From the early 1960’s until now, American culture has undergone a transformation that has left it almost unrecognizable. This shift is not only apparent to all who take the time to observe it, but it also has significant implications for the future. There are four particular cultural changes that should concern every Christian familiar with what the Bible teaches about national judgment.
- The Emergence of Humanism and Paganism
After earning my business degree and having invested the ensuing 27 years in campus ministry, I believe the fundamental message emanating from our universities is simple: Life can be completely and successfully navigated without God. In other words, a bright future awaits each student if he or she will only understand enough science, become enlightened by the great thinkers of the past, benefit from modernity’s remarkable medical advances, and embrace certain politically correct ideology. For the most part, the world of higher education is no longer pursuing truth but tries ever so desperately to reflect the triumph of reason over faith. Ancient ideas about a divine being who is revealing Himself to His creation are outdated and superstitious; thus, man is now poised to find the answers in himself.
While humanism is the spirit of the age throughout the world of higher education, a contradictory mindset is blossoming throughout broader culture—the emergence of paganism. Paganism is the belief that both helpful and harmful spirits residing in an unseen realm can be contacted and encountered quite separate from the Christian faith. This belief system has risen in prominence through classical paganism, the occult, and the growing influence of Halloween and its emphasis on celebrating the dark side. It has also been recently observed by the Arch of Baal’s recent tour through influential American cities,[1] the Hindu goddess Kali’s image projected on the Empire State Building,[2] and a hideous satanic Baphomet finding its home in Detroit.[3] Surprising to many, paganism is alive and well in America.
The commonality of these contradictory views—humanism and paganism—is the gradual but fundamental replacement of the one true God revealed in the Bible.
- The Mainstreaming of Sexual Perversion
A recent article in USA Today quoted experts explaining that sexting among older teenagers may not be detrimental but healthy to a young person’s maturity.[4] Polyamory—consensual sexual relationships between groups of individuals—is now viewed by a growing number of Americans as a healthy sexual expression. The belief in marriage between one man and one woman for life is often relegated to the quaint but outdated showcase of history. Indeed, many sitcoms carry gay themes as if our culture has always embraced this perversion.
LGBTQ+ website, Ranker, explains the mainstreaming of gays on television:
Unlike in the past, series like Arrow, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and plenty of others now feature gay and lesbian characters without focusing overtly on their sexuality. In the past, most gay characters’ predominant trait was the fact that they were gay. Now, we have LGBT TV shows with gay characters who are defined by their other traits as well, and they just happen to be gay. Many people relate the growing presence and positive portrayal of the LGBT community in television to the gradually changing ideals of America. Many television writers have attempted to tackle the issue of gay rights and in doing so, they have helped to change the national narrative.[5]
- Greed
Long term debt or monetary surplus can be a litmus test that reveals the greed or fiscal responsibility of an individual or a nation. Out of control spending reveals that a person or a nation must have what they want now, regardless of the consequences. This attitude reveals a lack of character and the absence of the virtue of delayed gratification. This is why it’s alarming that over the last five years, the aggregate interest paid by Americans on their credit card debt has increased 49% to $113 billion.[6] Furthermore, the U.S. federal government has proven itself unwilling to rein-in spending, finding itself almost 23 trillion dollars in debt, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to Debt ratio that has increased from 56% in 2000 to 106% today. Incidentally, this federal debt figure does not include a $20 trillion social security liability, a $31 trillion Medicare liability, nor $126 trillion in other unfunded government liabilities.[7]
- The Shedding of Innocent Blood
A few months ago, Senator Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) stated on the Senate floor that the abortion debate has undergone a seismic shift. What was once proposed to be a “legal, safe, and rare” procedure to end a pregnancy is now advocated by a number of political frontrunners to be a procedure that is allowed “anywhere, anytime, for any reason, and it should be free.” Putting politics aside, it is the American people that have embraced the killing of our yet-to-be-born children. In other words, regardless of the laws of the land, men and woman have lined up by the millions since 1973 to terminate the lives of their own children. Pagan cultures are cultures that kill their own offspring. Welcome to America.
5. Why America’s Drift should Matter to Us
Allan Parker, director of The Justice Foundation, explains that, biblically, there are four primary reasons why God will send devastation to a nation: The forsaking of the one true God, sexual perversion, greed and the shedding of innocent blood. Clearly, each of these realities have not only found a home but have become dominant influences within our culture.
In contrast to the pernicious belief that God is uninterested in the daily affairs of people and nations, we are living our lives before a God who knows and sees and hears. Just as when God used the Hebrews to judge mighty nations for their sins during the conquering of Canaan (Gen. 15:14–16; Lev. 20:22–23), so God could choose to send a great humbling to America. Indeed, God’s promises that He will judge the nations before Jesus’ return (1 Thess. 5:2–3; Rev. 18:1–8).
Most importantly, as I have emphasized repeatedly since founding Forerunners of America, Christians must wake-up to the dangerous trajectory of our nation. If the church does not first expose the deeds of darkness, nothing will change. Instead, we will allow the continued proliferation of evil throughout the land (Eph. 5:11). May this never be said about us. May we be remembered as those who stood with our righteous God against overwhelming odds, exposing wickedness, resisting evil, and witnessing great victories to stem the tide of evil.
Works Cited
- Haverluck, Michael. “Arch of Baal Erected in DC to Pagan’s Delight.” One News Now, October 1, 2018. https://onenewsnow.com/church/2018/10/01/arch-of-baal-erected-in-dc-to-pagans-delight.
- Ryklin, Rabbi. “Hindu Goddess Kali Projected on Empire State Building in NYC.” Z3 News, August 11, 2015, 3:57 p.m. https://z3news.com/w/hindu-goddess-kali-projected-empire-state-building-nyc/.
- Wikipedia, s.v. “Statue of Baphomet.” Last modified October 1, 2019, 1:16 a.m. UTC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Baphomet.
- Haller, Sonja. “Caught Your Teen Sexting? Don’t ‘Freak Out,’ Experts Say. Study Found It Can Be Healthy.” USA Today, June 28, 2019, 10:31 a.m. ET. Last updated June 30, 2019, 7:07 p.m. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2019/06/28/consensual-teen-sexting-could-healthy-university-of-texas-research-says/1585657001/.
- “The Best Current TV Shows with Gay Characters.” Ranker, n.d. https://www.ranker.com/list/best-gay-tv-shows/ranker-tv?ref=collections&l=2321765&collectionId=69.
- “Average U.S. Credit Card Debt in 2019.” Blog. Magnify Money. https://www.magnifymoney.com/blog/news/u-s-credit-card-debt-by-the-numbers628618371/.
- U.S. Debt Clock. https://usdebtclock.org.
