For many years, social research has repeatedly revealed that the influence of God, the Church, biblical theology and Christian values upon culture and everyday life are precipitously declining. i.e., limited impact.
At least two generations have now come of age with an invented conception of God as a nice old guy not involved in our lives, an assumption right/wrong is what we decide it is, and a humanistic belief our feelings, self-actualization, and happiness are what's most important in life.
The practical impact of this is that when something bad happens, and if one lives long enough, it always eventually does (even just stress or discouragement or disappointment, let alone catastrophic illness or tragedy or loss), a huge percentage of Americans have nothing to fall back on. No backstop, no unwavering foundation, no belief in Providence, no solace, and for the most seriously affected, no hope. They face their trials and fears alone.
So how do they handle problems and pain? Many don't. They drown in some form of dysfunction, some turning to alcohol, drugs, etc., bringing short-term relief and longterm enslavement. This affects them and everyone around them. It affects culture.
So, caring about the influence of God and a Christian worldview upon culture is not just a churchy thing, nor just a culture war issue, but a recognition that Christian beliefs and values directly affect our capacity to weather the perfect storms of life. These beliefs and values tell us of an omniscient and omnipotent God who is there and not surprised, who cares, who never leaves us or forsakes us, even in the valley of the shadow of death.
Trusting in God and his definition of reality grants us the prospect of freedom from fear and despair. Think of this the next time you read of a celebrity, or family or friend, hitting a wall and falling apart. Think of this the next time you hit the wall, which is real, but so is God.
© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2021
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