Posted on 03/07/2011 9:00:56 AM PST by Eurotwit
In the West we are doing our best to destroy our Christian heritage but in China, Chinese intellectuals are coming around to the view that it is precisely this heritage that has made the West so successful.
Former editor of the Sunday Telegraph, Dominic Lawson, in a review in the Sunday Times of Niall Ferguson's new book, ‘Civilisation: The West and the Rest’, carries a quote from a member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in which he tries to account for the success of the West, to date.
He said: “One of the things we were asked to look into was what accounted for the success, in fact, the pre-eminence of the West all over the world.
“We studied everything we could from the historical, political, economic, and cultural perspective. At first, we thought it was because you had more powerful guns than we had.
“Then we thought it was because you had the best political system. Next we focused on your economic system.
“But in the past twenty years, we have realised that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. That is why the West is so powerful.
“The Christian moral foundation of social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don’t have any doubt about this.”
Note the source. It isn't from a religious leader, or some religious think-tank. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is an instrument of the Chinese Communist government which spends a not inconsiderable amount of time and money persecuting Christians and is officially atheistic.
If this is the conclusion it has come to, maybe Europe needs to reconsider whether it mightn't be an idea to encourage rather than eradicate Christianity.
Incidentally, just to drive home the point, Lawson also refers to this data point in Ferguson's book: Wenzhou, the Chinese city which is rated as the most entrepreneurial in the country, is also home to 1,400 churches.
Lawson refers to a quote in the book from a prominent Wenzhou business leader, a Mr Hanping Zhang, who argues that “an absence of trust had been one of the main factors holding China back; but he feels he can trust his fellow Christians because he knows that they will be honest in their dealings with him”.
It has long been accepted that Christianity is one of the core elements of Western civilisation; it is too little understood that it is also one of the secrets of the stunning success of that civilisation.
Thanks.
I need new stuff for my reading list - have been playing computer games lately. lol.
I hope my local library covers them... Otherwise I guess amazon will deliver.
But, I just wanted to put a different slant on the “will to power” idea. Perhaps that western philosphical thought more than any other pains American in red, white and blue.
Has it always been a good thing? Surely not.
But, overall it has been a very very positive force, and I think Christian morality played a large role in making it so.
To put it simply. America could have taken over the entire world post 1945. Lock stock and barrel. The whole shebang. And most earlier rules perhaps would have.
America did not.
A credit to your nation :)
“Do you really consider this “spirit of capitalism” stuff to be protestant propaganda?”
It wasn’t.
And, I doubt Agere thinks so.
It clearly was. It doesn’t make the catholic nations the devil in this play.
Look at Italian industry.... The Fiats, Ferrari’s....
It’s not a G-8 nation for nothing.
I would say the protestant revolution was perhaps extra conducive for this sort of behaviour, but nor exclusively so.
Much as the liberals don't want to admit it, the ideas of equality and freedom did NOT come from Ancient Greece and Rome, but from Judaism and Christianity.
As de Tocqueville correctly observed, America is great because it is good. When it ceases to be good, it ceases to be great.
Some object that America is not Christian. That is both true and false.
In evidence that we are not: Many do not even claim to be Christians. We are legally protected in our decision to be whatever religion we choose, and so have definite communities of many other religions, including Satanists and the Westboro atrocity and Santeria and so on. The state does not support the church, except in the narrow sense of tax exemption. Many of our “churches” are anti-Christian in their theology. Our popular culture often glorifies and honors sin.
In evidence that we are: Our founders, founding documents, and law are all largely Christian in nature. We have a very high percentage of Christians living here, many very faithful churches, and a culture that still maintains many Christian values. We have the largest missionary force sent out from here, and I believe the world record for individual charitable giving. Most American believe that God created the world. Some of the greatest preachers and theologians have been Americans, and their work continues to have great influence today.
I see us as a Christian nation going through a period of decline in a few key areas. But I have been privileged already to meet some great believers here and I continue to have hope for this nation. We only look terrible if you don’t compare us to other nations.
Look to the North: In Canada, I can be arrested for politely asserting the Bible’s position on homosexuality. Look to the South: In Mexico, the government is apparently running the drug cartels. Look at Europe, where hardly anyone even goes to church, and if they do, the “church” is usually a joke. Look at Africa and Asia; there are tremendous believers and churches there, but, the persecution is severe unto death. So you can hardly call any of them Christian nations.
We’re it.
“Without the moral underpinnings provided by Christianity, a meritocracy, however well-intentioned, is eventually distorted by those who gain control of an amoral legal system to set the rules. “
Without the moral underpinnings provided by Christianity, any political system becomes corrupt.
If anyone wants to spend a fascinating half hour, listen to the author of Fortunate Sons talking about his book . . .
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Fortuna
I bought 4 copies. I should be his agent.
Which is why Obama has declared we are not a Christian nation ...if he can populate the US with enough Muslims we too can be 3rd world in a hurry
I like to think about de Toqueville’s observation of the first Puritan landing on our shores.
The Mayflower had two groups: the Pilgrims and the Strangers.
The Pilgrims are the ones we read about most etc. But on the boat were also the basically secular Strangers.
I see the U.S. as unchanging since that time in this sense: We are still a nation of Pilgrims and Strangers. Sometimes the Pilgrims have the upper hand (yay). Sometimes they don’t. The struggle continues.
INDEED.
Thanks for your thoughtful response.
And now you have the reason why Leftists are unfit to live in a free society.
More like George Soros. Just ask him. He'll tell you so. He already has.
The Protestant Christian ethos of hard work dedicated to the Triune God, free markets and an emerging middle class all worked to create this country and, God willing, will again harvest good fruit in China.
What a great post! Thank you.
Christianity, in affect, addresses the sinful and fallen nature in all of us. We are all capable of being dishonest, self serving, etc. When you have a nation of people who do not address those issues, in themselves, their families, communities, and yes, in their nations, things don't go so well.
When individuals and families and communities address their sinful nature, it translates into greater freedoms, productivity, etc. And this transition is life long. Not only life long, but even over generations. Where one generation becomes more honest and noble than the previous. Forgiving the sins of their fathers yet being thankful for the positives their fathers did give them and passing the positves while correcting the sins of the father to future generations. Take that Christian element away, and slowly, the generations begin to deteriorate. Resenting the sins of the father but taking for granted the positve and passing on the resenting but not even passing on thankfulness for the positives of the father.
It is this core issue of addressing the personal sinful nature that translate outwardly towards family and community and ultimately makes or breaks a nation.
When the sinful nature is slowly reigned in, bridges are built between family members, communities, and ultimately across the country, then the country can slowly work in ever increasing unison becoming more and more like a well oiled machine. People not looking at their own self seeking interest but the interest of the whole. This isn't done overnight, of course. But over generations. And this transition occurs when a nation has a healthy understanding of Christianity and what it means.
I remember when I was young listening to Billy Graham preach how sin is the cause of all human suffering. I remember how I thought his sermon was getting repetitive and at times tiresome. As I grew older, I finally realized, he was right all along. It is this sinful nature in all of us that causes grief and setbacks.
Are you sure you have your cart behind your horse?
Was it a downfall of the church that led to the welfare state,
or a deliberat plan of the welfare state that made the charity of the church seem redundant (and impoverished those who would have given more to the church for charity)
???
That's like comparing mortor shells with spit balls. Most of what you think you know about the Spanish Inquisition simply never happened. See The Myth of the Spanish Inquisition
Here's some little factoids. Three times as many people died on 9-11-2001 at the hands of Muslim terrorists than died during the the entire Spanish Inquisition. China executed three times more people just last year.
Churchill hated on Spartacus?
Darnit.
I AM Spartacus :D
I think you are both right.
The socialists used the power of the welfare states. (and to be fair - it has worked well in some nations like mine - more dollar millionares than any other.)
Thouggh Quix is saying that if everyone followed the teachings of Jesus there would hardly be a need for it.
Coming back to the Scandinavian states. And how “socialism” worked. It was because people were Christians...
The people needing welfare were a very low number.
Because you followed the teachings...
So helping the few that fell along the road was an easy task.
Without that Christian morality....
American capitalism will fail as surely as Nordic welfare states.
Though the latter will fall first.
My thoughts...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.