Christian values historically refers to values derived from the teachings of Jesus Christ. The term has various applications and meanings, and specific definitions can vary widely between denominations, geographical locations, historical contexts, and different schools of thought. Christian values also relate to the Christian identity in identity politics.
Values
Contemporary
Christianity values are based on the teachings of
Jesus in the
Bible, including love, compassion, integrity, and justice. They guide how Christians live their lives and interact with others.
Some core Christian values include:
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Love as the central ethical command
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Compassion: A core value of Christianity
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Humility: A core value of Christianity
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Integrity: A core value of Christianity
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Justice: A core value of Christianity
Some of the beliefs of modern-progressive Protestant Christianity include:
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Welcoming all to be involved regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, tradition, etc.;
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Recognizing that others follow their own paths to God;
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Striving to protect and restore the integrity of the Earth;
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Aiming for peace and justice among all people;
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Affirming that the teachings of Jesus offer one of many ways to experience the sacredness of life.
Use in global politics
In the 21st-century
United States,
Australia,
United Kingdom, and other countries, Christian values and
family values are often cited by the
Christian right and
conservativism political parties in describing their respective political stances:
Christian right and conservative parties interpretations of Christian values may include:
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Censorship of sexual content, especially in films and on television.
[Gregory D. Black, Hollywood Censored, p. 39. "Daniel Lord drafted a Hollywood censorship code. What emerged was a fascinating combination of conservative politics, Catholic theology, and pop psychology.", Cambridge University Press, 1994, .]
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Sexual abstinence outside marriage and abstinence-only sex education.
[ "Geneva Declaration" . "Marriage between a man and a woman forms the sole moral context for natural sexual union. Whether through pornography, promiscuity, incest or homosexuality, deviations from these sexual norms cannot truly satisfy the human spirits".]
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The promotion of intelligent design to be taught in public schools and colleges as an alternative to evolution.
[ "Christianity, Intelligent Design, Evolutionary Theory Movements in the U.S. and the Separation of Church and State". "Political commentators have noted the rise of the religious right during the presidency of George W. Bush. Though Christianity and politics have often been intertwined in American culture, the Bush administration funded faith-based initiatives more profoundly than any previous president. Moreover, President Bush remarked that he supported the teaching of intelligent design alongside evolutionary theory in public schools".]
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The desirability of laws against same-sex marriage.
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Support for laws against the acceptance of homosexuality into mainstream society.
[ "Why write about homosexuality?". "The Bible clearly condemns homosexuality as a sin and Christians who seriously follow God's Word must also condemn it as sin".]
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The desirability of organized school prayer in public schools.
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Condemnation of transgender people, and support for erasing their rights and existence in law.
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Redefining empathy for others as a sin.
See also
