Has Christianity been good for the world?

As believers, we undoubtedly would say that it has been, in countless ways.

And yet, today more than ever, the Western world is questioning whether or not that's really true.

Whereas decades ago, most people in the U.S., including most non-Christians, would have said that

Christianity was largely a force for good. Today, that's no longer the case.

My guest today is Sharon James, and in our conversation, she helps us think through this

important, timely question. Highlighting the Bible's profound moral teachings, teachings

that have shaped Western culture,

and pointing to key historical examples, Sharon makes the case that, despite the many

failings of many Christians over the centuries, Christianity has indeed been very good for the world.

Sharon James works as a social policy analyst for the Christian Institute in the UK.

She's also the author of Is Christianity Good for the World from Crossway?

Let's get started.

Well, Sharon, thank you so much for joining me today on the Crossplay podcast.

Thank you so much. It's great to speak with you,

Matt. So in the introduction to his bestselling book, probably one of his most famous books,

God is Not Great. The late atheist Christopher Hitchens writes, quote, religion has caused innumerable

people, not just to conduct themselves no better than others,

but to award themselves permission to behave in ways that would make a brothel keeper

or an ethnic cleanser raise an eyebrow. And he ends his introduction to that book with a final

three-word sentence, a very famous sentence, religion poisons everything.

So I wonder to kick us off, is that true? Does religion poison everything?

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