Christian values
Encyclopedia
The term Christian values historically refers to the values found in the teachings of Jesus.
The biblical teachings of Jesus include:
22: 37-39,
This is a combination of part of the Shema, the most important prayer in Judaism
, and the Great Commandment
of Judaism. See also Ministry of Jesus#General ethics.
are used by conservative political groups in the United States of America to describe the following values:
The biblical teachings of Jesus include:
- love of GodGreat CommandmentThe Great Commandment, or Greatest Commandment, is an appellation applied to either the first, or both, of two commandments which appear in , and...
: "You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" , - fidelity in marriage: "Whom God has joined together let no man put asunder"
- renunciation of worldly goodsEvangelical counselsThe three evangelical counsels or counsels of perfection in Christianity are chastity, poverty , and obedience . As Jesus of Nazareth stated in the Canonical gospels , they are counsels for those who desire to become "perfect"...
: "Gather not your riches up upon this earth, for there your heart will be also", - renunciation of violenceChristian pacifismChristian pacifism is the theological and ethical position that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Christian pacifists state that Jesus himself was a pacifist who taught and practiced pacifism, and that his followers must do likewise.There have been various notable...
: "If a man strikes you on one cheek, turn the other cheek", - forgiveness of sins: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us",
- unconditional loveUnconditional loveUnconditional love is a term that means to love someone regardless of one's actions or beliefs. It is a concept comparable to true love, a term which is more frequently used to describe love between lovers. By contrast, unconditional love is frequently used to describe love between family members,...
: "Love your enemies and prayLord's PrayerThe Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
for those who persecute you".
Biblical authority
Christian values were summed up by Christ in MatthewGospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
22: 37-39,
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
This is a combination of part of the Shema, the most important prayer in Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and the Great Commandment
Great Commandment
The Great Commandment, or Greatest Commandment, is an appellation applied to either the first, or both, of two commandments which appear in , and...
of Judaism. See also Ministry of Jesus#General ethics.
Modern use
Today, in the 21st century, the phrases "Christian values" and family valuesFamily values
Family values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. Familialism is the ideology that promotes the family and its values as an institution....
are used by conservative political groups in the United States of America to describe the following values:
- censorshipCensorshipthumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
of sexual content, especially in movies and on television - the desirability of laws against induced abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
- sexual abstinenceSexual abstinenceSexual abstinence is the practice of refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, philosophical or religious reasons.Common reasons for practicing sexual abstinence include:*poor health - medical celibacy...
outside of marriageMarriageMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
and abstinence-only education - the promotion of intelligent designIntelligent designIntelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
to be taught in public schools and colleges as an "alternative" to evolution - the desirability of laws against same-sex marriageSame-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
and support for laws against the acceptance of homosexuality into mainstream society - the desirability of re-instituting faculty-led prayerPrayerPrayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
in taxpayer-funded schools
See also
- Brotherly love (philosophy)Brotherly love (philosophy)Brotherly love in the biblical sense is an extension of the natural affection associated with near kin, toward the greater community of fellow believers, that goes beyond the mere duty in to "love thy neighbour as thyself", and shows itself as "unfeigned love" from a "pure heart", that extends an...
- Biblical law in ChristianityBiblical law in ChristianityChristian views of the Old Covenant have been central to Christian theology and practice since the circumcision controversy in Early Christianity. There are differing views about the applicability of the Old Covenant among Christian denominations...
- Family valuesFamily valuesFamily values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. Familialism is the ideology that promotes the family and its values as an institution....
- Red-Letter ChristianRed-Letter ChristianRed-Letter Christians constitute a movement within Christianity. They believe that Evangelicalism has been exploited by both right-wing and left-wing political movements, and they endeavor to create an Evangelical movement that focuses on the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly in regard to...
- JesusismJesusismJesuism is the personal philosophy encompassing the moral teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and commitment or adherence to those teachings. Jesuism is distinct from and sometimes opposed to mainstream Christianity. In particular, the term is often contrasted with the theology attributed to Paul of...