Christian Humanism

On the editorial page of our newspaper there appeared an excellent article cast in the context of Lincoln’s experience in the conditions of contradiction, warfare, slavery, concern, prejudice, politics, sorrow and death.  Here are some of the statements from the article published 150 years after he died for his ideas and actions so: leaving an heroic legacy of tolerance and sacrifice for an exceptional idealism . . . . The days of making progress through protest are over.  The time for making progress through other means has arrived.  Lincoln could have blamed . . . but he did not. . . .  He turned to an unusual and profound Christian humility to move victors and vanquished alike beyond past evils and wrongs.  He deferred judgment to the Almighty . . . . ‘with malice toward none’ and ‘charity for all.’ As Julia Ward Howe had written . . . as Christ had died to make men holy, her generation of Americans had to die to make them free . . . . Lincoln’s advice still holds good.  A better future is up to us . . . . the way forward . . . . must draw upon a secular spirituality uplifting each and every one of us . . . . our level best. (Lincoln put blame on none, burden on all, by Stephen B. Young: Minneapolis Star Tribune – 4/20/2015, Page A13)

Here is a major interest advanced in these Pages so to compete for human education in either or both of the segments of society that separate the meaning and values of earth and heaven.  The Christian is expected to live in both with holistic life that is fulfilling, meaningful, and transitional.  The non-Christian accepts various contexts for human life, from atheistic (no god) to deism (there is a god but his interests are separate from the world and mankind, and personal (present in life).  For the Christian, everything in natural life is related in some meaning to that which is spiritual for the individual in transition from earth to a conscious presence with God in the passing of the person of Christian faith.  However, students of life may divide the analysis of the existence of humankind in two sub-contexts: that pertaining to nature and that pertaining to super-nature.  That pertaining to nature, if well cast, is the same in ideals for Christians and non-Christians.  In this God is the Creator, interested in the progress of his creation.  The success of the one is related to the adoption of the principles of nature with the unseen values attached to the application of the principles.  So it is that truth, love, life, management, and all related to life, taken with universal values that emanate from God, even when the source of those values may not be recognized, are the same for all persons. 

Declaration of immunity from any divine source is unnecessary for the secularist.  If that person feels it necessary to find a source for the universal values, he or she may claim that source from somewhere inside self.  This is the meaning of secular spirituality referred to by Young in the quotation above.  The possession of the image of God included it in the creation of the first persons, and passed on in their issue.  This ability to find values in the self can lead to excellence in lives, but that excellence is presumed to be the norm for all the creation that God gave.  Conflict for mankind came from self-competition to form other values of human creation that conflict with the universal ones emanating from God.  There are two main points to be well considered: 1)- all human beings ought to live by the values given by the source of life, and that not necessarily offering recognition or credit to the source; and, 2)- all human beings should know that it is not obedience to these universal values that accredit persons for affirmative life with God after human demise.  Many persons perform quite well in the context of #1 and poorly or not at all in context #2.  Following the privileges and duties of context #1, Christians ought to do quite well relative to #2.  Persons in their affirmations or denials often miss the mark of what they ought to be and do. To act, even think, Christianly, does not make a Christian.  Evaluation of what we ought to be as persons is not to be determined by the faults/virtues of persons in any context.  The best for earth is the best for all.  The best for heaven is found in faith and obedience to God in the preparation of Christ oriented (Christian) persons to function well as citizens of God’s kingdom having been authorized through the adoption of God.  That offers the birth certificate providing citizenship in God’s kingdom.  Earth life may be satisfactory and honored by mankind for the life-gift from initial parental authorization (Adam/Eve).  Robots can, when rightly energized, do what robots are supposed to do.  Life can appear and survive well from the life giver.