Christianity in Society
Not so long ago I was browsing through a Christian bookshop when I found in the corner of the room a display, with free badges and stickers, and with the grand title “CHRISTIANS IN BRITAIN, A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN.” My first thoughts were “wonderful, amazing, brilliant” or words to that effect thinking that it would be a campaign of evangelism or promotion of Christian awareness. Then I noticed that the badges had the phrase “STOP THE ROT” in large letters written on them. This got me puzzled so I read further the poster on display and made an abrupt halt at the subtitle “Restoring Christian Culture In Society” — the statement jarred with me like fingernails scraping on a blackboard as it was this very phrase that a few days previously made me put down a pamphlet from a Christian missionary society stating this as one of its aims.
Obviously many Christians would support this campaign, which made me have a long think as to why I disagreed with it so much.
Firstly I considered the benefits of a society largely influenced by Christian ideals. Is there anything wrong in encouraging people to be nice to each other and also living in such a society would make it easier for people to learn about Jesus and become Christians. This is clearly shown all over the world where as a religion has governed the culture of a country so that religion has thrived. Christianity in Britain also could be said to be benefiting from the cultural remains of country governed by Christian principals.
I expect my main objection was the mixing of Christianity (something I feel very strongly about and am very fond of) and society (something that more and more I feel is to blame for a lot of this worlds problems).
It is society that makes us feel we need expensive cars, foreign holidays and makes us feel justified in throwing away half our meal when we have stuffed ourselves silly on vast amounts of food when on the other side of the world thousands are dying from lack of it.
No doubt about it, society is corrupt and has very little to do with Jesus’ teaching, maybe though it could benefit with a marriage with Christianity but more likely Christianity would suffer in three ways:
Firstly, society and the state, wrongly or rightly, have always been the scapegoats of the public in all manner of situations. There is always a greater voice of people criticising whichever political party is in power because they are not satisfied with their lot when it is unlikely they would be any more satisfied under another. If Christianity or the Church puts itself in an elevated position of standing or influence in society then it will undoubtedly ‘cop some of the flack’ and many people other than being attracted to Christianity will shy away from it or even despise it.
Secondly I feel that the departure of Christianity from society over the last century or so has not been such a bad thing. Becoming a Christian should never be easy or expected of anyone. I would go so far as to say that in general I expect a Christian in a society where it is unexpected or even dangerous to do so will have a stronger faith and a truer view of what Christianity is than someone who has been led or even forced into Christianity by society.
Lastly and most importantly there is the question of the rights of the individual. Society has great power over us whether we like it or not and the instilling of Christian culture into it will no doubt mean bad news for non Christians and especially followers of other religions in how society sees them and more importantly, treats them.
I believe Christianity is a personal religion, what is written in the Bible is to be interpreted by the individual, for the individual and the rules and guidelines laid down in the Bible are not laws forced on us but are to be followed by the individual for one reason alone, because of their love for God.
We should be nice to people not because it leads to a more harmonious way of life, but because God asks us to, and because we love him we do it. If we do it for any other reason then it is not wrong but we are not following Christ.
So why ask society to do things God asks us to do out of love for him. The non-Christian will be doing the right thing but for the wrong reasons.
A campaign such as the one described may do no harm but I cannot see it doing a great deal of good and the only feeling that remains is that it is such a waste of money and effort which could do so much good if it was as I first thought, a campaign of evangelism or Christian awareness.