englishteacher24/7
United States
|
Easypeasy asked me to explain how the Bible influences US Culture?
Well, I’ll try my best to answer this question.
Introduction
The Bible (also known as “The Good Book”) has influenced US culture in many direct and indirect ways. The Bible does not have a monopoly on human experiences; however, it can be verified to have had a major influence on US culture. For example, it teaches the concept of “forgiveness” as spoken by Jesus in the passage, “But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father (God) forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:15) In American culture, forgiving others is not unusual.
Another biblical concept that is embraced by American culture is that of compassion (helping someone who is suffering). Consider these words from the Bible: “If anyone has material possession and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear Children, let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth.” (1 John 3:17-18)
In 2011 Americans gave approximately $298 billion dollars to charity, not including the value of donated time to charitable causes. This represents an increase over previous years despite a bad economy. Some homeless people will stand on a corner with a “Please help…” sign and is likely to receive enough money to eat and more. A common response from them after receiving money is “God bless you” possibly associating the benevolence with the mandates from the Bible.
Last, but not least is the greatest concept from the Bible, that is, “Love.” This message is summed up in what is referred to as the “Golden Text” of the Bible which states: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 – King James Version)
This concept is the basis for the previous concepts that influenced American Culture. Let’s look at some other areas:
- American Public Education - Mandatory tuition free education was mandated by law starting in 1642 in colonial Massachusetts for the purpose of teaching children to read and write so they would be able to read the Bible.
- Naming babies - The Bible influences the naming of babies, many whose names are direct biblical names such as: Abraham, Aaron, Caesar, David, Dan, Daniel, John, Mark, Paul, Matthew, James, Peter, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Deborah, Julie, Martha, Rachel, Ruth and others.
- Naming of places - Many cities and towns have used biblical names such as: Philadelphia, Mt. Zion, Carmel, Temple City, Joshua Tree, Bishop, Galilee, Nazareth, Calvary, and others.
- Familiar Expressions - The Bible has influenced the language in everyday expressions, many have come directly from the Bible such as: Apple of his eye, blind leading the blind, eye for an eye, Good Samaritan, handwriting on the wall, my brother’s keeper, out of the mouth of babes, signs of the times, strait and narrow, sweat of your brow, thorn in the flesh, drop in the bucket, at your wits end, holier that thou, and others.
- American Film - Some notable movie themes are stories from the Bible, such as: The Ten Commandments, The Passion of the Christ, King of Kings, The Bible, King David, Solomon, Moses, Ben Hur, Quo Vadis, and others. The most notable biblical theme is Good verses Evil where this theme is among the most profitable for movie producers, some movie examples are: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Spiderman, Batman, Superman and others.
- Judicial System - The Old Testament of the Bible influenced some US laws based on the Ten Commandments.
- Financial System - US bankruptcy laws has some biblical principles and US money has “In God We Trust” printed on coins and paper money.
- Calendar Method - The US and many countries use the Gregorian calendar which relates years to the period before Jesus Christ (BC) and after the death of Jesus Christ (AD-in the year of our Lord). Therefore, the year of 2014 means it’s been approximately 2,014 years since the death of Christ.
- English Literature - Besides the religious aspect, the Bible contains some worthy English literature. It includes history, prose, drama, poetry, and prophecy in one book. Actually the Bible is not a continuous book but a collection of 66 books written by approximately 40 authors over a period of about 1,500 years.
- The Bible as drama - Concerning drama stories, consider the scene of King David’s son Absalom who gains the hearts of the men of Israel and persuaded them to join him in turning against his father to ultimately take over as King of Israel. Upon receiving this information, David and his followers fled Jerusalem. Eventually there was a battle between King David’s followers and Absalom’s followers. But before the battle, David cautions his military captains to “deal gently” (not to harm) his son Absalom in battle. During the battle, Joab (one of David’s army captains who disliked Absalom) kills him; in the end, King David’s army defeats Absalom followers. News about the battle victory reached David and the first thing he asked was about the welfare of his son Absalom. The messenger told the King that he wished all of the king’s enemies were like Absalom. Here is a record of King David’s response to this news, “And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee (you), O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:1-33 /King James Version).
- You can sense the intense emotional grief of King David from this story and it’s the type of literature that lends itself for English content in books and movies.
- There are many other stories from the Bible that are worthy as English literature and has influenced renowned English writers such as William Shakespeare, John Milton, John Bunyan and a host of American literature writers and movie producers.
Conclusion
The question posed by Easypeasy was “How has the Bible influenced American Culture?” I attempted to answer her question in a direct sense; however, there are indirect influences that are combined with other contributors that make up the diversity of American culture.
The Bible has several themes, the major themes are: The love of God for humanity, the forgiveness of sin, how to obtain everlasting life and how to avoid the final judgment. These themes and others have contributed to the American mindset in tangible and intangible ways, both in America and globally.
The influence of the Bible on American Culture is evident; however, the principles can be used apart from the religious aspect and yield many benefits.
Here is a link to the Bible in various languages and in English.
http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/
I would like to thank Easypeasy for her question that prompted the writing of this article and thank you for your patience.
|