The Christian is often told: Your faith is a personal thing. That’s fine. Keep it that way. Don’t bring it with you to school, on the job, or anywhere else.
But, think what would be missing if Christianity never existed. Or if Christians didn’t speak and live their faith. You may hear the media speak negatively of Christian faith and values. But, regardless of what they say, Christianity – and only Christianity — offers a way of life that benefits the common good and promotes human dignity. Chuck Colson of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview notes, “Western liberal democracy (which gives the media the freedom to bite the hand that feeds it) arose from Christian roots.”
It was in the monasteries of Christian Europe during the Middle Ages where we begin to find democracy for all – rich or poor. The moral standards of Christianity were crucial for the development of democracy: People must be able to govern themselves and practice self-restraint before they can rule themselves via elected government.
Christianity made Western culture the most humane culture in history: schools for everyone, charitable giving and volunteerism, hospitals, the great universities . . . these are all fruits of Christian culture in the West. The belief in the sanctity of human life made Christians defenders of each individual’s dignity and worth – no matter their color or creed.
Accepting God’s Word as true, Christians believe men and women bear the image of their Creator. Yes, we are fallen men and women and no longer bear God’s perfect image but, in Christ Jesus, we possess the medicine for sin, receive forgiveness, and have hope of change and new life. Ponder this. Then consider the impact of Biblical faith on a messed up, troublesome, and hurting world.
It is God that gives life and, with that life, liberty and the freedom to pursue happiness. To pursue happiness means to pursue right things that when said and done make the world a better place not just for ourselves but for others.
So, if someone says to you: Don’t impose your faith on others,” gently remind them that a Christian doesn’t set out to do any such thing. Instead, a follower of Jesus Christ guards the dignity of every neighbor – no matter what age, color or creed. A follower of Jesus Christ promotes ethics, morality, education, labor, and law for the common good.
Ezerwoman's Blog 
Christian Citizens Can Be Agents of Change
Posted in Citizenship, Commentaries of others, Culture Shifts, Faith & Practice, tagged Christian citizen, counter-culture, culture, hope, human dignity, leadership on September 8, 2011| 2 Comments »
New York state legislators and the governor rammed through so-called “gay marriage” earlier this year. Iowa’s Supreme Court did the same last year. Most Americans oppose this redefinition of marriage. It has failed in 31 states where it was put to a vote. But, through the efforts of a small group of activists, America appears to be closer to embracing a radical social experiment that will, without any doubt, undermine marriage, hurt children, and destroy religious liberty.
Of course, having said all this, I run the risk of being labeled “intolerant.” “Judgmental.” A “theocrat.” A “dominionist.” Or a “Christianist.” (I run this risk because I don’t believe that my faith is a private matter.)
In spite of all this, there is hope. (Ezerwoman believes there is always hope.) “Think about it,” writes Chuck Colson. “Most surveys estimate the number of homosexuals in America is only around two to four percent. If these few people, with the help of like-minded liberal elites, can bring America to this dangerous tipping point, why can’t faithful, orthodox Christians — who make up a far greater percentage of the population — bring some sanity to the critical moral and cultural issues of the day?”
Colson references an article in ScienceDaily. “Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society.”
Did you know this? Why might this be? Colson explains. “Researchers at RPI note that this is possible because people do not like to hold unpopular opinions and are always seeking to reach a consensus.”
As a Lutheran, I’m compelled to ask, “What does this mean?” It means there is hope! Colson writes, “Those who stick to their intellectual and moral guns can eventually influence their undecided neighbors to adopt their views — and begin to spread them themselves!”
The very thing that Jesus did He asks us to do. Jesus launched a movement that greatly impacted the world for good starting with twelve disciples. Twelve ordinary, kinda-like-you-and-me people. Those disciples became agents of change. Modern Christians who use God’s Word and try to practice their faith wherever they are and in every circumstance are agents of change.
Well over 10 percent of the U.S. population, according to every survey conducted by any polling group, identifies itself as having unshakable Christian beliefs. So why do we appear to be losing on so many cultural fronts?
Colson answers well. “We need to be more active in sharing our beliefs about absolute truth in our pluralistic society. Too many culture-war-weary Christians have retreated to the pews. Too many so-called ‘Christian leaders’ are advising the rest of us to do the same. Nonsense. We must speak up.”
Second, says Colson, “we need to make our case confidently, winsomely, and positively. The Christian worldview provides the only way to live rationally in the world. It is the blueprint for human flourishing. And it is visible whenever we defend the dignity of every man, woman, and child; when we feed the hungry and clothe the naked; and when our marriages and families and churches and schools are refuges for love and learning.” (Breakpoint.org 8-19-11)
For most of my life, I’ve been surrounded by agents of change. This was no accident. God placed them in my life so that I could learn how to be one, too.
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