[bondserv]

Does Westernization produce first-rate hospitals, orphanages, and homeless shelters or does Christianity produce these things that have been labeled westernization.

Look at Europe and their westernization without Christianity. It produces unattested abortion, euthanasia, and 10,000 elderly in France who die partially because vacationing health care providers refuse to return to help out.

Who is reaching out to the world to bring the life changing Word of God to shore up the corruption rampant within countries? Muslims? Secular Humanists? Hindus? Buddhists?

Who was captured by the Taliban and held captive in Afghanistan helping the poor women who were being viciously oppressed by Muslim terror? Barbara Streisand? Jane Fonda? Jacque Chirac? Kofi Annan? No.

It was Christians from the last bastion of righteousness left on this planet. God Loving Americans, who are concerned with people's needs here and in eternity. The stories of real sacrifice are endless.

Jesus Christ is the distinguisher.

[walford]

"Does Westernization produce first-rate hospitals, orphanages, and homeless shelters or does Christianity produce these things that have been labeled westernization.

Look at Europe and their westernization without Christianity. It produces unattested abortion, euthanasia, and 10,000 elderly in France who die partially because vacationing health care providers refuse to return to help out."

Un-Westernized Christianity did not produce these things. Prior to the Reformation, Europe was governed according to the Divine Right of Kings, through which monarchs claimed their thrones as the Will of the Almighty [a crown represents a halo]. Consequently, the creative forces of the people were left untapped, so there was no freedom nor the prosperity it brings. It was in spite of Christianity, not because of it that the West pulled ahead of all other peoples.

These evils to which you refer are the result of a dogmatic Utopianism with is the other side of the coin of religious fundamentalism.

That is, they are subjectively based. That is, they believe that they have the answers and do not need to explain. That is, they have a conception of an ideal world and don't care how many die in the process of bringing it about. This is the same as the radical Muslims who believe they are doing the work of Allah when the blow up school buses full of children.