Can the West Survive Without Christianity?
Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis, is raising a red flag for anyone who values Western civilization: if we don’t return to biblical Christianity, the very foundation of our freedoms is at risk.
“I would suggest this though for the future,” Ham began. “We’re going to have to be a lot braver and a lot more courageous in standing up for our Judeo-Christian culture.”
In a recent video titled “Everyone Living in the West Needs to See This,” Ham laid out why Christianity is not just a belief system, but the bedrock of liberty itself.
“Is Christianity essential to liberty in the West?” he asked. “Without a belief that you have the capacity to make individual choices, it’s very difficult to build a civilization. By difficult, I mean impossible.”
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Ham highlighted a recent statement from President Donald Trump, echoing his concerns. “Religion and Christianity are the biggest things missing from this country. And I truly believe that we need to bring them back and we have to bring them back fast.”
But Ham didn’t stop at agreeing with Trump’s call to action. He went further, clarifying the heart of the matter: “First of all, we need to understand is there is no non-religious position. Everyone has a religion. Everyone has a worldview.”
To Ham, the danger isn’t just in losing religion—it’s in replacing Christianity with secular ideologies. “Secular humanism is a religion. It’s a belief that man determines right and wrong. That man decides what’s good and what’s evil.”
And the solution lies in Scripture—starting at the very beginning. “Christianity is based on God’s word. And the Bible actually in Genesis 1:11 gives us a history that’s foundational to everything and the basis for all of our doctrines.”
That foundation, Ham argues, is critical to how society views marriage, gender, morality—even law. “If you’re not on about the Bible as the foundation for our thinking, then ultimately anything goes.”
He pointed to Judges 21:25 as a warning from history: “When there was no king, no absolute authority, everyone did what is right in his own eyes.”
This, Ham said, is why vague calls for “traditional values” fall short. “Unless you say because there’s an absolute authority God and based on his word, we know that the family consists of a man and a woman… that’s just an opinion.”
Ham cautioned Christians not to place all their hope in politics or policies. “Government is not ultimately the answer. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s important who’s in government… but ultimately the answer is God’s word and the saving gospel.”
As the culture drifts further from biblical truth, Ham sees a need for clarity: “People want the benefits of Christian morality… but we got to understand something. You can only have Christian morality if you believe God’s word.”
He also criticized what he called “cultural Christianity,” saying that even prominent atheists like Richard Dawkins fall into this trap. “He wants the benefit of Christianity… but he says he’s not a believer. He doesn’t believe the Bible, doesn’t believe in God.”
To Ham, it’s a contradiction that exposes the root issue: “If you don’t believe the Bible, you have no basis for your Christian morality.”
And that’s the crux of Ham’s message—if we don’t return to God’s word, starting with Genesis, our culture has nothing solid to stand on.
“This is real history that’s foundational to everything,” he said. “So let’s understand what people are talking about is the need for Christian morality which comes from Christianity which is based on the Bible which is not a book of stories. It’s a book of history.”
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
