One of my interests in reading Benjamin Franklin's autobiography has been to learn from Franklin himself what his view of Christianity was. So many things are said about him, in his case we can hear from him personally. I find in interesting, for instance, that Franklin covered his acquaintance with George Whitefield. It was not necessary to his biography, even when considering that Whitefield stayed in Franklin's home. No doubt many stayed whose names are not mentioned. Franklin was impressed it seems to me, with Whitefield's skills, but he does not appear to be overly impressed with the influence he had in America in general. His mentioning him at all indicates some degree of heart tug toward the faith. Franklin also speaks of a meeting house he helped finance for itinerant preachers and specifically mentions that it would have been available to Muslims, should they have requested the use of it. His position was obviously not opposed to non - Christian faiths.
Reading his autobiography has caused me to ponder the relationship between religion and philosophy, and especially between Christianity and philosophy. Franklin was unquestionably a philosopher. He devoted much of himself to improving his own and society in general's morality. It appears to me that Franklin's only real connection with Christianity was in its value toward improving morality.
Associated with my interest in Franklin, I have been doing a little research of philosophy in general. No wonder religion and philosophy are so identified in the academic world; philosophy is an attempt to answer the same questions religion addresses;
• How did we get here?
• Why are we here?
• What will happen to us when we are no longer here?
Philosophy is an attempt to define and bring in to focus our worldview. Religion is the same.
But true Christianity is different, I think. Philosophy (and religion) aim to identify and then mold our beliefs. Philosophy would view all worldviews as equal and then debate the merits of one over against the other so far as the particular world view's ability enhance a man's morality and thereby improve society and the life of mankind in general. True Christianity, however, cannot be debated.
Marvin McKenzie
In the fields
• How did we get here?
• Why are we here?
• What will happen to us when we are no longer here?
- Philosophy begins and ends with man.
- True Christianity begins and ends with God.
- Philosophy sees the improvement of this world as the aim
- True Christianity sees the kingdom of God as the aim
- Philosophy is a study
- True Christianity is relationship with a Person
- Philosophy is an opinion
- True Christianity is settled in the indisputable fact of God's Word
In the fields
