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Secular Dominance & Christian Hypocrisy
by Jim Josephsen
A recent Newsweek article: The End of Christian America has sparked
heated debate across America. Has America moved into a post-Christian
era? Are Americans less Christian, less religious? Is America going
godless?
Of course one may argue, why equate Christianity solely with godliness?
After all, there are many religions, many faiths, many spiritually based
affiliations within America; all of which worship some type of superior
being.
The results of several surveys recently undertaken, indicates American
Christianity is on the decline. According to a recent Newsweek poll,
fewer people now think of the United States as a “Christian nation” than
did when President George W. Bush was in office. Two thirds of those
polled now think religion is losing its influence in American society.
In America, those who believe religion “can answer all or most of
today’s problems” are in the minority. Only 48 percent, a historic low,
now believe religion has the answers.
According to the American Religious Identification Survey, the
percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 percent since
1990; from 86 percent to 76 percent. Based on this survey, it is
believed that America is entering a post-Christian era.
The author of the Newsweek piece writes, “Evangelical Christians have
long believed that the United States should be a nation whose political
life is based upon and governed by their interpretation of biblical and
theological principles. While we remain a nation decisively shaped by
religious faith, our politics and our culture are, in the main, less
influenced by movements and arguments of an explicit Christian character
than they were five years ago. The decline and fall of the modern
religious right’s notion of a Christian America creates a calmer
political government and for many believers may open the way for a more
theologically serious religious life.”
Another recent poll, executed by the Pew Forum, reported that the
percentage of Americans who say they are unaffiliated with any
particular faith has practically doubled since 1990 to 15 percent. Since
2005, the percentage of Americans who call themselves spiritual rather
than religious has risen six percent to 30 percent of the population.
The concepts identified with Judeo-Christian ideologies are clearly
being challenged in this nation, and never so fervently than in the past
three decades. From decisions rendered by the US Supreme Court, to
legislation signed into law by our elected officials, to everyday
behaviors, the once honored pragmatic, morally sound, God-defined
principles that shaped this country are less recognized and even less
tolerated.
From institutes of higher learning, to American-style entertainment
venues, to the theology of mainstream religions, so-called Christian
values and ethics are losing credibility, losing ground in America.
One
need not go any further than the daily papers, the internet news, the
various headline news outlets to witness behavior and lifestyles that
are effacing to common sense and human dignity. From the daily ingestion
of music, television, movies, to the constant drumming of new social and
sexual behavior, America promotes less godliness and more secularism.
These facts cannot be escaped. Our cities are flowing with blood, as
homicide, fratricide, and familicide blanket the country. How fitting
the prophecy found in the Christian and Hebrew Bibles; by swearing and
lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break out
and blood touches blood (Hosea 4:2). An endless sea of human blood
paints city sidewalks and stains the homes throughout this nation, the
result of increasing rejection of God-ordained laws and principles; the
result of a judicial system that is defective.
Prominent Senator Jim Webb has decried, “[The United States]
incarcerates 756 inmates per 100,000 residents, a rate nearly five times
the average worldwide. About one in every 31 adults in this country is
in jail or on supervised release, all at a cost to taxpayers of some $68
billion a year. Either we are the most evil people on earth or we are
doing something very wrong.”
Of course the concept of evil people is challenged by the liberal left
and by the up surging liberal Christian left. Why, you can’t pin labels
on people! And when the question comes up about gender-orientation,
gender roles and responsibility, we have already seen how several
Christian denominations have allowed practicing gays, male and female
alike, among their bishopric and ministry.
Behavior across the country reveals sharp departures from what the
Christian right had hoped. More school authorities are siding with
science as opposed to creationism in disputes over evolution. In Iowa
and Washington rulings have prevailed allowing for the recognition of
same-sex marriage. Many states, including those thought as Republican
strongholds, are now acquiescing, and allowing legal same-sex
partnerships. Abused first amendment rights now promote increasing
incidents of pornographic transmissions over the Internet and now the
cell phone. The picture of marriage across this land is stained with
infidelity and mockery. The United States holds the highest percentage
of failed marriages within the first five years, some 23 percent. The
percentage of cohabitation relationships (once considered sinful) that
break up after five years is 55. The percentage of kids under 15 whose
parents break up is 40 percent.
The economic issues so turbulent in the past six months, Wall Street
abuses, trillion-dollar bailouts, the decay of investments that our
maturing population so desperately need, although not seeming to be
religious in nature, are all the consequence of broken biblical laws and
principles. America’s faltering economy and financial failings is a
direct result of America’s disregard and disobedience to God. Christian
principles, not to mention civics and ethics, are no longer taught in
our school systems.
Contributing to America’s religious uncertainty, we see the Evangelical
Christian community being pounded by secularism. In a recent article,
The Coming Evangelical Collapse, author Michael Spencer laments
Evangelical Christians “will soon be living in a very secular and
religiously antagonistic 21st Century.” He further goes on to explain,
as a result millions will quit. Thousands of ministries will end.
Christian media will be reduced if not eliminated. This will all be the
consequences of an increased intolerance of Christianity throughout the
post-Christian West. Public opinion and public policy will become
hostile toward Evangelical Christianity, seeing it as nothing more than
archaic and an opposition force against common good.
Evangelical Christianity has based its gospel in political arenas and on
subjects that are emotionally charged. Their highly charged doctrines
are based on their interpretations of the Bible. Even more embarrassing,
many of the faithful are guilty of knowing less about the Bible but more
about divisive political issues. The Evangelical Christian movement is
losing its way, as a result of its growing hypocrisy, as many of the
faithful cannot live up to their own ethics. The world is overcoming
these Christians. All this errancy is forcing the faithful to rethink
the church’s doctrines and standing in the country.
Godlessness in America is picking up steam through shear force of
secular dominance and transparent Christian hypocrisy.
On the other side of the debate, a loud protest has gone out; claiming
the predicted fall of American Christianity is highly exaggerated.
Proponents of this argument are quick to point out that at many critical
periods throughout America’s history, when times were difficult,
questions about godlessness arose. Those who reject the idea that
America is going godless, state all one has to do is look at history.
During the Civil War, during the Roaring-20’s, during the Stock Market
Crash of 1929 and more recently, during 9/11, the cries rose up,
America’s moral and religious fabric is crumbling; Godlessness has been
exposed, society and religion are decaying. Today it is no different, so
say these proponents. America is simply going through an economic funk,
domestic and global political challenges and social readjustments. The
American ethos, social and moral values are in a phase of modification.
That which works best will prevail. This too shall pass, they say. In
the past, society neither collapsed nor did religion, specifically
Christian religion, fail. And so today, the outcome will avail a
stronger society and greater religious soundness.
The fulfillment of democracy, individual freedom and patriotic idealism
will prevail. Godliness will once again thrive. Christianity will
survive. How will this happen? A new type of Christianity will develop,
based on a greater understanding of a more loving, merciful Jesus
Christ. A new Christianity adjusted to co-exist with new political and
social behavior will arise.
These individuals articulate that every generation has its prophets of
doom, predicting the rise of godlessness. Nothing is new; the
predictions failed. At this moment of angst and uncertainty, anger and
fear of government, Americans and Christian Americans alike, are
battling the ideas of existentialism and humanism versus dependence on
God for solutions to life’s difficulties.
Look at daily behavior within this country. Notice the moral fabric of
society. Immorality and decaying virtues are prominent. In the main,
Judeo-Christian principles are no longer valued. It is believed these
principles are no longer efficacious in the 21st Century, post-Christian
West.
Ironically, the United States of America had the opportunity to succeed
under godliness, morality and Christian virtues. America failed.
Ironically, American Christianity has not even lived up to the
challenge; has not obeyed the teachings of its namesake. Ironically,
disobedience and rejection of God’s Laws and Christ’s teaching has
caused American Christianity to foster and promote godlessness. America
is going godless; it has chosen to do so.
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