Protestantism

» Brian Tubbs - One of Christianity's Aims

Pink, I'm not that familiar with Durkheim, but I am familiar with the philosophical arguments of which you speak. I understand social and cultural influences and all that. Got it. But two things...

1. Truth is absolute and EXTERNAL. It is not relative to different cultures, spheres, etc. Truth is truth. Period. Granted, different people will understand truth differently. Much like the elephant example - the one about several people blindfolded and standing around the elephant. They each will have a different perspective, but that perspective doesn't equate to external, objective truth. Truth is still truth. Thus, Christianity must rise or fall based on whether or not it is TRUE, not whether or not different people are conditioned to believe in it, because of their cultural paradigms or perspectives.

2. One of the aims of Christianity is to bring people together on a common foundation. To unite them. That's why Paul writes to the church in Galatia: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28).

And on the same theme, he tells the Colossian Christians that there is "neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all." (Colossians 3:11)

This is the aim of Christianity - to unite people (in spite of their earthly differences) around the Lordship of Jesus Christ.