Christian values

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 Christian 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:

• Love as the central ethical command ^{[1] [2]}
• Compassion: A core value of Christianity ^[3]
• Humility: A core value of Christianity ^[4]
• Integrity: A core value of Christianity ^[5]
• Justice: A core value of Christianity ^[6]

Some of the beliefs of modern Christianity include: ^[7]

• Welcoming all to be involved regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, tradition, etc.;
• Recognizing that others follow their own paths to God;
• Striving to protect and restore the integrity of the Earth;
• Aiming for peace and justice among all people;
• Affirming that the teachings of Jesus offer one of many ways to experience the sacredness of life.

Use in global politics

See also: Conservatism in the United States, Conservatism in Australia, and Conservatism in the United Kingdom

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 conservative political parties in describing their respective political stances:

Christian right and conservative parties interpretations of Christian values may include:

• Censorship of sexual content, especially in films and on television. ^[8]
• Sexual abstinence outside marriage and abstinence-only sex education. ^[9]
• The promotion of intelligent design to be taught in public schools and colleges as an alternative to evolution. ^[10]
• The desirability of laws against same-sex marriage.^{[ citation needed ]}
• Support for laws against the acceptance of homosexuality into mainstream society. ^[11]
• The desirability of organized school prayer in public schools. ^[12]
• Condemnation of transgender people, and support for erasing their rights and existence in law.
• Redefining empathy for others as a sin. ^{[13] [14] [15]}

See also

• Biblical law in Christianity
• Christian ethics
• Family values
• Fruit of the spirit  – Biblical termPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• Jesusism
• Judeo-Christian values
• Red-Letter Christians
• Morality and religion

References

1. Silverman, Eric (June 6, 2016). "The Benefits of Love". Biola University Center for Christian Thought. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
2. The Holy See (January 25, 2025). "The law of divine love is the standard for all human actions". The Vatican. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
3. Glanzer, Perry L. (June 13, 2022). "Is Empathy a Christian Virtue? Comparing Empathy to Christian Compassion". Christian Scholar's Review. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
4. Dunnington, Kent (April 18, 2019). "An Introduction to Humility". Center for Christian Thought, Biola University. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
5. Fox, Keith R. (September 2023). "Integrity in scientific research: A Christian perspective". Cambridge Papers. 32 (3): 5 – via Cambridge Papers Ltd.
6. Todd, Nathan R.; Rufa, Anne K. (2013). "Social Justice and Religious Participation: A Qualitative Investigation of Christian Perspectives" . American Journal of Community Psychology. 51 (3–4): 315–331. doi:10.1007/s10464-012-9552-4. PMID   22949013. ProQuest   1356643379.
7. "What it Means to be a Modern and Progressive Christian". Christian Education. January 25, 2025. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
8. 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, ISBN   978-0521452991.
9. "Geneva Declaration" Archived 2009-04-29 at the Wayback Machine . "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".
10. "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".
11. "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".
12. "Prayer InPublic School – A Brief History". AllAboutHistory.org. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
13. Romano, Aja (May 22, 2025). "Christian nationalists decided empathy is a sin. Now it's gone mainstream". Vox. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
14. Jones, Sarah (May 7, 2025). "The Christians Who Believe Empathy Is a Sin". New York Intelligener. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
15. Stanley, Tiffany (August 21, 2025). "Is empathy a sin? Some conservative Christians argue it can be". Associated Press. Retrieved August 21, 2025. Empathy is usually regarded as a virtue, a key to human decency and kindness. And yet, with increasing momentum, voices on the Christian right are preaching that it has become a vice.