Harry Emerson Fosdick, The Power to See It Through, wrote about speaking to a mixed audience of religious people from several different world religions. The tension in the air was evident. A Christian speaker was about to address a group of people who did not believe in Jesus Christ. How would he ever be able to convince them that Christianity is true and their religion is false? They did not know how he was going to address them. To their surprise, he asked everyone gathered on that occasion, What has your religion done to your character? (Power, Fosdick, 180.) This is a powerful question for Christians and non-Christians alike. One of the central purposes for Christian doctrine (teaching) is not for academic purposes to answer questions correctly, but it is for the formation of Christian character. In Fosdick’s message, he said that some "substitute things technically religious for the solid virtues of honest character." (page 184.) Thomas and Alexander Campbell, when asked who should be considered Christians, would always respond that people should be accepted as Christians based upon Christian character.

Jesus said it this way. "The light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, they whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matt. 6:22-23.) Note what Jesus said. If the light that is you (your religion and hope) is darkness, then behold how great is that darkness. Jesus summed up one’s whole life in that comprehensive statement. This also applies to non-Christians. Whatever you have chosen as your worldview will affect your character. Rejecting Christ has serious consequences for character development.

One sure test for the true religion of God is the effect that it has upon us. Distorted versions of Christianity will affect us adversely. Think about the fanaticism of the extremists among the Muslims today. Surely their religion has affected their characters in a fatal way. Who is right in the conflict between the Protestants and Catholics in Ireland? Given the hatred and killings that exist, we must conclude that neither one is right. True Christianity does not tolerate murder of those who disagree with you. There are many people who have had to have professional counseling because of the adverse affects of religion in their lives. They had been manipulated and abused by religious leaders who purposefully used innocent people for their benefit.

One of the most contradictory things in religion is for one to hate another over some difference in belief. Have you ever known of people to get into heated quarrels over some religious question? We all have. Even if the point under discussion is really important (most of the time is just someone’s opinion), still we should disagree in an agreeable fashion. Fosdick told his audience about something that happened in church history. The patriarch of Alexandria kicked to death the patriarch of Constantinople over a difference of doctrine." (Power, 188.) False forms of religion have produced self-righteousness, power hungry people, mean-spirited, guilt laden, asceticism, hypocrites, prejudiced people, etc. Someone described a Christian as "a gloomy man believing in a gloomy God." False religion can be a dangerous thing. It can be not only the most depressing, but also one of the most belittling influences in life.

The purpose of Christianity is to make us whole. True religion from God does not harm us in any way. "Sound doctrine" means that doctrine which makes us whole and complete. Christianity does not produce fanatics who commit suicide, or people who act in foolish ways, or people who harm others. Christianity makes us whole. There is something wrong with our spirits or hearts. (Jer. 17:9.) We need converted or changed to be whole. (John 3:3-5.) But if we give our hearts or spirits over to anyone or anything other than the Spirit of God, we will be harmed. But if we give them over to God, he makes us whole and gives our lives back to us. Christianity is profitable for this life and the life to come. (1 Tim. 4:8.)

We could sum up the kind of character that Christians should possess by saying we should be Christ-like. Jesus possessed all the attributes of character that makes one whole or complete spiritually, inwardly, psychologically and emotionally. Jesus committed no sin; therefore, there was no desire to disobey God, no desire to fulfill lusts of the flesh or eyes, or any pride of life. But we have sins and weakness of character to deal with. How do we become who we should be? We must have a clear vision of that person in mind in order to grow in that direction.

"At no time in history can largeness have been more called for than it is today. Magnanimity, generosity, tolerance, catholicity, universality, breath of vision, inclusiveness of sympathy and understanding---how profoundly they are needed! These wretched prejudices, partisanships, parochialisms that so split the nations and the world are ruining us. A great religion producing great spirits---one can fairly see the whole world saved by that. What is our religion doing to us?" (Fosdick, 185.)

Magnanimity means living above pettiness. It means acting with maturity and understanding. It means not allowing insults, wrongs, and criticisms to cause you to become bitter, resentful, and hateful. A good question to ask churches is: "Are we big enough to be big?" Are we big enough in our compassion, understanding, love for others to be big in numbers? Many churches are small in number because they are small in heart.

Here are some good examples of not retaliating or taking vengeance against the littleness of others.

"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34.)

"Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face and they said, Behold, we are thy servants. Joseph said unto them, Fear not, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore, fear you not. I will nourish you and your little ones. And he comforted them and spake kindly unto them." (Gen. 50:18-21.) Joseph had the upper hand against his brothers. He could have taken vengeance unto death. But he did not.

The Syro-Phoenecian woman showed largeness of heart. She did not allow insults to hurt her. She wanted Jesus to heal her daughter. She was not easily offended. (Matt. 15:21-28.) Jesus at first did not answer her. The disciples pleaded with Jesus to send her away. When Jesus answered her, he said, I am not send but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He also said, It is not suitable to give the children’s bread to dogs. The woman replied, Yes, Lord, but even the puppies get the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. Jesus marveled at her faith and blessed her.

Paul could have carried hard feelings over the way the Jews and even Christians treated him. But this is what he wrote to the childish Corinthians: "I seek not yours but you; for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." (2 Cor. 12:14-15.)

The Bible has many examples of those lacking magnanimity. They are Nabal, Jonah, Joseph’s brothers, Judas, Peter, the elder brother, Demas, Diotrophes and others.

We need churches and members who are benevolent to the poor. We need people who exercise patience and forgiveness. We need those who will love others even when they are not so loveable. We need mature members who can put away prejudices.

True religion turns our sights inward about our own hearts and lives, not that of others. One of the most shameful and accurate stories about the nature of some religious people is the story of the Pharisee and the publican going up into the temple to pray. (Luke 18:9-14.) Jesus spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. We are embarrassed to read that he prayed commending himself. Lord, I thank thee that I am not as other men are!

True religion brings the mirror of the Gospel before our own faces for us to see ourselves. (James 1:22-27.) And he beholds himself and goes his way and forgets what manner of man he was!

Jesus said, "Why beholdest the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considers not the beam that is in thine own eye?" (Matt. 7:4.) Paul wrote, "Study to be quiet and to do your own business and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you." (1 Thess. 4:11.) If we would just do that.

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings."

No one will develop greatness of character until he resolves to wrestle with himself and stop looking at the faults of others.

How do we think about the "raw materials" out of which we are made? We have physical needs and desires. There is a caveman in each of us. One writer described it as riding the wild horses. Every person is made with a whole range of emotions and feelings. Are some of these to be exercised while others are to be denied?

There are three different ways in which we can deal with ourselves and the raw materials of life. They are self-assertion, self-negation or self-fulfillment. Many religions have chosen the way of self-negation. Buddhism especially promoted the complete denial of oneself and one’s needs. The form of Christianity in the Middle Ages was more Buddhist than Christian. Paul in Colossians 2 mentions asceticism:20-22. The way of self-assertion is the way of modern American culture. It is hedonistic. Just ride the wild horses and left them go. Do what ever you want to do. The way of Scripture is self-fulfillment. The Creator gave every emotion and desire to us; therefore, there is a proper place and time for those emotions and feeling to be expressed. We should not call some emotions negative while others are positive. Even love can sometimes be wrong. We are told not to love the world. The love of money is the root of all evil. Hate sometimes is the more appropriate response. We should hate the same things that God hates. There is a place for all emotions. Life should be lived, not denied. Living as a monk or a nun is not God’s way.

There are two major problems with trying to get a hold on how we should view ourselves. One is the problem of thinking too highly of ourselves. "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." (Rom. 12:3.) The second problem is thinking too lowly of yourself. I recently asked a class which of these two did they think was the most prevalent. Everyone said the greatest problem is the second one---people think too lowly of themselves. I agree. The Bible says that the second of the greatest commandments is to love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt. 22:39.) Paul wrote that husbands should love their wives because no man ever yet hated his own flesh. In marriage, two become one. (Eph. 5:29.)

Here are some ways in which we can think too highly. The Pharisee praying in the temple exalted himself about others. (Luke 18.) Self-righteousness, boasting about keeping the Law of God, being more spiritual than others like the Corinthians, and thinking that one member of the body is greater than other members.

We can think too lowly of ourselves. Believing that man evolved from lower forms coming up through the animals is thinking too lowly. Being guilt laden without accepting God’s forgiveness can destroy one’s ability to serve. "Playing the victim" is thinking too lowly. I like this statement by Eleanor Roosevelt, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

How can we see ourselves in the right way? Not too highly or too lowly? One way is to understand that no one is above you and no one is below you. Everyone is equal in the eyes of God. He is no respector of persons. We need to see ourselves as created beings in the image and likeness of God. Jesus died for us. We must be important to him. "Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13.) The prodigal son wanted to be treated as a servant when he returned. His father welcomed him back as a son in the household. The elder brother pouted outside. Both needed to see themselves the way the father saw them. (Luke 15.) How we get it right is by seeing ourselves the way God sees us. That is the right view; not how we think about ourselves.