The two thousand years of existence of Christianity should instruct us on what it really is and what has it done in the world and to the world. As frequently said, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. And so, what have we “ate” of Christianity and what happened to us, what did it do to us? Can we pinpoint gains of Christianity for the world and humanity in its two thousand years of existence? Perhaps there will be as many answers as the number of people who will try to answer such questions. For this post I can only proffer more questions that are relevant to our individual and collective quest for answers,

1. We have no direct knowledge on what the world was at the time of Christ. The indirect knowledge we have that was taught to us by our elders, institutions and cultures, the world then was not at all a pretty sight. Today, based on what we know and learned, the world does not make a pretty sight either. Why is the world so dismal and very much in disarray?
2. Before Christ ascended and left the world to return to the Father he said that greater things will we do than he did. Reviewing Christian history, there seem to be not even one that could reach his stature and greatness. Why? Did Christ fail in His ministry?
3. If the gospel and teaching that Christianity teaches today is the same one that Christ left to His disciples, then it could only mean that Christianity is a failure in its two thousand years of effort to change man?
4. Christ said that the greatest commandment to man was to love God with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his strength; and that he should also love his fellow humans as he loves himself. Who among the Christian churches made this the foundation stone of their ministry? Were the churches more interested in enlarging and controlling their followers for more mundane purposes rather than installing and promoting this philosophy of love for the whole world?
5. A popular word in our present day reality is the term “terrorist.” Who were the first terrorists? Did not the church burn tens of thousands of people in public places in its effort to cleanse the world of witches, warlocks and worshippers of the devil? This happened during the “inquisition” in earlier church history.
6. Did not the church during the time of Galileo excommunicate those who refused to recant from their belief that the earth revolved around the sun? Bruno, an associate of Galileo, got burnt at the stake for this. What other untruths did the church impose on its followers? Was it not also that the church arrogated unto itself the forgiveness of sins and required its followers to confess their sins to priests who proved to be quite fallible and not the spiritual superior of the ordinary lay person? And claims infallibility of its titular head? Were these for the spiritual welfare of the people or was it to have a greater control over the masses?
7. The two world wars that caused the greatest pain, suffering and sorrow for the greatest number of humans were fomented and caused in the Christian world. It would be interesting to find out what roles has the church played in these terrible world events. Did the church left a finger when the Germans were exterminating the Jews? No it did nothing to help or protect the Jews. Was not the church astride both camps of the two world wars?