In a recent interview, actress Scarlett Johansson admitted
that she is not sure that people are designed to be monogamous in
relationships. “I think the idea of
marriage is very romantic. It’s a
beautiful idea, and the practice of it can be a very beautiful thing,” said the
twice married actress, “I don’t think it’s natural to be a monogamous person.” Johansson considers marriage a “legally
binding contract that has weight to it,” and a “beautiful responsibility,” but
also remarks that marriage is a lot of work.
Ms.
Johansson, I completely agree. Marriage
is a beautiful responsibility. It is a
lot of work. And it is more assuredly
NOT natural to be a monogamous person.
It is not natural for sinful human beings to commit themselves – ideally
for life – to one partner in marriage. But
the fact that, until relatively recently, that has been the standard, accepted
pattern in the western world is tribute to the foundational impact the truths
of the Bible has had on our society.
I
came across Ms. Johansson’s words while I was in the midst of reading a book
about the very thing she is indirectly addressing – the profound yet often
unseen and unnoticed impact the Bible has had in shaping western culture and
society. The book in question was The
Book that Made your World: How the Bible
Created the Soul of Western Civilization by Vishal Mangalwadi.
Mangalwadi
is a social reformer, political columnist and Christian philosopher who was
born and raised in India. His eastern
roots give Mangalwadi a unique perspective on the whole question of how our
society has been shaped by the Bible.
With numerous examples from India, Mangalwadi presents a stark contrast
between a culture like India’s that has only relatively recently been affected
by the Bible and our own culture.
The
very soul of western civilization, Mangalwadi argues, has been shaped by the
Bible. Our idea of humanity and basic
human dignity comes from the Bible. It
is based in our understanding of the incarnation – the fact that Jesus became
man meant that human beings are and continue to be objects of dignity and great
value. Our emphasis on rationality and
thinking through things comes from the Bible.
Our minds have been understood as one of God’s great gifts to us. They enable us to seek to understand a
rational God and drive us to create a thinking civilization. Even our emphasis on technology has its roots
in Scripture. The Bible portrays God as
a Creator, the architect of the cosmos, not as a dreamer or a dancer as others
faiths do. When we create and invent
ourselves, we follow a divine example. And
much of what the west has created over the years has brought liberty and
freedom and the betterment of human existence.
Mangalwadi
continues his argument, suggesting that many of the underlying concepts that we
accept as a society come from Scripture.
Our idea of a hero, someone who refuses to bow before evil and
falsehood, is biblical. The godly
pursuit of translating the Scripture from Latin into common languages brought revolution,
freedom and other biblical ideas to many nations. The idea of educating your subjects, as
opposed to just simply ruling over ignorant people, is biblical. Our quest for truth in science has its roots
in our quest for the truth about the biblical God and how he created our
universe. Biblical morality, even though
we are moving away from it, still has its affect. Countries where the Bible has had influence
for centuries are notably less corrupt.
The Bible’s emphasis on family, gender roles and marriage has raised the
status of women, especially compared to many other places in the world. The ideas of medical compassion and
stewardship of wealth come ultimately from the Bible.
Now
of course, people can argue that the world the Bible created is not all roses
and sunshine. I agree. Anything and everything can be used for
hurtful, ugly, self-centered purposes.
But is that the fault of the Bible, or is that the fault of sinful,
corrupt human beings who take advantage of the freedom or scientific
advancement the Bible set in place in our society?
The
fact is, as Ms. Johansson’s interview reminds us, we are quickly moving away
from being a culture influenced and shaped by the Bible. Society is quickly laying aside the
foundational ideas that the Bible has ingrained in us. Unfortunately, what society is blind to is
that the freedoms we enjoy, or the wealth we are privileged to have, or the responsible,
democratic government we take for granted all exist primarily because of the
Bible. When we take that foundation
away, what will be the result?
