Christianity's Impact

John S. Dickerson’s latest book is titled Jesus Skeptic: A Journalist Explores the Credibility and Impact of Christianity. As with his other work, Dickerson’s insights are extremely insightful and relevant.

He states that a ten-year investigation led him to conclude: “My generation of Americans—those born in the 1980s and younger—have been largely denied the truth about Christianity’s influence and record on social justice.”

For instance, Dickerson notes that nine of the ten best nations on earth for women’s rights, according to the World Economic Forum, have majority Christian populations. Followers of Jesus such as Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler, and Blaise Pascal also played an essential role in launching the Scientific Revolution.

This tradition continues with Dr. Francis S. Collins, leader of the Human Genome Project and now head of the National Institutes of Health. He states: “God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory. By investigating God’s majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship.”

Schools, medicine, and slavery

Dickerson also notes that “nearly every leading university in the world was founded by Christians.” He cites the fact that the first nine colleges in the US were founded by Christians. He also found that each of the top ten universities in the world, according to the Center for World University Rankings, was begun by Christians.

Christians “planted the seeds of modern medicine” as well. Dickerson references Edward Jenner (the father of immunology), Florence Nightingale (the founder of modern nursing), and Johns Hopkins (whose bequest founded one of the most innovative hospitals in modern medicine). He adds that the top ten hospitals in the US, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, were all founded by Christians.

And Dickerson reports that Christians played an essential role in ending slavery in most parts of the world. In fact, he could not find a single abolitionist in the US who was not a follower of Jesus. And, of course, there is the example of William Wilberforce in the UK.

None of this would have happened without Easter.

Jihad

Some of the old hymns have a renewed meaning for our time. This is true because they are inspired by the Holy Spirit and contain the Living Word drawn out of the Bible itself, which is alive---it grows with the capacity of man's mind to comprehend it. Here are some lyrics from "Onward Christian Soldiers" written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865:

1 Onward, Christian soldiers,  marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle, see his banner go!

Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before!

3 Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod;
We are not divided; all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity

If Jihad means spiritual warfare, then Christians are the true jihadists. We are urged in the Bible, to "take up the whole armor of God," "fight the good fight," "take up our cross" wield the "sword of the Word," emulate a good soldier by not becoming entangled in "civilian" affairs, that is, the affairs of the "world" [2Tim. 2:4]. Of course, contrary to the teachings of the Quran, the primary and requisite battle that we fight is against our own doubts, fears and a multitude of sinful nature manifestations; a war that leads us either to defeat [lapsing into denial or shame] or reliance upon the love and grace of God given to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. The latter is our ultimate victory. And it brings us into the warfare depicted by this song and those verses. Contrary to simply meditating to clear the mind so one can sit peacefully amid the desperate needs of the human soul, Christ makes us to be peaceful warriors, shining Light into darkness, facing the evil powers that continue to mutate like a virus striving to invade the collective soul of humanity---to "steal, kill and destroy" as Jesus said. This war that we fight is "not against flesh and blood but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places"  [Eph. 6:12].  We understand, as one theologian said, that the line that separates good from evil goes through the heart of every human. And we only win these battles as we progressively abide in Jesus, Who is the only human Who can say with any validity, "I have overcome the world" and Who has promised to abide within us and with us forever, "even to the end of the world." As the song says, "Christ the Royal Master, leads against the foe." It is His Spirit, abiding in us, that overcomes the world. And He unifies us: "We are not divided; all one body we."
His Spirit in us is calling out to the world with the invitation into Life, abundant and eternal--an invitation to take up your cross and follow Him into the only way of being in this world that has ultimate, eternal meaning---to follow Him out of endless meaningless and darkness into the Light of God's Love, Peace and the only Freedom that exists for the human soul--Freedom from guilt, fear, shame and despair. Freedom that no political system can provide. Our warfare is a manifestation of this Freedom, for it is the Freedom of Christ's Love for those who are still lost in the darkness; those who continue to mock, hate or ignore Him. Our warfare is fueled by our frustrations with the obstinance of evil and the unnecessary suffering that it spawns in the world. Over and over we watch news reports and hear of countless stories of suffering that we know could have been avoided by the Love of Christ. Then we listen to hundreds of useless comments about who is to blame or how more education or more laws will solve the problem. Why can't we hear Him commanding us to Love each other? Our lives are miserable to the degree that we ignore Him and violate His law of Love. And millions on earth are being forbidden to even listen to or read about His divine Truth! [This is a testimony to His liberating power which is a threat to all tyranny. God wants His people free.]
It is strangely comforting to note that this is exactly how the Bible said it would be. And the Bible is ultimately Gospel---Good News! This is a mystery that each must discover for him/herself. Meanwhile, onward Christian soldiers! The evil powers that threaten the Truth of the Bible--the Truth that Christ actually embodies--have always lurked in the human soul, like a virus lying latent in the body, waiting for the immune system to grow weak so that it can overtake and destroy the body that is its very host. Vital Christianity is a nation's immune system. When it wanes, all manner of evil begins to creep in.