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
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