The Utility of Christianity

The Utility of Christianity uses utility theory, the materialist’s logic of choice to explain the usefulness of Christianity to Western society. It has been pointed out that Christianity is Platonism for the common people. To dismantle Christianity is to dismantle the intellectual fountainhead of Western Civilization. It is important that we understand the difference between a sin based society founded on “right to life” and a shame based society founded on “might makes right.” The Utility of Christianity asserts that understanding the economic function of Christianity is essential to understanding its mission. Christianity had its origins in developing an economic alternative that served as a safety net for the disenfranchised in the Roman Empire. The economic function of Christianity had a way of revitalizing itself when that social need arose. The protestant Reformation was a dramatic and essential example of that renewal process within European society. Literacy, driven by Sola Scriptura, the renunciation of social vices and the adoption of an independent work ethic provided the economic foundation that ended serfdom in Europe, which was a form of slavery. If American society is to abandon Christianity, then we need to identify clear alternatives for the social functions performed by Christianity.