The Purpose of Christianity

Dr, Atul Gawande is an internationally known surgeon and author working in Boston, Massachusetts. He writes books and articles about performance and the human quest to do and be “better.”

Dr. Gawande has said that, despite the best efforts of his parents, he is not a very good Hindu. He did, however, find the Hindu rituals meaningful when his father died and the family gathered in India to scatter his father’s ashes into the Ganges River which is sacred to Hindus.   The rituals gave Dr. Gawande a sense of solidarity with his family and a feeling of continuity with his history; a sense of belonging to something bigger than himself.

I think that many Christians also see this as the purpose of religion. That, and also the civilizing effect that religion can have on their children. They totally miss the point!

Here is a list of some of the things which Christianity is NOT about: Making us feel good about ourselves. Connecting us with our families. Socializing our children. Making us into nice people. Creating social justice. Fighting abortion or sex slavery. Fighting poverty. Continuity with our traditions. And many more.

Christianity is about bringing glory to the Lord God. All the other good things, important as they are, come about because we wish to obey and glorify God. 

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork." Psalm 19:1

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Rene Joseph Letourneau: (b. 1929, Massachusetts, USA – d. 2013) Korean War veteran. Alabama Bowlers Hall of Fame. Roman Catholic.

John Brown: (b. 1763, Ireland – d. 1842) Presbyterian minister.  President of the University of Georgia (USA) from 18111-1816.

Johann Valentin Andreae: (b. 1586, Germany - d. 1654: aka: Johannes Valentinus Andeaea)  Author of Christianopolis (1619), a novel about a democratic utopian society governed by scholars and artisans.  He became interested in esoterics and the occult and was involved in the foundation of Rosicrucianism.

Zewditu I: (b. 1876, Ethiopia –d. 1930; aka: Askala Maryam; Queen of Kings) Daughter of Meneiik II of Ethiopia, Empress of Ethiopia 1916-1930.  She was known to be intensely devout. Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo.

Angela Dorothea Kasner Merkel: (b. 1954, West Germany)  Chancellor of Germany 1994-1998.  Lutheran.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Edward Crowley: (b. ca. 1830, England – d. 1887) Brewer.  Originally a Quaker, he became a traveling Exclusive Brethren preacher.  His son, Aleister, became the Thelemite occultist known as “The Great Beast 666,” and “the wickedest man in the world.”

Theodore of Tarsus: (b. 602, Turkey – d. 690; aka: Theodore of Canterbury)  8^th Archbishop of Canterbury.

Fulbert  Youlou: (b. 1917, Congo – d. 1972) Congolese Roman Catholic priest, nationalist leader, and politician.  1^st President of the Republic of the Congo.  He lost power after three days of street riots in 1963.

Elpidio Rivera Quirino: (b. 1890, Philippines –d. 1956)  President of the Philippines 1948-1953.  Roman Catholic.

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson: (b. 1830, Massachusetts, USA – d. 1886) Reclusive American poet who wrote over 1800 poems.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Tertius: (fl. 1^st century AD/CE) Tertius was the scribe used by Paul to write down his letter to the Romans.  Romans 16:22 was personally written by Tertius.

Ruvim I: Ruvim served as the Metropolitan of Montenegro from 1561 to 1569.

Sitting Bull: (b. ca 1831, Dakota Territory, USA – d. 1890; aka: Jumping Badger)  A Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux holy man and tribal cjief.  He was the main war leader at The battle of the Little Bighorn against the United States Army.  Late in his life, Sitting Bull was a convert to Roman Catholicism.

Sarah M. Brownson (b. 1839, Massachusetts, USA – d. 1876) Roman Catholic writer, literary critic.

Shahbaz Bhatti: (b. 1968, Pakistan – martyred 2011)  Pakistani politician. Roman Catholic.  He was assassinated by a Muslim who objected to his criticism of Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy laws.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Trophimus: A Gentile traveling companion of Paul.  In Jerusalem, the local Jews thought that Paul had allowed Trophimus to enter the Temple. (Acts 21:29)  Paul left him behind to  recuperate in Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20) after he became ill.  The ruins of Miletus are found at Milet, Tukey.

Craig Groeschel: (b. 1967, Texas, USA) Pastor, writer, founder of LifeChurch.tv, a Christian church with fourteen locations in five US states.  LifeChurch.tv is based in Edmund, Oklahoma (USA).

Perfectus: (b. Spain – d. 850, aka: Saint Perfectus, Santo Perfecto)  Roman catholic monk and ordained priest in Moorish Cordoba.  When asked, under promise of non-repisal, who was greater, Jesus or Muhammad, he replied in Arabic that Muhammad was a false prophet.  Other men, who had not promised protection to Perfectus, captured him and he was beheaded by the order of an Islamic court.

Wigstan: (d. 849, Mercia, a part of modern great Britain, aka: Wistan, Saint Wystan) Wigstan was a grandson of King Ceolwulf I of Mercia and was probably the ealdorman of the Hwicce tribe.

John Eliot: (b. 1604, England – d. 1690, aka: “the Indian Apostle”)  Puritan missionary to the native Americans in Massachusetts.  Eliot translated the Bible into the local Native American language (Massachusett) and published it in 1663.  He also wrote and published a Massachusett grammar in 1666.  He was the co-editor of the Bay Psalm Book, the first book published in the British North American colonies.

Always Look for the Sale!

Harwich Port (aka: Harwichport) is a "Census Designated Place" in the town of Harwich, Massachusetts.  According to the 2000 census, the population of Harwich Port is 1809.  The grieving widow of Jonathan Thompson had the following inscription placed on his grave:

Sacred To The Remains of

Jonathan Thompson

A Pious Christian and

Affectionate Husband.

His disconsolate widow

Continues to carry on

His grocery business

At the old stand on 

Main Street: Cheapest

and best prices in town.