Is the Fall of Christendom Inevitable or Can it be Saved?
In the last article, we considered the demise of Christendom. I attempted to show that momentum has been building to remove, piece by piece, our Christian heritage from our institutions, laws and mores.
This has taken Western Nations over the tipping point from a being Christian Nations to Secularor into a type of post-Christian Neo-paganism.
Signs but Not Wonders
The portents of the post-Christian era are widespread and diverse. As every day passes,there's another appalling surprise, which affronts our Christian sensibilities.
For instance in the past month or so, the following events taken place;
1. The farcical Safe Schools Program (SCP), that teaches young children the legitimacy of anal intercourse, oral sex, chest binding for female adolescents and penis tucking for males, is now under scrutiny. Thank God. But not without acrimonious protests from Homosexual activists and the Media, their support base. Now, however inspired by the dubious success of the SCP, a similar program; 'Start Early' from Early Childhood Australia is about to be imposed on Childcare Centres across Australia. It seems the innocence and purity of our children, as young as four, will be the next targets of a new-sexual revolution.
2. The Mayor of New York Mr de Blasio in deference to Marxist ideology has legalized Male & Female use of either public toilets. An open invitation for pedophiles and rapists.
3. A young Christian evangelist; George Yousef, from Operation 513was arrested outside of Cavill Mall, Surfers Paradise for preaching the Gospel, in December last year.
4. This week Senator Cory Bernarde's Adelaide office were vandalized and his staff threatened because he's openly opposed to the so called 'Safe Schools Program' which is driven by a Marxist agenda seeking to sexualize young children. Similar intimidation tactics were used by Hilterto secure his rise to power, in Nazi Germany.
To those of us, who think that Evil will peacefully concede the ground that is has clandestinely won, then, think again. Every victory won for Christ's cause comes at cost and sometimes as history shows even martyrdom.
The Way Forward – Do we have a Plan?
Once we've recovered from our immediate reaction of indignation and disgust. The next step,rather than looking back haplessly at our losswould be to search for a solution.
I posit the following ideas, for serious consideration:
1. We need Christians, young and old, male and female to become part of our nation's institutions. Whether it be the Law, Law enforcement, Education or Government. Over the C20th, Christians misguided,perhaps under the influence of certain branches of theology, have abandoned the notion of societal engagement in favour of sitting on the bench, to await the rapture. Thereby handing power over to militant atheists and homosexual activists, to advance without restraint their anti- Christian objectives.
2. We need Christians in the all areas of Media. Following a career in the Media could be likened to Christians being sent to the slaughter in Roman arena. This career path is for the fearless and the strong, and is the area in which the most can be won (although the most dangerous), to bring back our Nations to God.
It is because Christians did not have the foresight to see the power for good or evil, which the Media inherently possesses that the minions of darkness, who masquerade as the vanguard of enlightenment, but are in reality the obsequious servants of Satan's agenda, now control it.
3. We need to re-think Theological Training and the purpose of ministry. The current model belongs to a past era when Christianity was protected by the State. Now we have a new order, where Christians are becoming pariahs and our value system denounced, as irrelevant for the modern world.
Sadly,within our Churches notions of our Christian duty have been reduced to weekly Church attendance and for the super religious a Bible study. However, these don't address the need of this dire hour.
If you doubt this, ask yourself the question 'if your Church were to close tomorrow, would anyone in the community (apart from the Christians who attend it) notice any difference?' Would there be a sense of community loss? Sadly in most case the answer would be NO.
There exists a massive disconnect between the Church and its community (to those Churches and Pastors who are connected to their communities, please accept my apology, I speak of the majority not the minority). This appalling disengagement is the result of theological training which over emphasizes doctrine and Bible teaching, leaving little or no room to spend time developing the Church's relationship with its community. The time of theological conjecture has now past.
4. Christian too are in the Grip of Narcissism & Hedonism. Are we as followers of Jesus any different to those who are not? Are we not enamored by the same idols of worship that unbelievers serve? Pleasure, wealth and prestige, to name just a few.
Surely what God requires of us, goes beyond attending a worship service to get an emotional release and come home feeling good, after a stressful week.Itmay be self- gratifying, but how has it helped the cause of Christ?
I'll close by adapting the maxim of J. F. Kennedy, now that you're a Christian 'Ask not what God can do for you, but what you can do for him.' And to ponder the words of Edmund Burke 'All that tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscious to remain silent'. Let's speak up and bring God's values back into our communities.
Vic Matthews, has three degrees B.Optom, B.Arts& B. Christian Studies. He is a kiteboard tragic, who has recently retired from full time work as an Optometrist to become a Christian Copywriter. He can be found at www.trustworthycopywriter.com
Vic Matthews' previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/vic-matthews.html
