Putting A Value On Christianity
Copyright 1998 / Leslie A Turvey




   A stamp collector purchased one of two known 1856 British Guyana one-cent stamps. The other was in his private collection.
  He immediately took his purchase to the seller's fireplace, dropped it into the embers, and watched it burn to ashes. The world's most valuable stamp, safe in his vault at home, had just increased in value.
  We were discussing the value of collector items recently, and one of our sons pointed out nothing has any value if no one wants it.
  There's a lot of religions in the world, and each has its value. Some are pretty cheap: they require little more than a few dollars monthly from their multitude of adherents. Others are rather expensive: they require pilgrimages, or blind allegiance to the leader, or giving the members' properties to the church, or whatever.
  The rewards of many such religions are nebulous. Some promise
reincarnations to higher life-states, until after a long series of
reincarnations the person reaches a state of perfection or total euphoria.
  Yet, for such obscure rewards, millions have donned the uniform of their chosen religion. Some have left home and family to live a life of celibacy, or to become temple prostitutes, or whatever the leader demands.
  But Christianity is different. It teaches love of family, wholesomeness of living, and allows for ownership of properties and possessions.
  Christianity does not demand blind allegiance to anyone, but teaches its members to prove all things, even the existence of the God they worship.
And the rewards of living a life devoted to Jesus Christ are clear and easy to understand. Moreover, you don't have to die to reach some other state of existence: the rewards are here and now.
  Why, then, does Christianity account for less than one of every six
people on earth? Missionaries have visited virtually every country in the world. Radio and television broadcast Christian messages every day.
There's steepled churches on every corner in our bigger cities. Still,
Christianity is not a popular religion.
  When Mahatma Gandhi was asked why he wasn't a Christian, he simply replied, "Christians." Perhaps he understood the reason for Christianity's lack of popularity.
  The Christian's biggest mistake may be that he fails to develop a value to living the Christian life. Christians too often try to scare the hell out of those they judge as sinners. They preach an eternal torment found nowhere in Christianity's textbook.
  The value of living the Christian life is not something one has to die for, but is to live for. Few people can honestly say they live peaceful lives. But they want it, and they can have it through living the Christian life. They'll receive love because they'll learn how to give love. And as they mature as Christians they will experience true satisfaction, something their old way of life will never provide.
  People put a pretty high value on trinkets like postage stamps. It's
time Christians started putting an even higher value on Christianity.

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