Public theology - would the world be a better place without Christians?

This exceptional article by Clint le Bruyns, a public theologian from the University of Stellenbosch, explores the nature of theology as public discourse.  It makes for wonderful reading.

However, what struck me most about the article is the opening paragraph of two... In those paragraphs he comments an a recent parody post by an atheist who suggests that the world would be a better place if Christians were removed from it... Less wars, less consumption, better use of the earth's resources, and less nonsensical and irrational thought.

I was deeply challenged by this.  I'd love to hear your perspective on that particular thought (please read the article first!) and Clint's article in general.  What do you think, would the world be a better place without Christians?

Here's the first part of the article, please click the link at the end to read the rest.

Isn’t it ironic that just a week ago there was much ado about recent eschatological predictions that the world as we know it was starting to come to a dramatic end through the so-called ‘rapture’ event on May 21, 2011, at which time the faithful community of believers would be rescued from this earth to be taken up to heaven? A parody of the predicted event was posted the same day onYoutube by ‘The Thinking Atheist’.[1] The clip is titled “After the Rapture”[2] and begins with the mischievous claim that the prediction had actually come to pass. “Everything has changed. It is now a world without Christians”, it quipped, news which was being received around the world with “a sense of joy, of jubilation, of freedom” as “the world unites in celebration”. It explains the reason for this as follows:

Christian homes suddenly empty are now providing free clothing, furniture and appliances to be donated to the poor. The dramatic decrease in motor vehicles on the road is decreasing the demand for fossil fuels, driving gas prices down…. Prison populations have virtually disappeared. Recycled Bibles are now being used to make juice and milk containers for schoolchildren. Former religious institutions are now being used for exploration, health, science and recreation. Our planet now has more money, more food, more space, more resources, more education, and more common sense than ever experienced in recorded history.

Here's the video he refers to.

Read more here...

Comments

[Tom Smith]

Thanks for this challenging link Deon. I wonder if followers of Jesus have to rethink goodness and what it means to follow our good and beautiful God.

[bt]

Can we take the remark about wars first ... ? Less?

Hmm! Let me see in the past century ... Hitler's annihilation of approx. 6 millions Jews. Stalin's handywork approx. 20 million. Pol Pot (Cambodia) about 2 million. Yep ... clearly a Christian or religiously inspired problem! ;-)

[Dion Forster]

Hi Tom and Brian,

Thanks for the comments friends. This whole issue around the May 21,2011 'rapture' prediction has caused me to think a lot about our work and witness as Christian disciples. As I followed twitter on the 21st I heard nothing but mockery of Christians. I was reminded of Romans 2.24....

I do believe that God desires to use Christians to bring healing and renewal to the world. Sadly, I am not all that good at it! I am more greedy than generous. I hold opinions that judge people unfairly, sometimes even considering them to be outsidenof God's accepting grace. I don't have the courage to engage injustice robustly. In short, I am not like Jesus...

I pray that more of us would be such a sincere and strong witness for Christ that when misguided Christians, such as Harold Camping, or Greensborough Baptist, or George W Bush, or Ted Haggee, or me, represent Him poorly that our love and service will convince our critics that Jesus love is true and real.

Grace and peace in Christ,

Dion

[Clint Le Bruyns]

I like Tom's point....we need to explore anew "goodness". We often treat it as a private or inner virtue, but what might it mean to think of 'public goodness'?
There are many 'faith-inspired' travesties in our history, which Brian rightly reminds us of. At the same time, there are many travesties facilitated by non-religious 'faith-inspired' human beings as well. We all have our ideologies & idols, it's just that we as Christians are ever mindful of it.
May we develop that 'courage' you refer to Dion, so that God uses us to bring healing & renewal in the world.
And even if we're slow to learn, God will use us nevertheless. For God is sovereign, and cannot be limited by our public limitations, apathy, ignorance, disobedience. After all, God even used a donkey in the OT to speak God's Word. What it means, furthermore, is that God will use whomever God wants to use, be they Christian or not. As Archbishop Tutu reminds us, 'God is not a Christian'.