Who is ‘De-Christianizing’ America?
Spiritually, it’s hard to make heads or tails out of what’s happening in America. Anything that propels anti-Christian sentiments appears to be lionized by those who control the seven cultural mountains of influence and government.
Secularists have broken down and corrupted all areas of society, not only by overturning a culture and laws “rooted in Christian doctrine regarding divorce, homosexuality, abortion,” but also by purging “all Christian symbols, books and practices from public schools. This revolution was about de-Christianizing and secularizing America” (Pat Buchanan, Day of Reckoning).
Ministries and church leaders ought to be involved in politics more often than just once every two or four years. Election sermons don’t amount to much as campaign currency and do very little to address major issues. Meanwhile, the left gets a free hand to impose its values upon a self-effacing church culture, embracing liberal schools, liberal churches, liberal media elites, liberal business executives, Silicon Valley leftists and an entertainment industry promoting degeneracy and wantonness.
Pastors teaching the tenets of faith would provide an appropriate countermeasure, imparting new life and vigor to a culture so devoid of Christ.
Evangelical pastors and pews will have to take the game to the next level if America is to survive. Organizing, not speechifying, wins elections. Let there be no doubt about that what’s here at stake concerns “the rule of law, a free market, representative government, freedom of conscience and religion and the freedom of self-government of the Christian church and family.” (Joseph Boot, The Mission of God, A Manifesto of Hope for Society)
Christianity’s engagement in the public square is the only hope for America’s recovery.
Have for example a look at what happened in California on midterm Election Day, Nov. 6, 2018.
“California Democrats took advantage of seemingly minor changes in a 2016 law to score their stunningly successful midterm election results. … Few people noticed when Gov. Jerry Brown signed the changes in AB1921 into law two years ago.
“[CA Republicans] felt the hit on Nov. 6—and in the days after, as late-arriving Democratic votes were tabulated and one Republican candidate after another saw leads shrink and then evaporate. This week, a seventh GOP-held congressional seat flipped to the Democrats, leaving Republicans controlling a mere 7 of California’s 53 House districts.
“In Orange County alone, where every House seat went Democratic, the number of Election Day vote-by-mail drop-offs was unprecedented—over 250,000,” Fred Whitaker, chairman of the county Republican Party, said in a note to supporters. “This is a direct result of ballot harvesting allowed under California law for the first time. That directly caused the switch from being ahead on election night to losing two weeks later.”
To be added here is the disclaimer that there’s nothing inherently good or bad about the Democrat Party or the Republican Party, which are just holding vessels for like-minded constituents. Yet, without any fear of contradiction we dare say that evangelical and pro-life Catholic Christians won’t be part of a “vessel” that advocates abortion, euthanasia, same-sex intercourse and marriage, transgenderism, coercive redistribution of wealth, and such-like progressive ‘values’ imposed, legislated and then codified into law by humanistic secularists.
“Anyone who thinks what’s happening in America has anything to do with Republican versus Democrat is very confused. The war is spiritual. Two distinct religions, eternal and immutable, are vying for control of the public square in America. Secularism versus Christianity. These two distinct religions cannot coexist, one will ultimately end in the destruction, as a consequence of the elevation of the other.”
For the task of regaining our bountiful godly heritage other methods will be required than those tried over the last 50 years. Take for instance, the Christian organization Focus on the Family, which in 1991 moved from California to Colorado with 400 of its finest employees. No one has done more in the pro-family arena than Dr. James Dobson over the last four decades.
Yet, Colorado on Nov. 6, 2018, elected the very first openly gay governor in the nation. What the results in Colorado seem to indicate is that the ‘inside the beltway’ and ‘family policy’ approach will have to be reworked if America is to survive. We have reached the point of the man “drawing a very admirable picture of the scenery,” while “floating rapidly onwards to the Falls of Niagara.” (George Bowen, quoted in The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon)
As God begins to tighten the screws in America, the Christian church is summoned to pursue ‘applied biblical radicalism.’ (Jonathan Chaplin, “Editorial,” Political Theology, 14)
“If biblical law has a role to play in shaping basic worldview, values and identity then clearly this is not something that can suddenly be switched on when a moral dilemma presents itself. What is required is ‘long-term nurturing of the community of faith.’ If the distinctive social vision of biblical law has not already been internalized, it can hardly be drawn on appropriately or effectively in the face of a given social challenge. This underlines the need for biblical law to be widely known and understood (not least in our churches) so that it informs the worldview out of which reading communities seek to be salt and light in public life.” (Jonathan Burnside, Words of Wisdom, Words of Prophecy: Why and How Biblical Law Speaks in the Public Square)
Divine laws are best communicated through practical action; ‘keep them and do them’, as Moses advises in Deuteronomy. For “without a return to the theological (religious) foundation of social order, our very freedoms and liberties, peace, justice, and truth will disappear until a faithful missionary endeavor can recover a degenerate Western culture” (Joseph Boot, The Mission of God, A Manifesto).
God be thanked that Gideons and Rahabs are beginning to stand.