Essay Example on God's Image: Christianity Enhances Society's Morality

Christianity positively influences the society by creating the concept of equality and reinforcing the idea of respect to human life through moral deeds. Equality originates from the biblical idea that humans were created in God's image, and should strive to uphold that image. In the novel Franny and Zooey, written by J.D. Salinger, Christianity positively impacts society through valuing life, equality, and morality.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

When discussing the value of life, the bible's concept of creation depicts life as sacred, which means it is immoral to take one's life, as Seymour's did, hence proving that Christianity has a positive influence on society through morality. A person who is in touch with their spiritual self would ultimately view the taking of life as immoral behavior. Buddy was someone who was in touch with his spiritual self and was most upset with Seymour's action. The rest of the siblings were indifferent to it. "He said you were the only one who was bitter about Seymour's suicide and the only one who forgave him for it. The rest of us, he said, were outwardly unbitter and inwardly unforgiving" (Salinger 81). Christianity teaches people to value life and treat it as precious. When Seymour took his own life, he went against the bible's teachings, something which would never have happened if he adhered to the teachings of the bible. It seems Seymour's case could have been avoided if they had dedicated their lives to following teachings of the bible and adhering to them. That goes to show that the moral code preached by Christianity can help preserve life.

The question of morality is one that has always baffled scholars and non-scholars alike. The main question being, is morality a learned trait? McKay argues that moral foundations are written distinctively in human nature (30). The argument is not farfetched even from a religious point of view as humans are supposed to have the closest resemblance to God's morality. According to Salinger, Buddy was able to forgive Saymour even though he was the most hurt by his actions (81). He was not a follower of Christian teachings at the time but somehow managed to find it within himself to forgive him. Buddy knew that forgiveness was the moral thing to do, even though he did not have any obligation to do so. By forgiving his brother, he has eased the burden on himself of his brother's passing. It would have been challenging for Buddy to lead a healthy life unless he took the forgiveness route, which is one of the moral teachings being encouraged by Christianity. That goes to show that Christianity can have a positive impact on society by encouraging forgiveness as one of the moral values.

Christianity can also make a positive contribution to society as one of the universal human pursuits, which provides answers to the meaning of human existence (Agorastos 2). The human mind is in constant pursuit of answers regarding morality, the origins, and the purpose of human existence. For most people, religion happens to provide these answers hence enabling them to live more fulfilling lives with purpose. The same kind of search can also be seen in the novel through Zooey, as he looks for a teacher that can teach him to pray incessantly. He moves from one church to another, talking to different priests all in search of the truth. The search by Zooey represents the universal human pursuit, which affects different cultures and influences human thinking and behavior. Zooey was just reacted to the innate human nature seeking to find God. It is immoral for one to fail to pursue knowledge, as that is what differentiates humans from animals. Christianity offers this knowledge through answers to the fundamental questions of human existence. Therefore, to pursue Christianity is to pursue knowledge, and that contributes to a more informed society.

A certain level of awareness is needed for one to have a moral code, and that originates from the human access to the spiritual dimension which transcends chemical and neurological functions (Alliance, 5). The presence of a spiritual dimension gives humans the guilty conscience that enables them to make the right choices. It can, therefore, be said that it is in human nature to act or be aware of the moral and immoral because God created them in his image, and that is why his teachings encourage man to act morally.

Conclusion

Therefore, the value placed on morality by Christianity is one of the main positive contributors to society, and the thought of supernatural punishment is one of the useful tools that encourage moral behavior (Sheriff 14).