Christianity makes a lot of contributions to the Western world because the history of Westerners is closely associated with the development of Christianity. From this point, many religious aspects which are characteristic for Christianity are reflected in the social and political orders of the Western states, in morality and philosophy of the Western people.
It is possible to state that two important contributions made by Christianity to the development of the Western civilization are the accentuation of the significant role of family within the society and the contribution to the Westerners’ morality, philosophy, and theology with references to the Ten Commandments.
Today, a lot of people are inclined to reject the significance of family as a social institution within the contemporary society. However, it is important to pay attention to the fact that family remains to be the basic social institution discussed as a fundamental one in many sociological theories (DeMar 38-40).
The focus on the importance of family and the sacrament of marriage can be considered as one of the main contributions provided by Christianity to the Western world. The sacrament of marriage and the role of family as the form of interactions between a man and a woman within the society are stated in the Bible. People can reject the significance of marriage for them, but they continue to marry in front of God in churches and discuss their families as a sense of their life.
There are many aspects associated with the role and functions of spouses in marriage which are regulated from the perspective of Christianity (Morris). That is why, Christianity with its accentuation of the family’s role is influential for the development of the society with references to its basic institutions.
The development of ethics and philosophy within the Western society is also based on the contributions of Christianity to these fields. The effective contribution to regulate the Westerners’ ethics and behaviors is the Ten Commandments (Nigosian).
Christians are inclined to follow the principles described in the Ten Commandments and other ethical doctrines without asking for their justification. The Ten Commandments involve the issues connected with the people’s ethics and rights necessary to cooperate within the society. That is why, the basics of the social interaction can depend on the Ten Commandments directly or indirectly (Morris).
From this point, it is important to focus on the fact that non-Christians also follow the social ethical rules and norms correlated with the Ten Commandments while interacting within the Western society. Thus, the contribution of Christianity to the development of the Westerners’ ethics and morality is obvious because the theological questions connected with the Ten Commandments are not only actively discussed within the society but also consciously followed.
The progress of the Western culture and Western society is closely associated with Christianity. That is why, the Christian contributions influence almost all the spheres of the social life. The most obvious contributions are to the development of the Westerners’ beliefs, moral principles, rules, and moral norms with references to their ethics and philosophy.
Thus, the Christian Ten Commandments regulate the everyday life of many Westerners according to their morality and rights. Moreover, such Christian tradition as marriage is not only a religious practice but also a significant social act which affects the progress of the society in any Western country.
Works Cited
DeMar, Gary. America’s Christian Heritage. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003. Print.
Morris, Benjamin. The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States. Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, 2007. Print.
Nigosian, Solomon. World Religions: A Historical Approach. USA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007. Print.