Episode Description
After laying out the failures and challenges of “Christianity” (especially being critical of the idea of “Christian Nationalism”) as seen in history through the changes to the faith post-Constantine (the eventual Christendom), one could assume the next step is to admit Christianity is bad for society.
However, Upon examination, though, the evidence is abundantly clear that Christianity is a massive net-positive for society. Going further, we can argue that the world is now a “Western world” in that the entire globe, all peoples, races, ethnicities, tribes, etc… all pursue societal values that emerged in the West first.
Issues like “human rights” or that governments should be “of the people” including “voting for most/all citizens” or various concerns about “economic equity” all are concepts that emerged in the West, a break away from the historical norm in all societies. Those “Western concepts” are nearly all things that emerge due to the Christian foundation, ideas about the human as a “special creation” by the Christian/Jewish God.
So, as we look at the tension in our current 21st century culture, where one side seems to be openly post-Christian, if not anti-Christian, and often expresses ideas that would suggest they believe it to be far better for society to be freed from the Christian faith, INSTEAD—it becomes clear that we all NEED Christianity, not only for what it gave as these new ideas that we now all champion, but also to sustain those ideas. This links back to the foundation conversation in episode 1 & 2, that there is a unique foundation upon which our style of society (“of the people” without a dominating force from the top imposing) stands.
We will read and examine Pliny’s letter to Emperor Trajan. You can also read a copy at this PBS site. We will also study and read excerpts from The Letter to Diognetus. A slightly deeper examination of this can be read at this site.
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