Unique Aspect of Christianity
Without authority, a nation cannot be governed.
In older days, kings and emperors also needed spiritual authority to stand above their people. If their people admitted the spiritual authority, they would not become rebellious. So, any kingdoms or nations needed religions. And, kings and emperors should act as the highest priests of the religions.
It was observed in ancient Mesopotamia, ancient Egypt, ancient India, ancient China, etc. Even ancient Greek had its myth. But, leaders of ancient Greek cities were not representative priests of their religion. Leaders of ancient Rome were not oracles or flamens.
In this context, the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations are unique. Accordingly, from these civilizations, some cultural works that are still influential in today's world were generated.
In other words, except ancient Greek and Rome, the work of minds of people were confined by their religions. But, ancient Greeks and Romans were given more freedom in their minds. It is because their religions were not so binding.
Ancient Greeks were conquered by ancient Romans who had more freedom in their mentality. But ancient Romans were conquered by tribes coming from the central Asia who must have had more freedom in their mentality.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Christianity fully penetrated into Europe. Christianity set free Europeans from more binding religions of their ancestors. It worked in a manner of allowing them to raise their living standard and social structure to relatively civilized levels, though the era is called the dark Middle Ages. And, eventually, when the Renaissance began, it gave more freedom to their mentality, and Europeans started to develop their modern civilization.
Even in the modern history, the US with more freedom in mentality could defeat Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan as well as the Soviet Union (in the Cold War). Indeed, Christianity in the US gives more freedom to people's mentality than the Vatican does.
Religions adopted by kings and emperors to justify their rule were extremely binding. They even suppressed free mental work of their people. No paradigm changes were expected. But ancient Romans and Greeks were under less binding spiritual conditions; that is why they succeeded culturally, politically, and militarily.
The modern Europe and America have had less binding Christianity; that is why they have succeeded in various aspects of civilization.
But Christianity essentially gives more freedom to the mentality of people. It allows people to be free from more deeply rooted paradigm of humanity and human society than any old religions.
Therefore for mankind to survive and sustain themselves toward future, this unique characteristic or aspect of Christianity should play a more important role. Conversely, future Christianity must allow people to be freed from the most conventional paradigm about human lives and human society.
In this context, the new spiritual movement for more freedom in line with the teaching of Christ Jesus may arise in the US rather than in the Vatican. The Vatican must undergo a great paradigm change.
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Joh 3:28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
Joh 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.