Christ and culture

CHRIST AND CULTURE: Scottish historian Niall Ferguson was raised by atheist parents who thought religion was a source of conflict, not enlightenment. He does not think that he can ever become a person of faith himself, but he does concedes that atheists face a challenge in teaching people to be good.

"I think it is better that people be educated as Christians than not," he says, noting that he took his own children to church when they were young. "If I had to choose an ethical system to make generally available, I would choose the teaching of Christ. There's no superior atheistic alternative if you want to make a society behave well" (Third Way, November).

COPYRIGHT 2007 The Christian Century Foundation
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