The Crisis of Western Civilization

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

I feel like an old man when I am watching the news wondering what in the world is going on with today’s youth. I don’t think I’m that out of touch, but I have been left completely astounded by some of the recent behavior of the Gen Z college students. On October 7, 2023, Hamas broke through the Israeli border and senselessly slaughtered innocent men, women, and children and took several hundred hostages. Almost immediately people started protesting…against Israel. Things have come to a crescendo over the last month and a half where often violent and destructive protests have broken out at elite university campuses around the country. What was most absurd and ridiculously shocking were the protests I saw such as transgenders for Palestine, LGBTQ+ for Palestine, and a drag queen trying to lead children in a chant for Palestine. Do these people have any idea what would happen to them if they stepped foot in ACTUAL Palestine? Do they even understand what is going on?

I am astounded how much of a cataclysmic cultural shift would happen over the last thirty years. When I was in college, they talked about this odd philosophy called “Postmodernism” that was radically incoherent and nihilistic. People writing books saying words had no meaning and that people could make up reality and believe that whatever they felt was “true.” I remember sitting there and thinking, “This is absolutely stupid, who would ever be dumb enough to believe something like that!?!” Well…

The people promoting this ideology couldn’t take over the philosophy department. In fact, within a decade academic postmodernism was dead, crushed by the weight of its own illogic. But cultural postmodernism was just getting started. Over the last 25-30 years there has been a concerted effort to dismantle western thought in our culture, particularly the Judeo-Christian ideas that were the foundation to Western Civilization. There had been a long push to make “truth” a matter of preference, feelings, and desires. Truth wasn’t something out there or something created by God. Truth is whatever you want and feel.  Every institution that was arguing for truth was just using that to remain in power. Everything was about power dynamics and a power imbalance.

If you wanted to be on the “right side of history” you need to be on the side of the oppressed and against the oppressor. This ideology argues for the oppressed in every category: men/women, straight/gay, sex/gender, pro-life/abortion (now call “reproductive freedom” as if protecting life is depriving someone’s freedom), occupier/occupied, white/black (or BIOPIC), ableist/handicapped (or otherly abled), and now Israel/Palestine. And you must be on the “right” side of ALL of them at the same time! This is called “Intersectionality.”

How do we combat this ideology? It won’t do for us to ignore it and huddle in our churches. We need to understand what is going on and try to engage people lovingly and patiently with the truth. It won’t be easy, and it will not go quickly. Our children, grandchildren, and neighbor’s kids are living in this culture, and it is the air they breathe. But truth is stronger than lies. First, pray. Pray for love and insight into what these young people are believing. Continue to show them love even when they accuse you of hate. Then ask questions to help them see the inherent contradictions in their beliefs. Ultimately, your goal is to tell them about the amazing grace of God found in the message of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as a full payment for their sins.