How did the United States get to the point where murderous attacks against students in schools have become common? Too many of these horrific events have occurred in the past decade. Everyone is asking: “Why is this happening?” The answer is not simple, but may I suggest to you it has a lot to do with our history.
History teaches us so much about who we are today, and after reading a history book on Western Civilization’s culture during the past 500 years, it’s evident that our society is decadent. Let’s see how we’ve gotten to this point of decadence — an excessive indulgence and moral decay.
Martin Luther’s 95 Theses challenged the authority of the Catholic Church in the 1500s, and rightly so. The Church had become too powerful, and this led to corruption. Luther’s “protests” resulted in throwing off old church rules that oppressed, as citizens eagerly absorbed the revelatory information. The printing press spread the news into the hands of the people much faster than Luther could have imagined. This led to many different sects of religious thought, splintering the once universal Church.
Now instead of a church-led society, the monarch took more authority and nationalism spread. Eventually, common man saw the monarchy as being too much like the Church in its overarching control. Kings didn’t have much of a desire to relate to their constituents, and lived luxurious lives while the regular folk were often impoverished. After some time, this contributed to the formation of democracies.
Establishing democracies in Western Civilization gave people a chance to pursue what they believed to be right, and this was largely led by Puritans in the United States. The preference of the individual became highly valued. Some prized themselves over community. Instead of finding honor in contributing to the world around them, many sought after individual gain, not always considering the effect that their actions may have on those around them. This played out in many ways.
In the mid 1600s, a shift occurred from religion as the establisher of truth, to science as the truth tellers in the modern era. Critical of the church, rational thinkers used reasoning over the soul (heart).
These natural philosophers began to discover that nature was regular or uniform, something testable and observable. They made great advances in mathematics and physics. They focused on the immediate, and tended to disregard the eternal. Scientism, or the belief that science would ultimately answer all questions, became a type of “new religion.”
This reduced life to parts, calculations, methods, criticisms, and experimentation. This is a form of ‘abstraction’, which in due course, pointed to lawlessness and meaninglessness. Truth was no longer viewed as static. There was no apparent eternal laws. If there is no meaning in life, and no apparent lawgiver, then to whom are we ultimately accountable?
Truth is viewed as no longer static. Share on XWhen Darwin published his Origin of Species, expanding the idea of Evolution, there is no way he could have foreseen how his theory would be applied by some in what is called “Social Darwinism.”
Social Darwinism played out in wars – could we “engineer” better societies?
After the devastation of World War I, a sense of lawlessness ensued and violence erupted in communities more frequently. Modernity, with all its promises to solve the world’s problems, failed. Science didn’t stop the senseless loss of life. Then World War II began. Atrocities never before committed to the extent Hitler did horrified people. Had the world gone mad?
Many began to accept the absurd. It was expressed in artwork in the 1900s through abstraction, and a loss of excellence. Andy Warhol said, “Art is what you can get away with.” People began to celebrate the ordinary, mediocre and average.
Today there is a deep desire to abandon rules in personal lifestyles, as well. People want to be free to “love who they wish,” pleasure seeking is loudly applauded, and is profitable, for example, for companies producing pornography (it’s a multibillion dollar industry). The sex-slave trade is probably the worst example of a society gone decade—this industry dehumanizes people as “objects.” There is a rise in violence, as prisons are at capacity. We’re spending ourselves silly as indebtedness (personal and governmental) is at an all-time high. We also have really bad examples of art. The latest being Lady Gaga’s recent concert where she had a someone vomit on her as an expression of so-called “art.” People seem bored with “life as usual,” and that’s why news and entertainment is often based on extremes: Extreme Makeover, Survivor, superhero movies, Biggest Loser, etc.
It doesn’t take much to see that we’re headed in a disturbing direction. There is an absence of hope, the proliferation of violence and perversion, unsustainable practices affecting limited resources, and no longer an adherence to a common moral objective.
How can we survive this demise? We need to maintain a Biblical worldview despite the pressures around us, and offer hope through Jesus Christ to those who seek truth. With faith in God, hope lives. And don’t forget the power of your prayers—God has called His faithful to partner with Him in this, and with God, all things are possible.
Yes, we do need to take a stand. And our church leaders really need prayer. It is getting harder to stay in the boundaries God has created to live free in Christ as the world laws dictate the opposite. Great article!
Thank you, Lynn. I read that book and it really helped me with the perspective of how we got here in American culture today. Very eye-opening on how our acts today can greatly affect the future, too. Hopefully, we will learn from the past and make better choices.
It is quite painful to watch as people seek to do the next thing to produce something of shock value. Sadly, we can only watch, pray, and live it’s lives as examples of who Christ is.
Good point, Brittany. Shock value. Yeah. It’s as if shock must make some people feel alive. Who knows? Only God can change a soul.
We need to spend time on our knees in prayer for our country and those in authority. God is still in control and that is why we have hope even when civilizations fall apart.
Yes, Yvonne, God is in control and one of the most humbling things is that He has invited us to partner with Him in doing the works of the Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven. May we be so bold! Blessings, Lisa Q
Love this! Oftentimes, probably like most other Christians, I am caught between taking a stand vs. sitting back. I think the biggest thing our world needs is PRAYER. We all need to be praying that God would fulfill His purpose and glorify Himself through society’s actions.
Hi Sydney! Yes, prayer is the foundation. As the good book says: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chron. 7:14
There are many people living for self and not for God. I pray those people will know the love of God and will change their ways.
Thanks Melissa! Yes, when a person realizes living for self isn’t so great, perhaps they’d be more willing to live for God! Blessings, Lisa Q
Dear Lisa!
Yes, history is an essential tool for understanding where we are heading. I believe you are right when you say that Martin Luther had no idea how fast the information suddenly spread with the help of new technology.
You asked: “How can we survive this demise?”
I think the best way Christian content creators can react to this is by moving from a level of seeing what’s wrong, to a level of what can be done. I see so many Christians who share hopelessness instead of hope. No-one, Christians or non-believers will continue to listen to those who share problems without pointing to solutions.
I agree with you, we need to maintain a Biblical worldview, but the Biblical worldview needs to be modified to the culture where it’s shared, without losing its core message of the gospel. You gave an explanation on how the concept of truth has changed, and that’s an essential point to remember when we share the gospel in today’s culture – it takes much more knowledge to communicate successfully today than it did 50 or 100 years ago.
Blessings!
Edna Davidsen
Hi Edna! Thank you for your comments. Yes, we need to help, as you stated, “by moving from a level of seeing what’s wrong, to a level of what can be done.” I agree wholeheartedly – the church needs to step outside of its four-walls and get into the bigger picture of social justice, creative endeavors that have a redemptive nature and to be the helping hands where needed. I would love to see you write a blog on the knowledge it takes to communicate truth in today’s culture – it is challenging, indeed. Blessings to you! Lisa Q
Great history lesson! These points in history have been and always will be when the world needs the church to truly live like Jesus, not like a social construct or an arm of a political party. It has always been Christians living like Christ that have brought the gospel and it’s associated changes for good in each era.
From ministries to the poor widows in the early church to those who cared for the sick during the Black Plague. From those who went from village to village proclaiming Christ in the Middle Ages to those who spoke up for the children and families being abused during the Industrial Revolution, thus bringing better housing, clean water, and child labor laws. From believers who banded together to outlaw slavery in England and the voices who went unheeded here in the US. From the health care on battle grounds and in homes during all eras. From the quiet teaching of a poor child to read. And now to those who speak against human trafficking, who attempt to reform our prisons, and who take food to the hungry, these quiet acts from one individual to another, so that one can see the light of Jesus and the gospel can be heard, these are what change the world. This is what we can do. This is how we can live out our Christian worldview.
Hi Melinda! Thank you for your kind comments. You are so right to point out all of the good things Christians have done for our society, and you are so right in stating this is what we must continue to do! We will walk where Jesus leads us, and that will be our witness to the world. Blessings, Lisa Q
We have truly moved away from “One Nation, Under God”. The history books have literally been re-written to spin what our founding fathers said (and meant) to say they REALLY meant this..xxxxx, and then came up with something that couldn’t be any further from the actual truth. It’s sad, but then the next generations (and unfortunately many adults as well) have bought into it hook, line and sinker.
Hi Paul! Thanks for your comments. I agree with you that our Founding Fathers’ original intentions have been greatly misaligned. It is a sad day when people choose to believe things based on false information. Let’s pray that the truth shines into this present darkness. Bless you, Lisa Q
Wow! What a well written blog post! I wholeheartedly agree with you, The statement, within your post, that resonates with me is “Let’s see how we’ve gotten to this point of decadence — an excessive indulgence and moral decay.” I agree, the excessive need to entertain oneself and feed one’s nature are killing the morality and decency of America. It’s a scary thought that the society as we knew it t is soon going out. We do need to proclaim Jesus all the more, in every way possible. Thank you for this. I plan to share! 🙂
Thank you, Marcie! The excesses of culture have gone to extremes. I wonder if it’s because without God, people are trying to find things that make them feel alive somehow, or as you said to “feed one’s nature.” If that nature has not been redeemed by faith in Christ, then that nature never seems satisfied, always demanding more, consuming more, on some type of frenzied pace towards who knows where? So yes, may the Church rise to proclaim hope to the hopeless, rest to the weary, and love to the brokenhearted.
Truth and moral absolutes are what we have lost, Lisa. What a great post outlining the progression downward. Shining light is the only way to go back–if there is a going back. But He told us to not lose heart and trust Him. Light shines more brightly in the darkness. Thanks and God bless!
Hi Nancy! Yes, as Christians we are not to lose heart. It’s interesting that the author who wrote this book was not a Christian, yet he recognized without Christian values, our moral decline is rampant. Thank you for your comment! Blessings, Lisa Q
Thanks for your post Lisa. Holding on to the truth of God’s Word and doing all that we can to live in a way that reflects His love, integrity, truth, compassion, mercy will help to spread light into a dark, uncertain, changing world. Jesus and our faith is the one constant foundation we can rely on. Remembering always – that God will be triumphant in the end! Thanks again for your insightful observations!
Thanks for your comments, Anne.
Great revisit in history. So so true. So sad as well, but thank God as the world gets darker our light will shine brighter and brighter.
Thanks, Scott!