Most Christians feel that Christianity is being marginalised in society. 93% according to a State of Faith survey conducted in 2017. Around half of the 12,000 respondents said they had personally experienced prejudice against their faith. A quarter felt that it was no longer acceptable for Christians to share about their faith. There is good reason for people feeling this way. The unjust treatment of Christians in today’s world is rarely out of the headlines.
In a time when Christian beliefs and values are no longer mainstream and increasingly being marginalised in society, the question ‘Does Christianity improve society?’ is therefore a very important one to address. Today more than ever, the Church needs to demonstrate that the gospel is truly ‘good news’!
Blessings taken for granted
As an initial introduction to answering this question, I want to highlight a general but significant point. This is the fact that what people (non-Christians, and some Christians too) often overlook or don’t realise, is that many of the blessings they enjoy and take for granted are because of a Christian worldview that has shaped the society and culture in which they live.
They don’t appreciate that the reason they think the way they do and see the world, is because their minds have been shaped in line with the kingdom of God. How they:
value and treat other people;
have compassion and care for the poor, sick and needy;
celebrate sacrificial acts;
look after animals;
respect integrity and trust;
do an honest day’s work;
desire justice and liberty;
have a sense of morality;
place confidence in rationality and learning;
pursue scientific inquiry, language and literature, wealth creation and economic stewardship, technological innovation, and creative expression.
These are just some examples. If the influence of Christianity was suddenly removed, those who are dismissive or even hostile towards God and the Bible would be shocked at the new world in which they would find themselves.
Highlighting the source of our blessings
In a world that seems intent on putting the squeeze on Christianity and dismissing it as irrelevant and outdated, we have an amazing opportunity to highlight the source of so many foundational values and principles we enjoy today.
It is time to become more informed, maybe to brush up a bit on our own history, and to share the truth of why what we believe is so transformational. Not just for us personally, which in this postmodern society can be easily dismissed as simply a private matter. But also how the Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ has actually impacted every area of life and made the world a much better place to live in.
(Source quoted: https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/is-christianity-in-crisis-our-survey-reveals-9-out-of-10-ordinary-christians-feel-marginalised)
(Image created by Stuart Simpson based on book by Vishal Mangalwadi)