‘One day we will wake up and discover the America (or the West) we once knew was gone.’ These words were spoken by the Christian philosopher and apologist, Dr Francis Schaeffer, back in the 1970s. Fifty years later and that day has come.
The Church can no longer observe from the sidelines and remain silent. We must acknowledge what has happened, repent of our passivity, learn the lessons and regroup, and rise up with clarity and in unity as to who we are and our calling in the world.
What Has Happened
So let’s be clear as to the present state of affairs. The cultural war has largely been lost and we are losing the hearts and minds of the younger generations.1 Here are some headlines to consider:
The Loss of a Christianised West. Christianity has profoundly shaped the values, aspirations, institutions and forms of society in Europe and the West. However, in a single generation, the humanist missionary movement has successfully uprooted Western culture from its Judeo-Christian foundation. Thankfully, there is still evidence of Christian roots, even among those who do not profess Christ as Lord, but nevertheless recognise the beneficial results and freedoms that the Christian faith has brought to those who live in Western nations.
Moral Decline, Breakdown of the Family & Sexualisation of Children. For decades since the Sexual Revolution of the sixties, the traditional family has been under attack. When I went to school, children living with both their parents was the rule; now it’s the exception.2 Marriage was only between one man and one woman; now it’s been redefined to include those of the same-sex. Divorce has become more common and easier to initiate. Schools and universities have become places of indoctrination having been captured by anti-Christian ideologies. Children as young as four or five are being sexualised and transgenderism is being promoted as normal. Those who think otherwise are regarded as bigots and haters. Parents are systematically being stripped of their fundamental rights to impart moral and religious teaching to their children.
Post-Truth Society. Whereas in the past everyone could have their own opinion and debate was encouraged, now facts don’t appear to matter. All that matters are feelings and perception. Absolute truth has been replaced by personal truth which often becomes an issue of identity. Truth is considered the new hate speech. Although justice and tolerance are viewed as virtues, they are applied selectively and only where they support the politically correct ideology. Christians in particular are marginalised as being oppressors, and now Christian beliefs are even being criminalised. There is a growing obsession with grievance and victimisation.
What Can We Do?
“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes see, His eyelids test the children of man. The Lord tests the righteous.” (Psalm 11:3-5).
As we lament what has happened, we need to repent for our passivity, our complacency, our disobedience to the Lord’s commission. Former generations did much to give us what we have enjoyed in the past, including national transformations such as in the time of John Wesley.3
Whereas in many other places in the world, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, material comforts and the rule of law are not givens, we in the West have been accustomed to this way of life. While living in a Communist country in the nineties I never imagined that, as Schaeffer predicted, I would wake up one day to discover what I considered certainties in my own country to no longer be the case.
Identity Crisis?
Does the Church now have an identity crisis? Many Christians in the West have been used to living in the age of Christendom, which provided a certain identity and security in the history and traditions.
The context in which we as Christians are now to live out our faith is rapidly changing. Certain biblical beliefs are no longer tolerated in popular culture. Traditional views on marriage, sexuality and gender will be targeted for censorship on social media.4 Wearing a Christian symbol, however small, is unacceptable in the workplace.5 Street preaching may get you arrested.6 Engaging in silent prayer may be viewed as a criminal offence with a two year prison sentence.7
Surveys suggest that many Christians are now uncertain as to what they believe. This is partly the result of an onslaught of postmodern, relativist and humanist thinking. As the Church has failed to disciple the nations, the prevailing culture has discipled the Church instead. Orthodox beliefs have been challenged and churches have sometimes compromised in order to be seen as ‘relevant’ and ‘keeping up with the times’. Christian behaviour and morality is sometimes no different, or even worse, than non-Christians.8
Returning to the Basics
These are clearly very challenging times. A progressive marginalisation of the Church is now resulting in some basic Christian beliefs being criminalised. While anti-Christian hostility is currently only the experience of a minority, the trend is clear to see. In response, the Church must be clear on what it believes and why. Interestingly, in non-conformist churches where creeds of Christian belief are not recited, many Christians are unclear as to some of the fundamentals of their faith.9
Beliefs have to be matched with authentic community, which is at the heart of the Christian life – a relationship with God, but also with our brothers and sisters in Christ. True Christian community can be a very powerful witness in Western culture which is defined by individualism and the broken family. It must, however, be distinctive from belonging to a sports or social club, and from the corruption, control and abuse that is experienced in the world. Jesus said, ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’ (John 13:35).
Jesus is the Answer!
Years ago the gospel singer, Andrae Crouch, released a song, Jesus is the Answer for the World Today. No government, no billionaire, no political ideology, no World Economic Forum can fix the world’s problems.
But, Jesus can and has through His redemptive work! He has entrusted to us the words of life (1 Thess. 2:4). We are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). We carry as His ambassadors the hope that the world is looking for. The Kingdom of God is what people are searching for. We, as God’s people, have the responsibility to proclaim and demonstrate that the way of Jesus is the best.
1 Some Christians may think the culture wars isn’t a war the Church should be engaging in anyway. I would suggest this kind of thinking is a result of Greek dualism (Platonism) where life is divided into two spheres – the spiritual and the secular. It can also lead to the privatisation of faith where we keep what we believe to ourselves or within our Christian communities. Beyond personal evangelism, the gospel is not seen as something to impact and make a difference in the public square, or to shape a nation’s society or popular culture. This is not what Jesus had in mind when He commissioned His followers to disciple whole nations (aka the Great Commission).
2 Women account for over 90% of lone parents with dependent children. Fatherlessness has created a lost generation of angry, resentful young men, vulnerable to destructive alpha male father figures like the local gang leader or drug dealer, or issues of self-identity (https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/opinion/the-shocking-cost-of-fatherlessness-in-the-uk-33143/).
3 Historians credit John Wesley and George Whitfield with saving Britain from a bloody revolution that took place in other parts of Europe at the time. The Church of England had done little to address the moral and social problems facing the country. However, the reform and revival movement not only transformed the nation, it also re-established the Church’s identity and place in society and the world.
4 https://www.christian.org.uk/campaign/online-safety-bill/
5 https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/christian-nurse-dismissed-for-wearing-cross-necklace-wins-discrimination-claim/
6 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9521123/Moment-police-arrest-elderly-preacher-71-street-quoting-homophobic-statements-Bible.html
7 https://www.lifenews.com/2022/12/20/woman-arrested-charged-with-thought-crime-for-silently-praying-outside-abortion-facility/
8 George Barna, founder of the Barna Group, said that ‘of more than 70 moral behaviours we study, when we compare Christians to non-Christians we rarely find substantial differences.’ The study highlighted that ‘born again Christians’ were more likely to divorce than the national average in the US. Research also shows that evangelical teenagers are likely to be more sexually immoral than their non-Christian peers (Source: The Death of Western Christianity by Patrick Sookhdeo).
9 A Gallup study in 2004 revealed that half of Christians in the US did not know the meaning of ‘grace’. The study stated that pastors assume that people know the basics but the reality is that they don’t.
(Photo by Rajiv Bajaj on Unsplash)