A dechristianized world

We live in a highly de-Christianized society. So much so that, for the first time since the growth of the Church in the West, we are claiming to be in a period of post-Christianity. Indeed, the Church is now increasingly in the minority. What we need to understand, however, is that these differences are not primarily based on values (such as sexuality, abortion, the economic system, bio-ethics, etc.) but on worldviews. We saw in the last article (here) that our way of seeing and thinking ultimately dictates what we do. Today’s ethical questions therefore only reveal deep divisions in a highly de-Christianized Western world.

How should we react?

In a world where the Christian faith has become a minority, we have essentially held two opposing tendencies. One has been to flee the world in which God has placed us. Here, the idea is to reduce interaction with a debauched and decaying world as much as possible. This attitude was a way of remaining untouched by the sinfulness of our society. This is partly what the monks decided to do. By withdrawing from the world, however, the Church lost the flavor it was called to give to the world around it (Mt 5:13). By turning in on itself, the Church has sometimes forgotten its missionary dimension1. God calls us to live as His ambassadors, that is, our vocation is to represent and reflect Him in a world that does not know Him. The apostle Paul confronts the Corinthian Christians on this subject, saying: « In my previous letter, I wrote to you to have no contact with those who live immorally. I was not referring in general to all those in this world who are immoral, envious, thieves or idol-worshippers. If not, you ought to get out of the world » (1 Cor 5:9-10). Although called to holiness, we must also live in the world and share in divine grace.

The other tendency we’ve had has been to accept non-Christian views because we’ve become too integrated into the culture to which we belong. In his address to the British Parliament (here), Timothy Keller uses the image of salt. For salt to preserve food and give it flavor, it must be different from the meat it seasons. As Christians, therefore, we cannot simply conform to our society; we are obliged to be distinct from the world. This is done through our prophetic call, that is, through our denunciation of society’s sins and our exhortation to accept God’s all-powerful love.

Towards a solution…

In this way, God has gathered together a people, not so that we can remain among ourselves, nor so that we can be in every way like the rest of humanity. We have been joined to God’s people so that we may represent him once again on this earth. Our every word and deed should reflect the character and person of God. So how do we accomplish such a feat? How can we successfully challenge the world we live in without accepting its compromises? Of course, we need to pray and grow, but if we don’t know which direction to go in, growing is pointless. So we need to start looking for a good worldview, one that is true and truly reflects the world God has placed us in. We also need to understand the different worldviews that influence us, sometimes without our even knowing it, and that prevent us from adhering to what God says. Over the next few articles, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the issues facing our society and comparing them with the Word of God.

1 Another major problem with this way of thinking is that we forget that sin comes from man’s heart, not from society. So wherever man is, there will be evil. Getting out of the world is therefore a utopian way of achieving perfection. If we fall prey to the temptations of society, it’s because we’re not sufficiently anchored in Christ, so getting out of the world won’t do us any good.