Christianity in the Humanities
There are some very positive things to be learned from medieval culture. Christianity was on the rise, as the growth of medieval cathedrals and churches clearly shows. In addition, monasteries became centers of learning and helped spread the written word. Monks learned ancient languages like Greek and Latin, and illustrated manuscripts, leaving some of the history and social aspects of the time, along with spreading the word of God in the Bible. As society grew, an urban lifestyle, with cities and towns at the center of the culture, began to grow, and as industry began to flourish, agriculture began to be less of a societal trend, and more people began to live and work together in an urban culture. Trade, both foreign and domestic, began to grow too, and the world grew smaller even though more discoveries made it clear the world was a very diverse place.
The secular worldview today seems more optimistic in some senses, and more pessimistic in others. In many parts of the world, there is more diversity in religion and religious beliefs. For example, in America, Buddhists flourish alongside Catholics and Bah'a'i, and that is acceptable, and yet, there remains a secular presence in the country that views the world without emotion and without Christian values. This is true in many areas of the world, which have turned away from Christian values to a more secular outlook. The worldview today seems more pessimistic largely because there is still the reality of war in the 21st century, and there are still so many threats to the world, such as Iran, North Korea, and others, who threaten life, as well as the Christian viewpoint. There is much hatred and misunderstanding in the world, and this leads to a secular and negative outlook, creating fear and anger instead of understanding and hope. To change this worldview, it seems as if Christianity does have a role, but only if it can create a positive, upbeat presence throughout the world, through harmony and forgiveness.
At the same time, Jesus offered human beings hope for salvation. It was not just through his miracles and his teachings that Jesus proved he was the true son of God. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus illustrated that mankind is in dire need of divine assistance in overcoming evil. I look to Jesus as both role model and as symbol of hope, especially in times of darkness and
Christian Biotechnology: Not a Contradiction in Terms Presented with the idea of "Bioethics" most people in the scientific community today immediately get the impression of repressive, Luddite forces wishing to stifle research and advancement in the name of morality and God. Unfortunately, this stereotype too often holds true. If one looks over the many independent sites on the Internet regarding bioethics, reads popular magazines and publications, or browses library shelves for
Thus, the ecological teaching of the Bible is of stewardship, so that rather than being "spiritual at the earth's expense [….] it means exactly the opposite: do not desecrate or depreciate these gifts […] by turning them into worldly 'treasure'; do not reduce life to money or to any other mere quantity" (Berry 526). This biblical ecology would seem in direct opposition to the engagement with capitalism Benne and
Paul notes that "For baptized persons, moreover, marriage invests the dignity of a sacramental sign of grace," (Ch. 8). Fourth, marriage mirrors the union of Christ and the Church. The union of marriage should be viewed as a sign and as proof of Christ's love. The characteristics of marriage according to Paul include the following. First, marriage assumes "full human" characteristics by being of "the senses and of the spirit
" (O'Leary, 41) Later the words "the flag of the United States" was added to it during the world war. Later the period between the wars saw the persecution of the Jehovah's Witnesses occurred because they refused to salute the flag and follow the "100% Americanism." However far back in 1943, the court in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette made the loyalty oath unconstitutional. It was on
Christian Counseling There is an idea of longstanding that humor has power as a curative. The Reader's Digest has long had a section entitled "Laughter: The Best Medicine," reflecting an old saying about this issue. In his book Laugh Again, Charles R. Swindoll approaches this idea from a Christian perspective, recognizing the many ills and sadnesses to which life is subject and finding in humor and laughter the means to overcome