The Bitter Fruit of Modernism

If we want to be Christ to our culture, we need to better understand our culture.  Edwin Lutzer in his book, The Church in Babylon, writes about our culture today becoming infected and bitterly altered by Modernism and Secularism.  He outlines three sources of the moral and spiritual disarray and the consequences we are seeing from them.  He calls these consequences “bitter fruit:”  

1.    The bitter fruit of the sexual revolution- From a Christian perspective on sexuality, Western Civilization is in open rebellion.  Like many revolutions, there are consequences and causalities, such as stable biological families, the sacredness of life both born and pre-born, the divine beauty and integrity of life-long, monogamous marital relationships, the virtues of a life sacrificially lived for others rather than for instant self-gratification, and then, finally, loss of God’s moral absolutes in the face of man-made relativism. 

 

2.   The bitter fruit of the technology revolution- Television and instant media have proven to be allies the sexual revolution.  Technology has been a blessing in many ways, but it requires the exercise of Godly virtues to counter its poisonous fruit.  

3.  The bitter fruit of the anti-Christian revolution- Secularism has grown intolerant of the Christian worldview.  Alasdair MacIntyre writes in his book, After Virtue, that Western Civilization has lost its ethical and virtuous moorings.  It is up to the Church to carry the virtues of Godly living through these spiritually dark times and throw a lifeline to those who want to join us. 

To God be the Glory, Father Rob