As I have been reading the history of Imperial China I cannot help but think about Christianity's Euro-centric viewpoint. The world's population at the time of Jesus is estimated to be around 200 million people. By far, the majority of those people lived in Asia, mainly China and India. Africa was a distant third, but still far bigger than Europe and the middle east. The Roman Empire as we call it was impressive, but nothing at all compared to the advanced empires of China by any measure of achievement.
Interestingly, even knowing nothing about Jewish history or Jesus time on earth, the Chinese had a number of strong religious practices, and as all humans, knew there was a spiritual realm.
Even the Bible touches on this issue. Romans 1:20, which states: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
This verse emphasizes that the natural world and all its intricacies serve as evidence of God's existence and divine nature. It suggests that humans can come to know and understand God through observing the natural world around them, and that this knowledge leaves them without excuse for not recognizing and acknowledging God.
Psalm 87 says, "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me," and then goes on to list essentially the whole known world at that time. Clearly God was not just for those who knew the Jewish God.
Mathew 24:14 says, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Again we could have a problem, as most of the world would not even be discovered by Christians for centuries, but that depends on what "the kingdom" is. If that is the body of those who respect their creator, then there is no problem. But if that refers to Catholic Christians, then we do.
This question comes to mind: If Romans 1:20 is true, and all humans know in their hearts the truth of the creator, then what do we need religion for?
This is the question I explore in The Runners series. The first humans had no Bible, no church, no religious traditions, but I believe God revealed himself to each of them as he always has, and each had to make a choice. It was simple, but not easy. Always has been. Always will be.
Comentários