RE: Christianity's Valuable Contributions to Humanity: An Examination of Militant Atheism
June 20, 2023 at 3:36 am
(This post was last modified: June 20, 2023 at 3:42 am by Nishant Xavier.
Edit Reason: Minor Edit
)
Yes, misremembered the name. Apologies for that.
Now, back to some of Christianity's other Contributions:
(1) I showed you the Christians who Abolished Slavery, including Lincoln and Wilberforce, and of course everyone knows this since it's recent history. I also showed the Racist and even Eugenicist (promoting extermination of "savage" races) views of Darwin and Sanger, not to mention Nietzche and Marx, all Vicious Racists. So who can show me the Atheists who helped Abolish Slavery? C'mon, don't be shy, step forward and claim the credit for Atheism! If indeed any Atheists played a prominent part in the Abolitionist Struggle, I will happily credit them. Not kidding. But it's a matter of record that Christians did.
(2) Next, another issue almost completely ignored, and this indeed unlike Abolition of Slavery, is almost unknown to those who have not taken particular efforts to read and research it for themselves, is the role of Christianity in particular, and Judeo-Christian Values, in Abolishing Infanticide.
I already mentioned the Role of Christian Emperor, Constantine the Great, in Abolishing Infanticide. Any 3rd or 4th Century Agnostics or Atheists around by any chance whose names I can't recall who also likewise played a commendable part in abolishing it? Lol, don't think so. And note that, Jews and Christians, taught by the God of the Bible were against Infanticide, whereas Pagans, misguided by other gods, were largely ok with it.
See the historical source below from the secular Enyclopedia dot com website:
"The first-century Jewish philosopher Philo denounced infanticide and emphasized adults's duties toward children. His account equated abandonment with infanticide:
Some [parents] do the deed with their own hands; with monstrous cruelty and barbarity they stifle and throttle the first breath which the infants draw or throw them into a river or into the depths of the sea, after attaching some heavy substance to make them sink more quickly under its weight. Others take them to be exposed in some desert place, hoping, they themselves say, that they may be saved, but leaving them in actual truth to suffer the most distressing fate. For all the beasts that feed in human flesh visit the spot and feast unhindered on the infants, a fine banquet provided by their sole guardians, those who above all others should keep them safe, their fathers and mothers.
Philo further condemned the practice, in Works, by claiming, "Infanticide undoubtedly is murder, since the displeasure of the law is not concerned with ages but with a breach to the human race" (Vol. 7).
However, it was the advent of Christianity, rooted in Judaism, that significantly altered public attitudes toward the practice of infanticide. Christians inherited the Jewish doctrine that humans were divinely created, including the emphasis on the sanctity of all human life. They also recalled with horror the New Testament report that King Herod had slaughtered many infants in his attempts to exterminate the infant Jesus (Matthew 2). Believers were urged to emulate Christ's self-sacrificing love through benevolence and charity, providing a new rationale for philanthropy (Ferngren, 1987a). The consequences of this philanthropy were seen in Christian charities and endeavors for the poor, the sick, and the needy. Rescue and care of exposed infants was viewed as a special Christian duty. During the medieval period through the nineteenth century, Christians established foundling hospitals, and institutions for abandoned and unwanted children."
Someone was praising Julian the Apostate, whom I quoted in the OP as saying Christians exceeded pagans in caring for All Poor People, including Poor People who happened to be pagans ("it is shameful to us that the Galileans take care not only of their Poor but our own"), but of course Julian the Apostate won't tell you this. And pls note, we are not claiming any Roman Emperor was perfect in every way, but Abolishing Infanticide was Good.
Above source, continued: "Although Jews and Christians vigorously opposed infanticide, their opposition had little impact until Christianity became widespread and officially recognized in the fourth century. A church council in Spain issued the first canon against infanticide in 305 c.e., and soon after, both local and ecumenical councils throughout Europe took similar actions. The penalty prescribed by the church for infanticide was either penance or excommunication.
The first secular law concerning the killing of children was issued in 318 c.e. by Constantine, the first Christian emperor. However, the law mentions children killing parents as well as parents killing children and thus was not directed specifically against infanticide. In 374 c.e. Valentinian enacted legislation declaring infanticide to be murder and punishable by law. Soon after a statute was issued that appears to have prohibited exposure of infants. Although Christian emperors promulgated many laws reflecting Christian morality, fear of losing salvation made the penitential system of the churches far more effective in influencing moral behavior than did state legislation. Church leaders continued to put pressure on the state, bringing about a series of legal codes aimed at protecting newborn children."
Oops. This was the Pro-Life Movement of the 4th Century, and Pro-Life Christians triumphed, by the Grace and Power of Almighty God.
It's understandable Militant Modern Atheists don't want to credit the Religion they hate with having built the Civilization they Love.
But it is the Truth. In this particular case, the nearly Universal Values we share today that Infanticide is wrong came from Judeo-Christianity.
Regards,
Xavier.
Now, back to some of Christianity's other Contributions:
(1) I showed you the Christians who Abolished Slavery, including Lincoln and Wilberforce, and of course everyone knows this since it's recent history. I also showed the Racist and even Eugenicist (promoting extermination of "savage" races) views of Darwin and Sanger, not to mention Nietzche and Marx, all Vicious Racists. So who can show me the Atheists who helped Abolish Slavery? C'mon, don't be shy, step forward and claim the credit for Atheism! If indeed any Atheists played a prominent part in the Abolitionist Struggle, I will happily credit them. Not kidding. But it's a matter of record that Christians did.
(2) Next, another issue almost completely ignored, and this indeed unlike Abolition of Slavery, is almost unknown to those who have not taken particular efforts to read and research it for themselves, is the role of Christianity in particular, and Judeo-Christian Values, in Abolishing Infanticide.
I already mentioned the Role of Christian Emperor, Constantine the Great, in Abolishing Infanticide. Any 3rd or 4th Century Agnostics or Atheists around by any chance whose names I can't recall who also likewise played a commendable part in abolishing it? Lol, don't think so. And note that, Jews and Christians, taught by the God of the Bible were against Infanticide, whereas Pagans, misguided by other gods, were largely ok with it.
See the historical source below from the secular Enyclopedia dot com website:
"The first-century Jewish philosopher Philo denounced infanticide and emphasized adults's duties toward children. His account equated abandonment with infanticide:
Some [parents] do the deed with their own hands; with monstrous cruelty and barbarity they stifle and throttle the first breath which the infants draw or throw them into a river or into the depths of the sea, after attaching some heavy substance to make them sink more quickly under its weight. Others take them to be exposed in some desert place, hoping, they themselves say, that they may be saved, but leaving them in actual truth to suffer the most distressing fate. For all the beasts that feed in human flesh visit the spot and feast unhindered on the infants, a fine banquet provided by their sole guardians, those who above all others should keep them safe, their fathers and mothers.
Philo further condemned the practice, in Works, by claiming, "Infanticide undoubtedly is murder, since the displeasure of the law is not concerned with ages but with a breach to the human race" (Vol. 7).
However, it was the advent of Christianity, rooted in Judaism, that significantly altered public attitudes toward the practice of infanticide. Christians inherited the Jewish doctrine that humans were divinely created, including the emphasis on the sanctity of all human life. They also recalled with horror the New Testament report that King Herod had slaughtered many infants in his attempts to exterminate the infant Jesus (Matthew 2). Believers were urged to emulate Christ's self-sacrificing love through benevolence and charity, providing a new rationale for philanthropy (Ferngren, 1987a). The consequences of this philanthropy were seen in Christian charities and endeavors for the poor, the sick, and the needy. Rescue and care of exposed infants was viewed as a special Christian duty. During the medieval period through the nineteenth century, Christians established foundling hospitals, and institutions for abandoned and unwanted children."
Someone was praising Julian the Apostate, whom I quoted in the OP as saying Christians exceeded pagans in caring for All Poor People, including Poor People who happened to be pagans ("it is shameful to us that the Galileans take care not only of their Poor but our own"), but of course Julian the Apostate won't tell you this. And pls note, we are not claiming any Roman Emperor was perfect in every way, but Abolishing Infanticide was Good.
Above source, continued: "Although Jews and Christians vigorously opposed infanticide, their opposition had little impact until Christianity became widespread and officially recognized in the fourth century. A church council in Spain issued the first canon against infanticide in 305 c.e., and soon after, both local and ecumenical councils throughout Europe took similar actions. The penalty prescribed by the church for infanticide was either penance or excommunication.
The first secular law concerning the killing of children was issued in 318 c.e. by Constantine, the first Christian emperor. However, the law mentions children killing parents as well as parents killing children and thus was not directed specifically against infanticide. In 374 c.e. Valentinian enacted legislation declaring infanticide to be murder and punishable by law. Soon after a statute was issued that appears to have prohibited exposure of infants. Although Christian emperors promulgated many laws reflecting Christian morality, fear of losing salvation made the penitential system of the churches far more effective in influencing moral behavior than did state legislation. Church leaders continued to put pressure on the state, bringing about a series of legal codes aimed at protecting newborn children."
Oops. This was the Pro-Life Movement of the 4th Century, and Pro-Life Christians triumphed, by the Grace and Power of Almighty God.
It's understandable Militant Modern Atheists don't want to credit the Religion they hate with having built the Civilization they Love.
But it is the Truth. In this particular case, the nearly Universal Values we share today that Infanticide is wrong came from Judeo-Christianity.
Regards,
Xavier.
