What Is The Forerunner’s Concern? - Timothy Zebell
Increasingly, America is rejecting its rich Christian heritage, its governing principles rooted in the Bible, and its Judeo-Christian belief in absolute truth and morality. Surveys indicate that only 6% of American adults possess a basic Christian worldview about things like God’s attributes, the accuracy of the Bible, and salvation.[1][2] Worse yet, the trend line is quickly declining:
Americans over 50 (9%)
Americans in their 30s and 40s (5%)
Americans 18–29 (2%)[3]
Even among professing Christians, a basic biblical worldview is becoming increasingly rare:
Evangelicals (21%)
Pentecostals (16%)
Mainline Protestants (8%)
Catholics (1%)[4]
Given these figures, perhaps it is not surprising to discover that most professing Christians no longer adhere to the teachings of Jesus. It appears then-senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama was correct when he announced in 2006, “Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation—at least, not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.” This sentiment has been echoed by Christian leaders21 and repeatedly championed in our national media with such headlines as:
“The End of Christian America” (Newsweek)[5]
“A Nation of Christians Is Not a Christian Nation” (New York Times)[6]
“Why We Can Now Declare the End of ‘Christian America’” (Washington Post)[7]
“White Christian America Ended in the 2010s” (NBC News)[8]
Throughout America, the God of the Bible has been systematically removed from our government, our education system, our public arenas, our entertainment, and now from our worldview. Those vestiges of deity which remain in our culture have been largely reimagined to comport with otherwise conflicting worldviews. In practice, we have reimagined God to be one who submits to our American culture and lifestyle, not the other way around.
Although painful for many in the church to accept, the data reveals that America remains religious but is no longer governed by Christian principles. Most Americans remain happy to believe in God, but we are not willing to submit to Him because we have discovered a more attractive alternative—one that offers all the same spiritual benefits without the responsibility, effort, or accountability. As such, America has become a post-Christian society.
However, the reality of this alternative has not matched its appeal. Ironically, Americans are among the most anxious and least happy people in the world, despite being obsessed with personal happiness.26, 27 Our relentless pursuit of pleasure has produced a culture defined by materialism, selfishness, pride, immorality, anger, retribution, and increasing lawlessness. Indeed, our quest to cast aside all moral restraints in pursuit of hedonistic euphoria has only unleashed societal chaos.
Despite the increasing difficulties that have ensued, our society refuses to turn back to God. Much like the ancient Israelites, we are a rebellious people who have chosen to ignore God’s instructions and to stiffen our necks in response to His correction (Deut. 31:26–27; Jer. 17:23). Far from changing course, we have doubled down in our efforts:
Our judiciary rules in opposition to God’s law; our Congress legislates in opposition to God’s commands; our educational system undermines God’s truth, and our entertainment industry regularly celebrates what God condemns.
Our national media goes out of its way to excuse and protect nearly every expression of profanity, obscenity, and godless rebellious thinking expressed through social media, activism, art, and entertainment.
Magazines, movies, television, and streaming shows promote premarital sex, adultery, polyamory, homosexuality, transgenderism, and even bestiality.
Unwilling to promote abstinence, our nation provides condoms to students as young as ten and vaccinations against sexually transmitted diseases to 11-year-olds.
New York legislators offered a standing ovation after legalizing abortion up to the point of birth. Worse yet, United States legislators refuse to protect babies born alive after failed abortions.
We have legalized, celebrated, and championed homosexuality and transgenderism—practices portrayed in the Bible as the most flagrant acts of rebellion against God and His created design and purpose for human relationships.
Drag queen story hours are regular occurrences in libraries throughout our nation.
We’ve legalized assisted suicide in numerous states.
Our state governments incentivize gambling, smoking, drinking, and drug use. The majority of states now offer needle exchange programs to drug addicts, and some go so far as to provide safe spaces for injecting heroin.
Having chosen a path of rebellion, our nation finds itself on a perilous trajectory. Our cultural pursuits are at odds with God. As such, we are headed for an inevitable conflict with our Creator if we do not change course.
This article comes from Transitioning: A Biblical Understanding of Transgenderism by Timothy Zebell
