The Bible to date remains one of the world's most read and subsequently most interpreted text. According to research commissioned by the American Bible Society and conducted by the Barna research group, over 80% of American families have bibles with an average of 4.5 bibles per family (Barna, 2013). With such a vast reach in America and the world, the impact of the Bible on the thoughts and actions of the populace on various social issues have been significant. This research paper will be highlighting some conspicuous effects of the Bible on society.
Education
The bible has been a critical element of education endevors in a society (Alfred, 1997). Far-flung and resource-limited setups have their education systems built around Biblical philosophies and churches. This is primarily seen by the effect of Christian missionaries in the African and Asian continents as well as current practices in the West (Lee, 2017). Africa for a long time before Christianity held to an informal system of learning by apprenticeship. When missionaries from societies like the Church Missionary Society got into Africa, after the great awakening, it was impossible for them to communicate. In order to create a harmonious system and enable the exchange of ideas to create conversions, the need to teach Africans to read, write and count was necessary. So they set up missionary schools in which the missionaries were the teachers as well as the clergy. Over time, this model has been replicated. Up to date, various Christian institutions exist and are still being founded with a biblical basis. While it would be common to have these institutions teach only the Bible, the facilities teach more than that. There are teacher curriculums, banking, and health training that heavily borrows from biblical principles. Schools in the United States of America at one point had their children recite the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer in their assemblies. This highlights the extent to which the Bible influences education and learning. William Francis Carey, who is famed as the father of modern missions pioneered the civilization of the modern day Indian society. He was a staunch believer in the holistic and transformative power of the gospel as propagated by the founder. Upon getting into India, besides setting up churches, he introduced western education to the vast nation, which was the foundation for the prominent position India holds as a giant in science and pharmaceuticals.
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The notable influence of the Bible on education as evidenced by the realities above can be partially attributed to both the instruction within the bible and the influence of staunch believers of the Bible on society. The Bible, in the book of Proverbs consistently admonishes those responsible for the upbringing of children and explicitly states how children should be brought up. The instructions are executable and act as standards and guides for ensuring children grow into moral, academically equipped, and God-fearing children. The founding president and key leaders who actively indulged in the struggle for independence in the United States were believers of the Christian faith. Through their authority and sphere of influence, they passed on their belief systems and practices including the placement of the Ten Commandments at the front of every classroom as was envisioned in the Kentucky statute, which was overruled in 1990 by a court of law. Many national anthems borrow from the bible. Also, leaders of nations are sworn into positions of influence by holding the bible, which is broadly regarded as a standard of truth.
Governments and Societal Leadership
The Bible has also had a significant impact on governments and how states are run. Titles such as kings, chancellor, and Lord, which are common within political contexts are first mentioned in the Bible. The Bible remains to be one of the oldest historical writing that exists to date. For instance, the United Kingdom has a bicameral parliament. The parliament has an upper house made up of various members who are responsible for legislative purposes. The Lords Spiritual are members of the house who also serve as Bishops within the Anglican church. The leadership of these Lords within a biblical context grants them the privilege to be part of the decision-makers in the administration of the nation. World over, Christian leaders who are majorly Bible teachers have a significant influence on society. This influence translates to how leadership is offered in these societies. World leaders like Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa who was the first African to have won the Nobel Peace Prize are known for having used the Bible to propagate ideas against apartheid in South Africa.
Anti-Slavery Movement and Hunan Rights
Biblical principles on equality of all men have been used over time to awaken and revolutionize how humans coexist with each other. Martin Luther King Junior who is famed for his fights against racism is known to have been a staunch bible believer. Besides his activism speeches, severally in his sermons, he used the bible he spoke against the oppression that existed in society. The anti-slavery movement that saw an end to the inhumane trade of men also had powerful bible influences in it. Christian abolitionism which was anti-slave trade after the second great awakening was made up of individuals that bore a firm conviction on the equality of all men as taught by the bible. (Stevenson, 2017)
The Bible and the Needy
The Bible has played a significant role in the area of uplifting the poor and reaching out to the needy in society. True religion, according to the Bible, is that which help the poor and clothes the naked. Faith, as taught by the Bible, demands that if one sees his neighbor naked, he is not only expected to offer sympathy but also clothing. Globally, due to these teachings, various organization have been formed and have had a massive impact on the lives of many. World Vision a nongovernmental organization founded on biblical teachings has been doing aid work in the African continent. This includes training for proper living, vocational skills among other essential elements of society. Churches have been known to play a vital role in providing orphanages for children without guardians in society. George Muller, a Prussian evangelical is credited for the Muller Homes where thousands of orphans were accorded a decent living and education.
Biblical Healthcare
Healthcare and its practice have also been significantly impacted by the bible. One of the major roles Jesus, Moses, and several key biblical characters played was the provision of health and healing to the people. As a result, health care has become a priority for healthcare for Christians as noted by the construction of missionary hospitals. Missionary health facilities are known for their compassionate care worldwide (Warren, 1994). Samaritan’s purse and cure International are just but a few examples of organizations that run chains of missionary healthcare stations worldwide. Besides care, medical research and procedures, which have at times had ethical issuers have seen much input from Bible believers. The pro-life and Pro-choice movement that has caused debates world over has attracted biblical engagements with each camp trying to support their philosophy from the bible.
Negative Influences
While it may seem like only positive moral precedents and setups have resulted from the Bible, several behaviors and actions in society have been blamed on the Bible. Cultural and religious intolerance that at times has been manifested with tongue lashing has been seen from religious circles. Male chauvinism and racial superiorities are subtle lines of thought that seem to have biblical backing to them (Larsen, 2017). However, many biblical scholars blame the presence of these negative traits on poor hermeneutics and thus, dismiss them. Critics of the Bible will stop at nothing to prove the adverse effects of the Bible, real or imagined. Notably, past religious wars to gain converts have been inspired by the bible as was done by the crusader's movement. Brainwashing and extortions are also commonplace within certain alignments of bible movements where people give their all in the hope of blessings.
Conclusion
The impact of the Bible on society is undeniable. The multitudes of children that have benefited from orphanages and schools world over show how huge this impact is. Governments owe their structures, judicial systems, and moral standards to biblical influence. Healthcare, especially in resource-limited setups, owes it to the Bible. While there may be a few negative results which can be explained by misuse and misinterpretation for selfish gain, the Bible is a book that has changed the world and defined its social structures.
References
Alfred Darnell, D. E. (1997). The Impact of Protestant Fundamentalism on Educational Attainment. American Sociological Review , 306-315.
Group, B. (2013, April). What Do Americans Really Think About the Bible? Retrieved from Barna Group; Culture and Media: https://www.barna.com/research/what-do-americans-really-think-about-the-bible/
Larsen, E. (2017). Radical Words Then and Now: The Historical and contemporary Impact of Elizabeth Cady Stanton'sThe Woman's Bible. Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism , 1-17.
Lee, M. S. (2017). Bible Classes and the Spread of Literacy Education in Early Twentieth-Century Korea. Religious Education , 542-546.
Stevenson, A. (2017). The “Great Doctrine of Human Rights”: Articulation and Authentication in the Nineteenth-Century U.S. Antislavery and Women’s Rights Movements. Humanity: An International Journal of Human Rights, Humanitarianism, and Development , 413-439.
Warren A Heflon, C. W. (1994). Christian mission hospitals as family practice educational resources. FAM MED (Family Medicine) , 571-575.
