CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

March 14, 2004

KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS:

Our congregation                                                      Our college students

Our nation, leaders and military                               The Stolte’s in Germany

David and Leon in the Navy                                     Various friends, relatives and co-workers

Susan Oller is traveling in West Texas                    Ben Oller is going to New York City on a band trip

Yevette’ dad is having heart problems                    Mick is recovering from hernia surgery                                  

COMING UP EVENTS:

May 6 - National Day of Prayer

June 6-12 - Encounter

PROBLEMS OF SECULARISM

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 16:25).

George Weigel had an interesting illustration in an article entitled “Europe’s Problem—and Ours” (First Things, 2/04).  He described the desperate situation during World War II when Germany was bombing London.  A famous picture was taken in the midst of the destruction of St. Paul’s Cathedral standing in opposition to the bombing.  Forty-five years later in 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev visited the famous cathedral stating “A most interesting building.  What is it used for today?”  The response; “In order, sir, to worship God.” Ten years later, on a Saturday afternoon, no one could enter St. Paul’s without paying an entrance fee.  What has happened to Europe and how can that effect us? 

Just recently France has past a law in which no religious symbols can be worn, neither Jewish or Muslim head coverings and no Christian crosses.  What is going on?  Weigel asked a number of questions including why was the political leadership of Europe having historical amnesia and why are so many European intellectuals “Christophobic?”  He contrasts Western Europe with Poland.  From 1795 to 1918, Poland was swallowed up between the Russians and the Prussians.  Then in 1939 to 1989, it again was occupied by foreigners.  Yet today Poland exists.  Why?  A major factor was its collective faith, most importantly seen in Pope John Paul II.  The Polish people maintained a strong faith in God despite the efforts of secularists and atheists.  Not so with Western Europe.  What happened there?  Secularism. 

While Weigel doesn’t go back to its roots in the French revolution, which attempted to remove any religion from government and society, and has finally succeeded, he does present interesting material about the problems of secularism.  Many ideas and philosophies contributed to the situation.  Alekandr Solzhenitsyn, in the 1983 Templeton Prize Lecture said the following:

        “The failings of human consciousness, deprived of its divine dimension, have been a

        determining factor in all the major crimes of this century.  The first of these was World

        War I, and much of our present predicament can be traced back to it.  That war…took

         place when Europe, bursting with health and abundance, fell into a rage of self-mutilation

         that could not but sap its strength for a century or more, and perhaps forever.  The only

         possible explanation for this is a mental eclipse among the leaders of Europe due to their

         lost awareness of a Supreme Power above them…Only the loss of that higher intuition

         which comes from God could have allowed the West to accept calmly, after World War I,

         the protracted agony of Russia as she was being torn apart by a band of cannibals…The

         West did not perceive that this was in fact the beginning of a lengthy process that spells

         disaster for the whole world” (ibid., p. 21-22).

Powerful words they.  Of course they fell on the deaf ears of the secularists.  Learning from history is not fashionable these days. 

World War II fares no better.  “Henri de Lubac, S.J., proposed that the civilizational crisis in which Europe found itself during World War II was the product of what he called ‘atheistic humanism’ –the deliberate rejection of the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus, in the name of authentic human liberation…Human greatness required rejecting the biblical God” (ibid., p 22).  The failure has been to see what damage this philosophy has done.  The idea continued into post-war Europe, better known as the Cold War.  Philosopher Charles Taylor called it “exclusive secularism –a secularism determined to exclude transcendent reference points from cultural, social, and political life—without taking full account of the drama of atheistic humanism” (ibid.).  This idea cannot be considered without taking into account the philosophers who have effected society; “Comte’ positivism, Feuerbach’s subjectivism, Marx’s materialism, and Nietzsche’s will-to-power” (ibid., p. 23).  One could add to this list the influences of Darwinian evolution.  This is not something that just developed; it occurred over two hundred years.

The results have been disastrous.  This past summer (2003) more than eleven thousand French died in a heat wave.  The attitude from the secularists was “such is life.”  Where was the Roman Catholic church who dominates France?  What is the difference between France and Poland, both Catholic countries?  The difference is the removal of God from society.  Now the European Union is debating whether to make reference in their Constitution to the influences and impact of centuries of Christianity.  Many would prefer not to have such references, for fear of offending others, or the desire not to recognize a higher authority.  Tony Blair, Prime Minister of England, was going to speak to troops and close his speech with “God bless you.”  His staff talked him out of it. 

Which brings us to us, the United States.  The same forces that have affected Europe are attempting to change our culture from a religious to a secular culture.  Though small they are having a great impact.  It began with the removal of prayer from schools in 1963 followed by the 1973 Supreme Court decision on abortion.  For the past thirty years, Judeo-Christian symbols have been challenged.  The Ten Commandments and pictures of the Bible or the Cross have been removed from courts, schools and flags.  To say Merry Christmas has become taboo; rather saying “Happy Holidays” is the “in” thing.  Fox News invited soldiers to send greeting home via television.  One soldier said “Merry Christmas,” but after that none said anything but “Happy Holidays” (Harold O. J. Brown, The Religions and Society Report, January 2004).  Now we have an activist court in Massachusetts telling the state legislature to institute “gay marriage” as legal. 

Columnist and radio host Dennis Prager adds another perspective to this discussion (see www.townhall.com/columnists/dennisprager/printdp20040302.shtml).  Under the title San Francisco and Islamists: Fighting the same enemy, he explains that religious and secular extremism at home and abroad are our real enemies.  “America leads the battle against both religious and secular nihilism and is hated by both because it rejects both equally.”  He goes on to say that “the Left is preoccupied first with destroying America’s distinctive values – a Judeo-Christian society (as opposed to a secular one), capitalism (as opposed to socialism), liberty (as opposed to equality) and exceptionalism (as opposed to universalism, multiculturalism and multilateralism).”  He states that most of the activists trying to redefine marriage is an attempt to “overthrow the predominance of Judeo-Christian values in American life.”  The purpose would be to redefine marriage and how many can, how children see parents, how children see future spouses, child adoption, that any opposition would become discriminatory, and that religious groups opposing “gay” marriage would be “marginalized and ostracized.”

The forces of secularism are at work.  But maybe all is not lost.  When the 9^th Circuit Court in California declared “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional, the outrage was heard across the land.  The Supreme Court will decide this issue sometime this spring.  The events of the Super Bowl, from the commercials to the half-time show have cause an outcry of anger and demands to rein in the immoral behavior of those who no longer recognize God or standards.  Not that any of this will occur overnight.  Paying lip service to God is always dangerous (see Isaiah 1; Amos 5; Matthew 15).  Calling evil good and good evil will certainly bring judgment.  Even in science, the intelligent design movement is challenging Darwinian evolution with the idea of asking for the evidence that has been for so long stated but not proved.  This is seen in what we teach children in school, college students and even professors who believe in God and how they are threatened because of these beliefs.

The efforts to remove God from our society will continue.  We need to learn from history.  Europe was almost destroyed, and that could still happen, by the forces of secularism.  Communism removed as much of God from society as they could, yet when the “wall” came down, churches when up.  The American philosophy of tolerance is being challenged seeing the hypocrisy in those who advocate tolerance for others but not themselves.  They continue to mock the beliefs and practices of Christians.  That will happen because it was predicted (see Matthew 5:10-12; 2 Timothy 3:12).  The question is, “Do we want to end up like Europe?”  Those who see Europe as an oasis also emphasize the need to keep God out of public life.  But those of us who are willing to learn from the past, and recognize the dangers, or as the Hebrew writer said, recognize the signs of the times, can begin to change culture.  That I believe is already occurring.  For instance, before the Iraq war began, soldiers were seen in worship, being baptized, and committing themselves to God.  Then we see how they treated the Iraq people, with compassion, building schools, etc.  One reporter even asked,  “Where did we get such people?”  Not that we have been perfect in all of this but there is a change going on.  The youth of today oppose abortion more than their parents.  While young people are waiting to marry, they are committing themselves to it, not following their parents example of divorce.  After 9/11 and Columbine, people turned to ministers and Christianity, not psychology and government.  For all the efforts at removing God from our society, it appears that the “free love” generation of the sixties is losing its appeal.  Even Hollywood is being challenged.  Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ” is stirring up controversy that, I believe, will challenge people to take another look at the Christ.  Even on television, some programs are having an impact.  The mainstream “Touch by an Angel” was a hit for nine years.  “7^th Heaven” about a minister and his family and “Doc” played by Billy Ray Cyrus certainly bring morality and God into the lives of their characters.  Music is having its impact as well, though small.  Randy Travis won a Grammy for his “Rise and Shine” album.  Others in the mainstream are producing thought provoking religious music. 

Our task is to pray.  We need to pray for our country.  We need to pray that God will raise up godly people in leadership roles and in places of influence.  We need to speak about the Christ.  We have a story to tell.  Our story is one that the secularist is trying to accomplish without the power to do it.  God is Lord and no other.  By humble and transformational living, we can influence many to follow Jesus Christ.  We do not want power.  We rather should want to serve and to bring glory to God.  We seek what is best for others, beginning with salvation, but realizing that many are in need of comfort, help, encouragement and guidance.  Understanding our culture and history, we can begin to point people to God, the God who loves them and wants a relationship with them. 

                                                                                                         George B. Mearns