Cultural Chaos!

Introduction

In our day and age nearly everything is deemed acceptable, and almost nothing is considered wrong. One of the few exceptions, of course, is biblical Christianity; those who believe the Bible are labeled narrow-minded and treated as if they were last in line when brains were being handed out. Because of this societal attitude it is becoming more and more common for people to reject absolutes, and allow for nearly any kind of behavior. Even when lifestyles and beliefs are clearly bizarre, the average person on the street is willing to give others moral slack. In other words, I may not like what you are doing, but you surely have the freedom to do it. This pluralistic attitude assumes that the final measuring stick of truth (whatever that means) is the individual. "We must all decide for ourselves," they say. While such a philosophy appears plausible, there are many problems—ethically and philosophically—with this concept of individual autonomy.

Recently, Ellen has "come out of the closet." Ellen DeGeneres, star of the TV sitcom "Ellen", has publicly affirmed that she is a lesbian. Such behavior is obviously abhorrent to the Christian. But what is perhaps more disheartening (and evil!) is the way people treat this situation. If polls are correct, only a small percentage of Americans are actually homosexual. This makes sense given the Bible's treatment of homosexuality as unnatural. Yet these same people are prone to defend Ellen's decision, applauding her for doing "what she feels is best." When this happens, the moral fiber of a society begins to crumble. Or maybe it's better to say that such societal nonchalance toward perversion is a sign that society has already, in great measure, crumbled. At any rate, the common response today is that "it's up to the individual" to decide right from wrong, helpful from harmful. So, what's a Christian to do? While much more needs to be said about religious pluralism, here I simply lay out a few brief observations.

1. Either God determines truth, or truth is an illusion.

The unbeliever—boasting of his freedom and tolerance—labels as judgmental any attempt by the Christian to stand against immorality. Yet the believer's stance is necessary if we are going to make sense of the world in which we live. The Bible's basic premise is that God has spoken; it's really that simple. The Lord and Creator of the universe has determined what is proper for His creatures. He alone can decree what is right or wrong. And one thing is certain: God Himself is never wrong! This foundational presupposition enables us to live life effectively, that is, in a way that pleases the God who alone makes the rules. Still, the non-Christian protests that this view is limiting, that it cramps his style. But think for a moment about what the secular (pseudo) thinker does when he decries any universal standard. The unbeliever thinks he is being progressive. But he fails to realize this fact: If God has not spoken we are left with no measuring stick of reality. How can we even speak of tolerance and love if we have no real norm by which their meaning and relevance can be determined? Either God has revealed Himself to us, or we live in a meaningless universe. There are no other options. At this point the Christian's stance makes sense, for he claims simply to be an advocate of that which is certain and eternal (Ps 19:7ff). However, the unbeliever has no cause for confidence. This leads us to our second remark.

2. Religious pluralism has absolutely no basis for the things it confidently affirms.

It has always amazed me how confident the world is in nothing. How common it is to hear secular authorities making sweeping statements that sound so profound, but have no basis. The secularist believes he has it all figured out. "We should accept one another as we are." "It's not right to judge." "As long as your doing what makes you happy, you're alright." These sentiments flourish in our society. Yet we have every reason to ask why. Why are the beliefs of society right? Why are Christians wrong for denouncing homosexuality? Why is mankind thought to be good? Some may respond that the vast number of societal beliefs necessitates that we be tolerant of almost anything. Yet even here we can pose the same question: Why? Why is it up to each individual to determine truth? And who says so? You see, the person of the world has absolutely no standard by which he can define anything; he merely assumes that what he thinks is best. But we can't get away from that little, yet powerful word—why?

3. The world's freedom is a cheap counterfeit of true biblical freedom.

Society revels in its so-called freedom. We don't like constraints or rules. We'd rather do what makes us feel good. But this type of freedom is quite different from that promoted by the Scriptures. Christian freedom involves (among other things) freedom from sin, not freedom to sin! The biblical idea is that Christ has released us from the penalty and enslaving power of sin. The Christian message is free grace, and the Christian pattern is holiness (1 Pet 1:13-16). Anything which leads us away from this path is false and enslaving. True freedom can only be found in Christ. "If, therefore, the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).

4. Christians should make a positive impact on society.

It is no doubt a general principle of God's Word that Christians should have a sanctifying influence on those around them. This is why Jesus described us in terms of light and salt (Mt 6:13-16). As such, we are to illumine our society by the light of truth, even as we seek any legitimate avenue by which we might preserve righteousness. By our lives and words we can (by God's grace) restrain the decay of society.

5. Current issues are often an indication of deeper, more profound problems.

Unfortunately, many strands of Christendom misdiagnose the errors they encounter. While it is important that we protest against evil and promote good, we should look at the individual wrongs of society within a larger framework. This means that Christian "activism" shouldn't be limited to sending a few letters to a congressman or some such thing. Rather, we should try to understand the current cultural ebbs and flows. For instance, Ellen's "coming out" is not merely an isolated example of perversion; judging from the reactions to this television program, it appears that our greater problem (and foe) is that of religious pluralism. Not only does sin exist; it is also acceptable among large segments of our population. If this is the case the Bible-minded individual must expend more energy understanding such formidable enemies as human corruption and idolatry. Those who overly emphasize the intricate details of an issue sometimes miss that which truly ails us.

6. The world confuses natural with normal.

One of the common thoughts of our day is that we are born in a healthy state. This explains why people try to "get in touch with themselves" or "accept themselves as they are." The assumption is that natural is normal. After all, "If this is the way I really am, how can anyone object?" The fallacy, of course, is in the assumption. Man isn't in a normal state; in fact, we are tainted to the core by sin. Therefore, we can't determine the validity (normalcy) of a given lifestyle simply by asking whether it seems natural to us. According to this twisted logic, we could argue that murder and rape are legitimate outlets for those "born that way." Society's free-thinkers don't typically take it this far. Nonetheless, the broad assumption is that most people are just fine. Interestingly, the natural man whom the world trusts and applauds is depicted by Paul as "not accept[ing] the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Cor 2:14).

7. The primary mission of believers is to display Christ.

It is easy for the Christian to get side-tracked. As mentioned above, a portion of the Church thrives on social controversy. To the degree that this is so, we have lost our bearings. The goal of the Church is not to enforce some external code of righteousness. Neither is our task that of getting conservative legislation to pass, or electing Christian politicians (an oxymoron?). None of these is central to the Christian mission. Interestingly, neither Jesus nor Paul tried to reform the society of their day. In fact, such "reform" sometimes borders on heresy, for it subtly falls prey to the idea that unregenerate men and women can produce righteousness. Such is not the biblical message (Gal 2:21).

Of course, no one is arguing that social involvement is wrong. Nor is it improper to make whatever positive impact God's providence allows. All we are saying is that something else is paramount to true discipleship. That something is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our focus in life, our heart's desire, our guiding motivation ought to be found in Him. Men and women above all else need a Savior. It is ours to herald His name to all who will hear. As Paul emphasized, the heart of ministry is Christ crucified (1 Cor 2:2). Ultimately, that's all that really matters.

Conclusion

In order to be effective witnesses for Christ, believers must be immersed in the Christian gospel, and attuned to the world in which they live. When we walk away from the Word we begin to forget our mission; many within the church have taken this route, wrongly treating Christianity as nothing more than a set of regulations. On the other hand, when we walk away from society (that is, when we're unaware of what's going on around us) our message loses cultural relevance. We must strive to avoid errors in either direction. Instead our hearts and lives must be grounded in Jesus Christ, even as we remain cognizant of the world in which we live. Take the Scripture's message of life and peace, and share it with those immersed in this world's darkness. May the Lord of grace Himself enable us to show forth the attractiveness of Christ in contemporary settings.

Cultural Chaos! - Brief Observations on Current Affairs
Copyright © 1997 by Carmen C. DiCello
All rights reserved.