While grave atrocities have
certainly been committed by men in the name of religion, there is no comparison
with the human death toll directly brought about by atheist regimes. The best historical estimates for deaths associated
with the Crusades, the Inquisition, and witch burnings total approximately
200,000. That is, over a span of 500
years, 1% of those killed by Stalin, Hitler, and Mao over a few decades.
It is at this point that atheists
will likely make some claim that amounts to asserting it is unfair to blame the
atrocities of certain individuals on atheism per se. At its very best this argues for both parties
conceding that there is something evil in man’s nature that can drive him to
use any excuse – yes even religion - to oppress and brutalize his fellow
man. It certainly does not justify
saying religion is the only excuse he will use or even the most common.
To the contrary, Christianity provides
the strongest moral foundation for condemning all of these atrocities.
We will now consider 5 specifically unique
characteristics of Christianity. Its concept of Creation, its founder, its view
of salvation, its cultural and geographic diversity, and its understanding of
love.
The first and second chapters of Genesis show
God speaking the world into being and literally getting his hands dirty: “And
God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life." This is way different from all
other ancient creation accounts.
More on this next time. In Christ…
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