Do you believe that Christianity is needed for society to function at peak levels?

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

OP needs to define 'Christianity'.​

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Chemistry, algebra, and philosophy all came didn't come from Christianity

Academic achievements don't make a society function (though it's worth noting that a massive amount of the push for education and construction of both universities and public schooling over the centuries has come from Christian circles, where many other societies were fine with education remaining with a few elites. Not to mention that Christians have been the #1 influence in world history for basic literacy, to the point of even creating hundreds of written languages for societies that didn't even have one yet.).

By the way, "chemistry" is a natural process, so it didn't come from any human being. But the title of "father of modern chemistry" is sometimes given to Robert Boyle (a devout Anglican who wrote many theological texts), as well as John Dalton (a devout Quaker who lived Quaker values), or Antoine Lavoisier (whose passion for chemistry is largely credited to the influence of Etienne Condillac, a famous scholar and Catholic priest). I wonder if you're referring more to alchemy, which was haphazard and largely false.

In fact, Christianity actively repressed scientific breakthroughs while other religions pushed it forward

That's a stereotype that isn't well-grounded in reality.

The "Father of the Scientific Method" is Francis Bacon, a very devout Christian. Isaac Newton, who founded both physics and calculus, was so religious that he wrote more theological books than scientific books. Copernicus, the father of modern astronomy, was a full-time Catholic Canon whose entire career was funded by his uncle, the Bishop. The father of genetics was Gregor Mendel, a monk of course. The inventor of the Big Bang Theory was Lemaître, a Catholic priest. Irish and other monks were heavily responsible for preserving the academic and philosophical writings from Greek/Roman/Egyptian society from being destroyed by the barbarians and helped thus end the Dark Ages. The Jesuit order is famous for pushing the pursuit of higher education across the world and starting the first (and often best) schools in thousands of places. Look up many of the most renowned institutes of higher education across the world and you find some sort of Christian foundation, from Cambridge to Harvard to even Tsinghua University.

If Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or any of the animist religions had as strong a tradition of "pushing science forward" as you seem to claim, then where was their scientific revolution or era of mass education?

 

[Professor Emeritus]

This could be a multifaceted question - do you need active Christianity all the time in the society, or just to build the society? Because pretty much all developed societies across the world are so deeply influenced by Christianity at this point that it's difficult to envision what a society entirely without Christianity would look like. Even the non-Christian developed countries formed their modern values in part by picking up on the Christian-influenced Western values that had come to dominate the leading 18th-20th century societies.

For example, right now you can go to Japan or China or India and see numerous ways in which they are different from Western "Christian" societies. But then look at India before the British started ruling there, or Japan before World War II, or China before British and Western influence, and the differences between them and the Western world are even starker.

Not at all, Christians can be just vile as anyone else

On both an individual level and a societal level, this is 100% true.

The question is, do a lot of those Christian values transform societies in a manner that allows them to reach a level that wouldn't have been possible without it? Look at pre-Christian northern and western Europe, for example. The level of society they were capable of before Christianity as opposed to after was radically different.

 

[Marlow Stanfield]

No. Religion has held humankind back long enough.

 

[kevm3]

Yes

 

[UncleTomFord15]

For those who believe it is; are you saying before the white man introduced Christianity to the masses in WEST and CENTRAL Africa; your ancestors were savages ?

 

[Vandelay]

Not exactly. I believe people need a belief in things bigger than themselves. I think Christianity (theism) provides the most viable way to do that. It literally scares; although it doesn't always manifest as fear; people into following a code of ethics.

 

[Ya Sinning Mane]

of course
But some wasn’t chosen ,so I don’t blame them for how they feel

They’re loss

 

[ObsidianDev]

"Christianity" specifically? No.

Organized religion in general? Yes.

The older I get, the more I realize that the hope of a better afterlife and the fear of cosmic punishment are the last things keeping human beings in check, so to speak.

Religion is a tool: It can used be used to build. Or it can be used to destroy.

The same ancient texts that influence others to donate to charity, adopt children and serve their communities also influence people to despise the poor, be gullible, and fear the "other".

For a lot those on the edge and struggling -- which is the majority of people worldwide -- their chosen or born-into religion is their stop gap, the one thing stopping them from saying "fukk it" and committing acts that make news headlines.

A society with no hope is a society that refuses to "keep the gears turning", which would threaten the finances of our corporate kings and queens around the globe.

The promise of a brighter afterlife when it's all said and done keeps those aforementioned gears greased.

 

[Donny]

Christianity is borne of white insecurity and fear that’s why they all was atheist a couple years ago and came running back the second their place in the world starts falling. Much better spiritual systems exist that actually do something and evolves you and doesn’t teach hate as a matter fact Christianity by in large is what fukked the world up until the first place

 

[Pull Up the Roots]

The exploitation of religion by malicious individuals is preventing us from functioning at peak levels, among other things. There is a place for religion for those who wish to practice it, but it should not serve as the backbone of society.

 

[im_sleep]

Whose society?


Christianity and them other Abrahamic faiths have ONLY hindered African people and will continue to do so until we go back to our original faiths.

 

[ba'al]

For those who believe it is; are you saying before the white man introduced Christianity to the masses in WEST and CENTRAL Africa; your ancestors were savages ?

Kimberly Daniels has entered the chat.

 

[Sonic Boom of the South]

The wildest shyt it religion shifted humanity's focus from things that actual matter and dictates their existence to trivial mythology!


Your ancestors had more common sense than current humanity!



Ancient people knew that the Sun, Earth and caring for the planet was the most important thing for life.

They praised the "Sun" for "rising" and providing the "light".

They praised the Heavens for being a "father" and raining down and impregnating mother Earth to grow and give birth to the plants and trees.


Now stupid ass religious people don't give 1 fukk about nature, the environment, etc. And devoting their lives to a fake cloud daddy.

Mafukkas will liter the ground on their way to church.

 

[Outlaw]

Academic achievements don't make a society function (though it's worth noting that a massive amount of the push for education and construction of both universities and public schooling over the centuries has come from Christian circles, where many other societies were fine with education remaining with a few elites. Not to mention that Christians have been the #1 influence in world history for basic literacy, to the point of even creating hundreds of written languages for societies that didn't even have one yet.).

By the way, "chemistry" is a natural process, so it didn't come from any human being. But the title of "father of modern chemistry" is sometimes given to Robert Boyle (a devout Anglican who wrote many theological texts), as well as John Dalton (a devout Quaker who lived Quaker values), or Antoine Lavoisier (whose passion for chemistry is largely credited to the influence of Etienne Condillac, a famous scholar and Catholic priest). I wonder if you're referring more to alchemy, which was haphazard and largely false.











That's a stereotype that isn't well-grounded in reality.

The "Father of the Scientific Method" is Francis Bacon, a very devout Christian. Isaac Newton, who founded both physics and calculus, was so religious that he wrote more theological books than scientific books. Copernicus, the father of modern astronomy, was a full-time Catholic Canon whose entire career was funded by his uncle, the Bishop. The father of genetics was Gregor Mendel, a monk of course. The inventor of the Big Bang Theory was Lemaître, a Catholic priest. Irish and other monks were heavily responsible for preserving the academic and philosophical writings from Greek/Roman/Egyptian society from being destroyed by the barbarians and helped thus end the Dark Ages. The Jesuit order is famous for pushing the pursuit of higher education across the world and starting the first (and often best) schools in thousands of places. Look up many of the most renowned institutes of higher education across the world and you find some sort of Christian foundation, from Cambridge to Harvard to even Tsinghua University.

If Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or any of the animist religions had as strong a tradition of "pushing science forward" as you seem to claim, then where was their scientific revolution or era of mass education?

They were Christians due to the time period they lived in. If they were alive today with the science available I doubt they would be devout Christians.