The Validity of the Bible in Society
Foreward	I was recently approached by a mother whose 14 year old daughter was asked to write a paper for school on a particularly challenging topic: "Why is the Bible so important to our society? What impact does the Bible have on this world? What would happen if we did not have the Bible?" The daughter belonged to the ninth grade in a public school. Fortunately, the teacher claimed to be a Christian. However, the Christ-believing youth of our nation are demanded more and more to defend the Bible in the classrooms. When I was approached with this, the first thing we did was pray for God's wisdom. I was exhausted and still recovering from a neck whiplash injury (which explains why my head was still fuzzy). This following synopsis is by no means a University-level paper, nor am I claiming to be an expert by any means in sociology. However, if anyone you know may fall into the same category as this one ninth grader, then this article may give you some insight. Keep in mind that one of the challenges we face is that the teacher may not necessarily be a Christian. Thus, there is generally a lot of pressure on the student defending the Bible, for failure to do so successfully could result in the Bible being dismissed - not only by the teacher, but by the entire classroom. In writing such a paper, it is good to keep in mind who your target audience is, and to make no assumptions that they know the contents of the Bible. In many schools - especially universities - those who anti-Bible or anti-"organized religion" are people who know about the Bible, but don't truly know the Bible intimately in terms of the loving heartbeat of what God wants to communicate. There is a difference between gray-matter and heart-matter. As with any term paper, when a topic is posed, I like to break it down into components. In this case, the topic posed three questions, so in the next three sections, I will address each point. So forgive me for the lack of academic research. I was not attempting to write the whole paper for this girl, but to provide her with a groundwork of support and inspiration.
Why the Bible is important to Socitey	Why indeed is the Bible important to society? First off, let's define society. A society is made up of people - persons, culture, laws, etc. With respect to laws, there is a saying that a family is ruled by the one in it that is the meanest. The success of a society is based on the interrelationships of these aforementioned components. For example, if there is a breakdown in the family, and if this breakdown occurs among many families, then culture may be affected. The arts - both visual as well as music - might become a venue of vented frustration, anger, and bitterness - even rebellion towards authority, etc. We can see this in the lyrics of many songs today which range from "cop-killing" to treating women as "ho's" and prostitutes. Another example: Laws may be broken. And people harm people. Laws may be written, and people find ways to circumnavigate the laws - even use laws to protect their own wrongdoing. Several years ago there was an incident of a break-in robbery. The thief hurt himself on the property he had broken into, but managed to successfully sue the property owners! Thus we can see that society's components are so intertwined that when something is upset, punctured or violated, the effect is that a horrific ripple is sent throughout society. Let's examine this rippling effect further. A culture comprises the knowledge, values, morals and customs of a society - all in a delicate balance. It takes one person doing what he/she wants to ruin multiple lives and send a shockwave through the nation, e.g. the Unabomber and the bombing of the Oklahoma Federal Building. One person, believing in something absolutely wrong - yet believing himself to be right - can bring about the ruination of nations and the genocide of a people. e.g. Adolph Hitler. Yet, at the same time, one man, doing the Bible and following not only its teachings but living it out, can affect the world and for generations to come, e.g. Jesus Christ. It is up to us to choose right or wrong. We have the responsibility as human beings to do what is right. So therefore what we need is for every element of life - be it culture, be it laws, be it even something as personal as hope and purpose and calling - it is good to find something that is higher than us to base our well-being on. At a philosophical level, the Bible exists as a higher wisdom and a time-proven source of wisdom and understanding. Stating that the Bible is a good absolute for teachings pertaining to life and society is a challenge in an era where we live in a relativistic and humanistic society that constantly seeks to dispel absolutes. However, the reason why we need to establish absolutes is because we are a people that like to change and do things that are convenient, versus do things that are right. (Relativism is basically this: "You believe in God. Well I believe in Buddha. Sure God is real to you. That's good for you. But for me... etc." Relativism is also this: "So who are you to say you're right and the Bible is right. I believe *I* am right and I believe in Satan... etc." Further: "You say it's wrong to commit murder, but I say it's right based on these circumstances....") A society based on relativism cannot function, because that would mean you could break the law and see yourself as right, yet harm people and really hurt people. That is why we need laws: laws are absolutes that we must all follow. There is a saying: "We don't have the right to do what is convenient; we have the right to do what is right." Thus it is a challenge to implement the time-proven philosophies and teachings and truths of the Bible - which apply to each of the components that make a successful society. Contrary to a humanistic and relativistic way of life, the Bible states that each man will be accountable for his or her actions. A person can die and think there is no God, but yet we all die and we will face God - pardoned or judged. Such accountability can truly reduce harm done to our fellow man. So let's reel this in. Why is the Bible important to society? Answer: in order to have a society function successfully, all its interrelated components require that they operate according to formulas that make them successful. Thus the parts that run successfully make the whole successful. Inasmuch as the Bible is properly followed and that depends on interpreting its tenants and statements correctly, and fulfilling its requirements, etc. (e.g. faith in God, relationship with Jesus Christ, etc.) then the scriptures are indeed trustworthy and reliable as a way of life.
What impact does the Bible have on this world?	What impact does the Bible have on this world? As we've discussed before, a society is made up of various interrelated components such as culture, laws, arts, science, etc. Let's discuss the impact the Bible has had in human history. With respect to social values, the Bible, for example, had warned about marrying too close within the family. When people married their fellow siblings, etc. people turned out with birth defects, etc. And what about dietary recommendations? A culture is most definitely defined or enhanced by its cuisine! In this regard, the Bible's Old Testament diet (which later formed the basis of the Kosher diet) is an extremely healthy diet: there was no cancer, no heart disease, no high blood pressure, etc. when the people of Israel followed these dietary guidelines, they were safe from much bodily harm that could come about by food poisoning, spoilage, bacteria, etc. One of the reasons why pork was to be avoided was because in ancient times the Israelites did not have the technology to fully cook pork. While some peoples might have developed an immune system to handle it, for any of us today to eat raw pork could result in death! Has the Bible had any impact on the military tactics? Absolutely. The passage in the Book of Joshua which covers the military strategy employed by the Israelites in the taking of the City of Ai is part of the text taught by the United States Military today. Let's also consider how the teachings of the Bible has resulted in the prospering of a people: the Jews. The Jews have an interesting formula for prosperity that has its roots in the Sciprutres, and the verificiation of this success is that as a people, they are among the wealthiest in the world! For example, they are the ones who came up with the concept of charging customers, say, $1,999.95 instead of $2,000.00. The thinking behind this action is that by giving away five cents, they could obtain a sale. And it works. The Bible has had a strong influence in the formation of our legal system. For example, the law as we know it today is basically a summary of the Ten Commandments. In fact, we have something like six million laws today written to enforce Ten Commandments! The United States Supreme Court has the Ten Commandments in stone upon its walls within. However, at a more fundamental level, the Bible addresses personal morality. Our sense of right and wrong must be based on something finite and absolute and higher than ourselves, because we are all capable of redefining morality. The Bible has given many people answers to questions like "Who am I" "Why am I here" and "What is my purpose in life?" In this regard, the Bible helps people achieve personal, moral, and emotional stability. This in turn contributes to culture, soceity, law, etc. and all kinds of social balance. The Bible also gives inspiration to science and technology in profound ways. It has even predicted certain technologies, such as nuclear power. The Bible had mentioned that the elements would melt in fervent heat. People used to laugh at this - until nuclear power was discovered to be able to melt the elements with heat! Hiroshima is an real-life example where buildings had melted under the wrath of the nuclear bomb. There is no question about what the Bible has impacted. But, more importantly, we should examine who the Bible impacts. Mother Teresa is a perfect example of a live based on the Bible. One would find her on the streets of India, hugging the dying to herself, and tending the poor as Jesus Christ would. Billy Graham is another example of one bringing a message of hope, peace, and reconciliation with God and fellow man, to hundreds of thousands. Abraham Lincoln, one of our founding forefathers, was a man of God, and believed in the equality of black and white. While his vision may have been before its time, eventually Martin Luther King Jr. took the baton and heralded the Civil Rights Movement which has brought equal opportunity of employment to people regardless of creed or color. And Christopher Columbus would not have discovered America if it were not for his faithin in Christ. According to his personal logs, Columbus documented his challenges and his trust in God - and prayers that his ship would not fall off the face of the earth! Where would we be today were it not for that discovery? Not just for the benefit of Americans, but that America itself has impacted almost every nation of the world!
What would happen if we did not have the Bible?	What would happen to the world if the Bible didn't exist? There would be a dramatic loss loss to mankind spiritually. The Bible defines who we are by giving us the answers to: "Who am I?" "Why am I here?" And "What is my purpose in life." etc. Knowing your God-given destiny and calling has a tremendous impact on not only your personal life but how you affect others, and those others affect others. Without the Bible, we may not be so cognizant of morality, health, discipline, and many other things. Much music would be lost. In fact, J. S. Bach wrote everything to the glory of God! In fact, some studies were done on this famous composer. It was found that had written so many compositions that some people feel that he couldn't have composed them all, unless he was hearing them from Heaven and merely writing them down, as one may take musical dictation from the Master of the heavens! Some orchestra players in the San Francisco Ballet once spoke about Bach. They felt that of all the composers whose music they played, that there was something uniquely different and special about Bach's music! Many scientists have their inspiration from God. Albert Einstein, for one, had once said, "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." He had also been quoted in saying: "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind." Athletes, professionals, and people of various walks of life also live their lives in accordance with the Bible, and attribute their success to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As the Bible has had a profound impact on many legal systems of the world, without proper laws, we would have an anarchy-ridden society. That is not to say that non-Bible-based cultures don't have laws, however. Studies have shown, however, that much crime is the result of the breakdown of the family unit. Much of what makes a family successful today are based on some hand-me-down traditions that come from the days of people who followed the Bible very loyally. These families today may be anti-Bible, but they're still practicing it in ways they don't know! A breakdown of the family sends its repercussions throughout society.
Conclusion	Thus, we can see that there would be a great loss to humankind if the Bible were absent. Granted there are people who are very anti-religious and anti-Bible, but they are more reacting at people - Christians or Catholics or otherwise - who have misinterpreted it or misapplied it. We are all learning. However, what's undeniable is the impact on human society. What we have today is because God planted a seed towards the beginning of time, and even today it flourishes in ways we may not so readily identify. And if we open our eyes, it may do much more. We may be the next Billy Graham or Mother Teresa - perhaps not in great ways but in small ways. But if we do not heed the Bible, we may become the next Adolph Hitlers.