Church Voices

Today I had an interesting conversation with a faculty member of the college I attend. She knows about my interest in philosophy, so asks, “Why don’t you come up with a philosophy of happiness? Philosophy seems so depressing. Is there a philosophy of happiness?” One imagines that all she thinks philosophy amounts to is the 20th century existentialism of Nietzsche, Sartre and Camus. So I say, “Oh, there is! It’s Christianity. It’s called the Good News, right? But of course I didn’t come up with that!” “Oh well that doesn’t work for old people,” she said. She continued, “But what about Buddhism? Why can’t we find fulfillment in Buddhism?” I told her that’s even worse because the goal of Buddhism is to transcend all desires, including happiness! So she agreed that that won’t do. But it remains unclear to me why Christianity won’t.

As I reflected on our brief conversation, it occurred to me that Christianity is the only worldview that can really make happiness, in the rich sense of “finding fulfillment,” possible. All others amount to filling a vessel full of holes. In Islam, there is no assurance of salvation. There’s only the capricious judgments of Allah. Who can bear the weight of the burden of karma in Hinduism? Sometimes I think we forget that Christianity is really, really good news.

Luke 2:10-11
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.