Christianity abolished slavery and restored women's rights

[hsnh]

1.VICTORY OVER SLAVERY

William Willberforce was a British Parliament Member who fought for decades for abolition of Slavery.
In 1789 he introduced a bill for the abolition of the slave trade, which was eventually approved in 1833. In 1833, all slaves in the Brittish Empire were set free. This set in motion further similar events.

In his book "The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul ", Willberforce explained how his dramatic conversion to Christ, and the Bible's teachings changed his mentality and set in motion his lifelong crussade.


2.LIBERATION OF WOMEN

Women in hebrew culture, ancient Greece and Rome were treated as second rate citizens. They weren't allowed to have a meaningful social life, to sit at the same table as men, to testify in Court, to have the same education.
Some of them were even killed at their husbands' will or had no rights over the children. Polygamy was accepted.

Christian teachings reversed all of these, and pioneered for more freedom for women.
For example, devout british Christians undid some of the harm created by the British Empire, occupation, by advocating for indian women and abolishing the practice of suttee (widows burning).

And many other good things.


___________________________

3.So why is Christianity being vilified to such a degree, from within?

Leaving aside the fact that it's a rich source of spirituality and ethical guidelines, or -otherwise- any belief system is better that the nihilism of a subgroup of atheists:

I believe that in the social arena too, Christianity has done a lot of good to the world.
Of course it's responsible for quite a few bad things too. Like any belief system it has also been subverted here and there, in order to serve the interests of the powerful or the worldview of the Right Wing thinkers.

So why is Christianity vilified to such a degree by the Left and and a subgroup of atheists(the so-called militant atheists)?
Despite the overwhelming evidence inviting at least a more middle approach.
-- Was Yuri Bezmenov (with his theory of Left Wing Subversion and Demoralization of the West) really right?
.

 

[phrodeau]

One word: intolerance.

 

[hsnh]

One word: intolerance.

That wasn't my experience growing up.
I seldom went to Church, but many of those who did were anything But.
Of course you get the intolerant ones, but it's more related to their character.

And same goes for kiwis and aussies.
One adds their own style, or interprets things according to their own character. Regardless of what belief system they embrace.

But from what I've been told, some Christian Institutions in the US and Anglo- Saxon Europe have taken a radical turn.

So why not fight the institutional distortions, the technocrats in charge who are distorting Religion?
Instead of trying to abolish Christianity as a State Religion, or for good.

 

[nowisthetime]

You do know that there are progressive Christians right? And there are plenty of Christians who support science. Don't confuse them with the Republican theocratic fundamentalists.

I don't think anyone is trying to abolish Christianity, unless he or she is a hardcore Communist dictator like on some Pol Pot level. And then again, he abolished ALL religion not just Christianity.

 

[Nipples_Mcgee1]

I've observed that oftentimes atheists fall in to two classes, the militant and the tolerant. And that militant atheists have sometimes been motivated by harmful experiences in the church, or with other authority. But to say this is true of all atheists (or even most) is a misleading generalization. The millennial generation is the most secular generation yet, and I hardly ever sense antipathy from them towards Christianity. More a sense that religion is simply not a part of their culture, and please keep your tenets out of my business.

 

[hsnh]

I've observed that oftentimes atheists fall in to two classes, the militant and the tolerant. And that militant atheists have sometimes been motivated by harmful experiences in the church, or with other authority. But to say this is true of all atheists (or even most) is a misleading generalization. The millennial generation is the most secular generation yet, and I hardly ever sense antipathy from them towards Christianity. More a sense that religion is simply not a part of their culture, and please keep your tenets out of my business.

Thanks for a non- trolling post.

You're right, "militant" atheist is the right term that does a better job in differentuating the two. Not "new" atheist.
I came across it somewhere and it stuck to my mind.

I edited my initial post.

 

[hsnh]

I felt that too about most Millenials who post on Lit., and those whom I encountered in RL.
A more impartial and tolerant attitude towards religions, than their predecessors.

Who seem to be
- either over the top anti- Christianity and pro- Islam,
or over the top anti- Islam and pro- Christianity.

Myself included. I belong to the second category, even tho I'm much more moderate in RL, than I seem here.

 

[jaF0]

And then came the GOP.

 

[nowisthetime]

Many in this generation recognize that there is a higher form of deity, but do not necessarily like the church experience and dealing with many judgmental hypocrites that attend church. It's not necessarily an attack on Christianity so much as dislike of some of the more stringent and hardcore fundamentalist followers.

 

[jaF0]

I don't think anyone is trying to abolish Christianity,

I am. ALL religion is stupid.

"Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go out and stick their noses in other people's business. I live by the golden rule: Treat others as you'd want them to treat you. The religious right wants to tell people how to live."

-- Jesse Ventura

 

[nowisthetime]

And then came the GOP.

https://pics.me.me/wwjd-what-would-republican-jesus-do-addn-feed-the-hungry-4596386.png

 

[jaF0]

Many in this generation are demented and follow fictional fantasy creatures just like their old fogies.

There, fixed that for ya'.

 

[nowisthetime]

There, fixed that for ya'.

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people". -Karl Marx

 

[hsnh]

Many in this generation recognize that there is a higher form of deity, but do not necessarily like the church experience and dealing with many judgmental hypocrites that attend church. It's not necessarily an attack on Christianity so much as dislike of some of the more stringent and hardcore fundamentalist followers.

Good point.
And you obviously belong to the second category (the reasonable, non-militant ones).

I'm the same way. If I become religious overnight, I would try to find a Church where one pays their annual fee, attends mass and leaves, and I would avoid as Hell the social aspect.

Because this might put you in contact with nice people, but it might also leave yourself open to all the nosy or judgmental people. But I guess that goes with any such social groups, where boundaries are not well set.

 

[Nipples_Mcgee1]

Thanks for a non- trolling post.

You're right, "militant" atheist is the right term that does a better job in differentuating the two. Not "new" atheist.
I came across it somewhere and it stuck to my mind.

I edited my initial post.

Don't get too used to it.

Tolerance has limits. If a member of the faithful attempts of convert me, I'll defend my position on principle. And if, say, a biblical literalist wants to argue for a young earth on scientific grounds, distort the status of a science, or impose their beliefs through politics, I'll call them out on the bullshit.

But I've seen faith used personally as a route towards greater happiness and meaning. And shouldn't we be allowed to decide our own happiness.

 

[Hypoxia]

"Christianity" is not an entity. Zillions of groups ID'ing themselves as Xian exist. These do not share a common doctrine or literature. "The Bible" does not exist, merely many biblical texts, none of which are regarded as canonical by all those ID'ing as Xians. What we call "Christianity" is a mish-mash of rival heresies. Sure are fun to watch, hey?

 

[oggbashan]

There were women priests in the early Christian church. Priesthood was only reserved for men in the 5th Century AD.

 

[someoneyouknow]

The Catholic Church was against freeing the slaves during the Civil War.

And don't even get started on how much abuse women have, and continue to have, taken because of Christianity.

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

And then came the GOP.

The Klan, segregation and Jim Crow were all elements of the Democratic Party.


It was the GOP who went to war with the Democrats.

 

[Wat_Tyler]

Yeah, but it was the Grand Young Party then . . . .

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

Yeah, I disagree with the premise of the thread but the way Democrats reinvent history as a way of not admitting to their sins...

 

[hsnh]

Yeah, I disagree with the premise of the thread but the way Democrats reinvent history as a way of not admitting to their sins...

Since we're talking politics:. One of my thoughts was:

With the inevitable move towards globalization, the best way to preserve a smaller country's national identity and autonomy are it's traditions, it's past. Religion being one of them.

History abunds with examples in which religion (be it Christianity, Islam etc.) was misused as an instrument of subversion and imperialism. It seems as if atheism is now used in similar ways.

________________________________

ETA:
"Yuri Bezmenov implies an effective program of ideological subversion is to ridicule or discount the moral ideals from which a nation draws its the common moral fabric of its society."

 

[zipman]

1.VICTORY OVER SLAVERY

William Willberforce was a British Parliament Member who fought for decades for abolition of Slavery.
In 1789 he introduced a bill for the abolition of the slave trade, which was eventually approved in 1833. In 1833, all slaves in the Brittish Empire were set free. This set in motion further similar events.

In his book "The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul ", Willberforce explained how his dramatic conversion to Christ, and the Bible's teachings changed his mentality and set in motion his lifelong crussade.


2.LIBERATION OF WOMEN

Women in hebrew culture, ancient Greece and Rome were treated as second rate citizens. They weren't allowed to have a meaningful social life, to sit at the same table as men, to testify in Court, to have the same education.
Some of them were even killed at their husbands' will or had no rights over the children. Polygamy was accepted.

Christian teachings reversed all of these, and pioneered for more freedom for women.
For example, devout british Christians undid some of the harm created by the British Empire, occupation, by advocating for indian women and abolishing the practice of suttee (widows burning).

And many other good things.


___________________________

3.So why is Christianity being vilified to such a degree, from within?

Leaving aside the fact that it's a rich source of spirituality and ethical guidelines, or -otherwise- any belief system is better that the nihilism of a subgroup of atheists:

I believe that in the social arena too, Christianity has done a lot of good to the world.
Of course it's responsible for quite a few bad things too. Like any belief system it has also been subverted here and there, in order to serve the interests of the powerful or the worldview of the Right Wing thinkers.

So why is Christianity vilified to such a degree by the Left and and a subgroup of atheists(the so-called militant atheists)?
Despite the overwhelming evidence inviting at least a more middle approach.
-- Was Yuri Bezmenov (with his theory of Left Wing Subversion and Demoralization of the West) really right?
.

There's a lot to disagree with here.

1) I hardly think you can say that Christianity was responsible for the abolition of Slavery. As an institution, it did next to nothing to stop slavery. Individuals however, did. Christians had no problem benefiting from Slavery for quite a long time. Nor did the Church in the US south go against it.

2) While there certainly were some inequalities for women in Judaism, polygamy was a rare exception. It was banned by most jews for over 1,000 years. More importantly, women in Judaism had many rights for thousands of years that Christian women didn't get until the last 100 years. Christian women were treated as the property of their husbands, who could rape or beat them as opposed to Jewish women how had rights in those regards. Jewish women were also allowed to own land and enter into contracts.

3) Personally, I think Christianity is vilified in large part due to the hypocrisy of the people who practice it. A good example is that the KKK was a "Christian" organization.

 

[jaF0]

3) Personally, I think Christianity is vilified in large part due to the hypocrisy of the people who practice it. A good example is that the KKK was a "Christian" organization.

So are the Westboro Baptists and most other extreme right wing hate groups.

 

[zipman]

So are the Westboro Baptists and most other extreme right wing hate groups.

Agreed.

There is one other reason though that should be mentioned. I think Americans have less of a desire to be told how to live based on the religious beliefs of Christianity. And more resentment when they see our government moving closer to theocracy rather than further away from it.

And lets also remember that some of this supposed "vilification" is just unhappiness that people have the audacity to say "happy holidays" as opposed to "Merry Christmas."