The American democratic experiment is in trouble. Founded on the principles of equality and liberty of all citizens before the law, the Constitution protects the “free exercise” of religious beliefs in the First Amendment. Throughout the history of this Republic, the national government has fought to protect the free exercise of religious beliefs.
Most church historians trace the birth of modern evangelicalism to the late 1940s into the early 1950s. Christian leaders such as Billy Graham, Carl Henry and Harold John Okenga, lamenting the separatism and anti-intellectualism of Fundamentalist leaders, organized an institutional separation from Fundamentalism.
One of the major themes of Issues in Perspective is that God’s Word gives humanity the insight, discernment, and resources to accurately analyze the human condition. A major conviction of cultural Christianity, which dominates much of evangelical Christianity today, is that politics is the answer to the human condition.
The United States had been negotiating with Turkey for months to establish a safe zone in the Middle East that would protect both Kurdish and Turkish interests, all the while maintaining the remarkable gains made against the Islamic State (ISIS). But, to the astonishment of everyone, after a phone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Trump ordered US troops to retreat from northern Syria.
Recently, the American Psychological Association (APA) declared that “polyamory,” “swinging,” and “relationship anarchy” are “healthy and ethical.” The APA is a powerful organization that has a significant influence over how public school educators plan and write curriculum. Will public educators who are educating and training the next generation of leaders in America, buy into this declaration?
As we approach the third decade of the 21st century, a new world order is emerging. To some extent, the role of the US is diminished somewhat, but America remains the undisputed leader militarily. The clout of the US economically and financially has been impacted by the trade and financial polices of President Trump. The longer term impact of these policies remains to be seen.
In America, indeed in all of Western Civilization, we are experiencing what has been called “The Great Unraveling.” Evangelical author and educator, Duane Litfin, writes: “We live in a time of shifting sand. The avalanche of social, political and legal changes we’ve experienced has left many believers reeling.”
Economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton recently developed the phrase “deaths of despair” to describe the sudden rise in deaths from suicide, alcohol and drug abuse. Ross Douthat summarizes the details of a recent Senate Joint Economic Committee that charts the scale of this tragedy: “A doubling from 22.7 deaths of despair per 100,000 Americans in 2000 to 45.8 per 100,000 in 2017.” Such self-destroying trends in America are brutal facts we must all face.
Ten years ago a protest movement began in America called the Tea Party. The various tea parties that dotted the nation insisted on a set of demands: Stop President Obama’s health care law; tame the national debt; and restore responsible government. Several Republicans were elected under the Tea Party banner. But, the Tea Party movement is dead, no longer a factor in the Republican Party’s ideology.
The practice of personal faith is based on one’s knowledge about God, His revelation and His redemptive plan centered in Jesus Christ. But in this Postmodern, Post-Christian era, religion has deteriorated into a matter of experiential, autonomous choice, not revelation. Compared to Western European countries, America remains a highly religious country. But religiosity does not equal sound doctrinal convictions. One of my favorite authors today is sociologist Christian Smith, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame. Smith has authored a series of books that superbly analyze the culture of American teens and emerging adults (18-30 years of age).
