augoeideian
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This is a good article written by a - Dr Peter Hammond which I would like to write out and paste here if I may. It is quite lengthy but worth the read.
There is no doubt that Jesus Christ was the greatest Teacher the world has ever known.
There is no doubt that Jesus Christ is the greatest man who has ever lived in all of history. He changed the world forever. When He was born, He transformed the very way we measure time. He turned aside the river of the ages out of its course and lifted the centuries off their hinges.
The world before Christ was a world without hospitals, a world without charity, a world without respect for the sanctity of life. Hospitals were an innovation of Christianity. Hence the healing symbol of a cross represents hospitals. The nursing profession was founded by Christians, such as Florence Nightingale, out of devotion to Christ.
One of history’s greatest humanitarian movements, the International Red Cross, was founded by Christians in response to the Scriptural injunctions to care for the sick and suffering. Christians such as Dr Louis Pasteur have fuelled some of the greatest practical advances in medicine. Pasteur has probably saved more lives than any other individual in history through his inventions.
The whole concept of charity was a Christian innovation. Benevolence to strangers was unknown before Christ. The teachings and example of Jesus Christ have inspired the greatest acts of generosity, hospitality, self-sacrifice and service to the poor, sick and needy over two thousand years.
Before the advent of Christianity cultures practiced slavery and human sacrifice – even the highly esteemed Greek and Roman civilizations. Child sacrifice was common among the pagan religions. The Aztec Empire in Mexico and Inca Empire in Peru engaged in slavery, ritual rapes and mass human sacrifice. Suttee, the burning of windows on the funeral pyres of their husbands, was common practice in Hindu India before the missionary William Carey arrived.
Slavery was eradicated as a result of tireless efforts of Christians such as William Wilberforce and David Livingstone. Respect for life and liberty is a fruit of Christianity. The positive impact of Jesus Christ on the world cannot be overstated.
Everything from education to human rights, from public health to economic liberty – the things we cherish most and many of the blessings we take for granted – can be traced to the spiritual and the cultural revolution begun by Jesus Christ.
The irrefutable fact is that Christianity gave birth to modern science. The scientific revolution began with the Protestant reformation and the Bible played a vital part in the development of scientific discovery. Every major branch of science was developed by a bible believing Christian.
Every school you see – public or private or secular, every college and university – is a visible reminder of the religion of Jesus Christ. The phenomenon of education for the masses has its roots in Christianity. The pursuit of the knowledge of God in a systematic, philosophical and in-depth way gave rise to the phenomenon of universities all around the world. It was the Christian faith that gave rise to the idea of higher learning.
Most of the language of the world were first set to writing by Christian missionaries. The first book in most languages has been the Bible. Christianity has been the greatest force for promoting literacy worldwide throughout history.
The Christian missionary movement in the 19th century pioneered tens of thousands of schools throughout Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands – providing education for countless millions, giving the gift of literacy.
There is no doubt that Jesus Christ was the greatest Teacher the world has ever known. When He spoke ‘They were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority’ Mark 1:22. The life, teachings and example of Jesus Christ having profoundly influenced the whole development of education worldwide.
From the very beginning Christians were establishing schools. Amongst the many innovations in Christian Education was that these Christian schools taught everybody, including girls and women. Formally educating both sexes was a Christian innovation. The Greeks and Romans before the birth of Christ did not formally educate girls. Only boys from the privileged classes obtained an education. Christianity revolutionized education by making it available to all classes and genders.
Saint Augustine observed that Christian women were better educated than the pagan male philosophers. Every branch and level of education was pioneered by Bible-believing Christians. The concept of graded levels of education was first introduced by a German Lutheran, Johan Sturm, in the 16th century. Another Lutheran, Frederick Froebel, introduced kindergartens.
Education for the deaf was also pioneered by Christians. Before Jesus Christ, human life in the Greek and Roman world was extremely cheap. Infants born with physical defects such as blindness, were commonly abandoned to die in the wilderness. In Greece blind babies were cast into the sea. Those who survived or become blind later usually became slaves.
However, Jesus Christ showed particular compassion for the blind, healing many blind individuals during His ministry on earth. In the 19th century Louis Braille, a dedicated Christian who lost his eyesight at the age of three, developed the world’s first alphabet that enabled blind people to read with their fingers.
Sunday schools were begun by Robert Raikes in 1780 to provide boys and girls from the poorest of homes with the gift of literacy and the riches of the Scriptures. The first universities grew out of the monastic missionary centers, which had discipled Europe. Most universities began as Christian schools, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, Heidelberg and Basel. The very name ‘university’ refers to its Christian origins. University means ‘One Truth’.
Just consider some of the everyday things which have been inspired by the Bible. The word ‘breakfast’ comes from the concept of breaking the fast. The word ‘restaurant’ comes from Jesus’ promise in Matthew 11:28 ‘Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”. The first restaurant founded in Paris in 1766 placed that verse from Matthew 11:28 in bold letters outside this first public establishment dedicated to providing meals in a pleasant atmosphere. The very word ‘goodbye’ comes from God be with ye. The word holiday comes from holy day.
The Bible, particularly the Ten Commandments, laid the framework and legal foundations of Western civilization. The very first statute, the first written restriction on the powers of government was the Magna Carta of 1215. It was written by a pastor and thoroughly saturated with Scriptural principles.
The Bible has inspired the greatest literature, the greatest art, the greatest examples of architecture, the age of exploration, world of missions, the rule of law, the separation of powers, checks and balances, representative government, the sanctity of life, and so much more that we take for granted.
Wise men still seek Him.
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