respect, it should also respect others. Finally, Christianity must not cease to be vigilant. It should continue to be a watchdog, a spiritual eye to the government and the nation as a whole. Although it may not force itself, its very presence will shed light to the world around it and will lead others to know the difference. The Papal Encyclical appropriately did it by reminding the people to focus on the teachings of the Church and by calling the people to pray6. The Church, even today, has a major role to play in the world. By interceding for the entire world to be saved, by remaining pure in words and deeds, it serves as a preservative to this rotting world. Works Cited Chapter 2 from Karl Marx and Frederick Engels' Communist Manifesto. 07 April 2010. Cory and Hollerich. The Christian Theological Tradition. 3rd Edition. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2008. Encyclical of Pope Pius IX promulgated on December 8, 1864. 07 April 2010. Summary of Chapter 4 of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Specie. 07 April 2007. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Christianity and the world at large Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words”, n.d.)
Christianity and the world at large Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1507176-christianity-and-the-world-at-large
(Christianity and the World at Large Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words)
Christianity and the World at Large Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1507176-christianity-and-the-world-at-large.
“Christianity and the World at Large Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1507176-christianity-and-the-world-at-large.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Christianity and the world at large

Historical Perspectives in Christianity

Name of student: Topic: Lecturer: Date of Presentation: Introduction The modern day christianity has evolved over a long time.... Brief History of christianity The early church mostly was comprised of the Jews hence was regarded as Jewish christianity.... This resulted in taking over of Jerusalem which was the centre of christianity's communication, organization and authority and consequently replacing it with Rome.... This according to Noll served to expand christianity from Jewish christianity to universal christianity, that is, from Judaism to christianity....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Catholic Areas of Europe before 1570

Other European states echoed these explorations and in less than three centuries the European age of exploration changed the shape of the world.... The conquest of the Americas and expansion to the rest of the world were said to have brought about the best as well as the worst of European civilization.... In any case, the Europeans had begun to change the face of the world in an effort to export their religion, culture, and language to all corners of the earth....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Christinity and Culture

The importance of culture is undisputable in determining one's view of the world, while religious beliefs claim to be the best possible way from an all-wise being to see the world, and so if one is to be true to oneself, one must believe that the religious view is the perfect and wisest view if he or she is to believe in it at all. … Facing a problem, an ethical and religious problem, about whether or not children of a lesbian couple should be allowed to attend Catholic schools is a problem about the nature of the religious belief in question and how it is believed, how it is taken to be. Kierkegaard, in his book 'The Sickness unto Death' likens the fears of the Christian to those of a non-believer in the Christian religion to the fears of an adult and those of a child; children fear things that might not be harmful to them like darkness and some creations of their minds, while the adult fears what is really terrifying....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Christianitys Impact on Philosophy

Throughout the world, people from various cultures argue which philosophy method is correct.... christianity and Philosophy Running Head: CHRISTIANITY'S IMPACT ON PHILOSOPHY Christianity's Impact on Philosophy in APA Style Name of StudentName of School and UniversityChristianity and Philosophy 2 There are many definitions of the term philosophy.... christianity and Philosophy 3 Western philosophy is influenced by Greco-Roman philosophy which consisted of philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Geographic Expansion

But what is so striking about the geographic spread of Islam is the fact that very large chunks of the earth's surface became peopled with Muslims in a very brief amount of time.... These disciples were the principle vehicles for spreading the word to others across a wide swath of the Mediterranean world.... The urban areas of the Roman world were places of trade, some of them being extremely cosmopolitan.... The nature of each monotheistic religion may account for the similarities, while the differences are largely due to the prevailing cultures of the people that were… When looking at the spread of christianity, it become apparent that the early years were dominated by missionary efforts that were directed or personally conducted by individuals that had an intimate knowledge of Jesus....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Hitlers Table Talk

istory shows that would have been ruled on the basis of National Socialism, but in the present condition of the world cannot rely just on one aspect.... He believed in God and considered christianity as the basis of western culture.... itler's criticism in table talks in relation to christianity is very authentic and contradicts earlier systems of Christians....
5 Pages (1250 words) Term Paper

Enemies of the cross and the qur'an the end of the soul

Ideas of capitalism, laissez-faire economics, Marxism, humanism, atheism, and a litany of other means of interpreting the world have come to fruition as a result… Interestingly, even though it might be assumed that liberalism, and by extension liberal ideology, has had a standard and normative effect upon interpretations of Islam or Christianity, the fact the matter is that Christianity has fared far worse as compared The influence of liberalism has had a profound impact with regards to the way in which modern thought has developed....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Growth of Contemporary Christianity

This report "Growth of Contemporary Christianity" presents Christianity that serves as the most popular religion of the world at large, not only because of the majority of its followers in respect of number and proportion, but also the presence of the Christian community.... billion world population.... Historical evidence reveals the very fact that christianity got its way to the Indian sub-continent during the first century A.... Consequently, the king, his family, and a significant number of courtiers embraced christianity....
6 Pages (1500 words) Report
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us