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2020-02-26 to 28 Pictures: Charleston, South Carolina

One of the few upsides of having to cancel our Spring Break trip last March at the onset of the pandemic is that we are "stuck" with a rather large voucher from one of those discount airlines. Last autumn, Tricia and I spent a weekend in Savannah, Georgia and had a...

A John 3:16 Craft for Kids

John 3:16 is one of the most well known and reassuring verses in the Bible. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16 (NIV) The following is a little craft I threw...

2020-03-01 Pictures: Lyndsey’s College Signing Day

This afternoon Lyndsey made it official, signing her letter of intent to play college basketball for the Hiram College Terriers starting next year. While she made the decision and committed to Hiram before Christmas, she has been looking forward to this day since her...

2020-02-13 Pictures: Lyndsey’s 18th Birthday

I am little behind on posting photos. These are some of my favorites from a couple of weekends ago when we got a chance to celebrate Lyndsey's 18th birthday. It's hard to believe that my little girl is officially an adult. It was nice to have the family all back...

What is DOCTRINE?

Introduction I love working with kids, and I love teaching them hard concepts in ways they can understand. To that end, for years I have been working on a dictionary of theological terms for kids and teens. In sharing those definitions, there seemed no better place to...

If You Want It Done Right

In all likelihood, you know how the phrase ends: If you want it done right, DO IT YOURSELF! This is a bit of a mantra for me, and frankly, something that I struggle with daily both in leadership and in my Christian walk.  In theory, this is easy to accept. ...

What Does God Hate?

This is the little and humble post that started it all. I happened to be reading through my Bible, and this passage impacted me so much that I posted a little blurb about it on Facebook. That was July 28, 2008, and I've been writing and sharing ever since. (Maybe...

Why I Believe the Bible #16 (The Bible’s Influence on Civilization)

BIble

Geisler & Nix wrote:

“The Bible presents the highest ideals known to man, ideals that have molded civilization.”

No other book in the history of humankind has had such a vast, widespread and profound influence on civilization. No other book even comes close. This provides further proof of the supernatural inspiration of the Bible.

Consider the following:

  • The United Stated system of government system set out in our constitution is based on the principles found in the Bible.
  • The Declaration of Independence cites rights endowed by our creator.
  • Numerous judicial systems are based on Biblical principles of justice.
  • Standards of morality throughout history have been based on God’s model revealed in the Bible.
  • Even in ancient cultures like the Chinese, ancient characters have been found with references to the Genesis story of Adam and Eve, the garden and the flood.

These are just a few of the many examples of the pervasive influence the Bible has had on cultures throughout time. Calvin Coolidge (30th President of the United States) once said:

“The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country.”

Ronald Regan concurred:

“Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible.”

At the risk of drawing generalities, wherever the Bible has formed the basis of a society, those societies have generally exhibited a higher level of:

  • Morality
  • Social change
  • Living conditions

Biblical principals have been essential in:

  • The abolition of slavery
  • The advancement of women’s rights
  • Music
  • Art
  • Literature
  • Architecture

Samuel Taylor Coleridge once said:

“For more than a thousand years the Bible, collectively taken, has gone hand in hand with civilization, science, law — in short, with the moral and intellectual cultivation of the species, always supporting and often leading the way.”

The Bible’s impact on societies throughout history is unquestionable and provides further evidence of its supernatural origin.

Return to the Why I Believe The Bible index page.

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