Every major issue in America, including racial justice, education, climate change, abortion, immigration, and LGBTQ+, are issues that Christians are divided. So, should believers resort to today’s culture or the bible?
Christians going woke
We should not allow culture to influence the believer, or so I would hope.
However, many “woke” Christians today have tilted beyond truth and righteousness. The word woke can be misunderstood and used out of context, but its meaning is to “awake” or “ be aware of injustice in society.”
The problem is not Christians aware of injustice or prejudice, but where the believer is entirely oblivious to the context of the subject. For example, Black Lives Matter, which I have written about before.
This organization professes to help Blacks socially and economically, but one of their belief systems is to disrupt the nuclear family; the biblical family consists of a father, mother, and children. This is no mistake. Read the text.
"We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure.”
There is debate about what exactly BLM was referring to, but the narrative remains the same. The western ideology of any sort to Black Lives Matter is disruptive to their agenda. The text has since been removed from their website.
Even former president Barack Obama announced his concerns in a speech about fatherless homes affecting Black children in America. So, in view of the bible, there is no room for a Christian to align with an organization or culture that disrupts a biblical view of the family.
Public Education; CRT, ethnic studies, social justice
Our public education system has been ransacked by an agenda to disrupt our children's schooling further. Christians are deceived or ignorant of the curriculum being taught in public schools and colleges.
In some of my other writings, I have mentioned what my daughter is learning in her community college. For example, CRT and ethnic studies that have nothing to do with the study of ethnicities but only compound the effects of division, racism, and prejudice.
Christians have fallen victim to the ideology of social justice as a hope to bring justice, equity, and equality to minorities but instead have created masses of people with a mentality of victimhood, paralyzed with anger and a rooted prejudice, only to be carried on to the next generation.
An open border is a disservice to illegal immigrants
Illegal immigration and an open border have caused an open sore in the United States. Yet, America has one of the most lenient, forgiving, and accessible pathways to citizenship.
There were over 809,000 new U.S. citizens in the year 2021, with one million green cards, and 280,000 employment-based green cards issued every year, this is a reflection of the republic of America. In addition, this country has always been a refuge and safe haven for foreigners worldwide.
Christians opting for an open border only compound the setback of those waiting for green cards and citizenship. The believer may think it is a righteous and Jesus thing to do to have open borders for those seeking to cross the border illegally - but in fact, creates an open highway for drugs and sex trafficking.
An open border is a disservice to illegal immigrants and the American people, including those waiting for green cards. This year alone, since August 2022, there have been over 2 million illegal immigrants crossing the southern border coming from Mexico, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and a host of other countries.
As we all know, the quality of living in larger cities in America is not improving but declining. Community safety has fallen with the defunding of the police, crime is up, and homelessness in Los Angeles County has had a 16% increase from 2019 to 2020, with 41,900 homeless.
Affirming transgender people and LGBTQ+
It’s one thing to have a transgender lifestyle; it’s another to use science as means to justify transgender. Christians who affirm transgender people do a disservice to those in need - 45% seriously considered suicide.
The critic's remedy for reducing suicide is not only to affirm their sexual identity, but furthermore by supporting hormone and surgical procedures. Unfortunately, Christians are falling into a culture that is completely off track with God’s Word. A loving Christian does not affirm a lie.
Abortion: pro-life, pro-death, or reproductive health?
At this time, abortion has taken front stage, with politicians funneling big money to advertisers to convince the people of America, including Christians, that they are for women's reproductive rights.
California will have Proposition 1 on the ballot this coming November, which will enshrine text in the California Constitution that will allow abortion up to birth - or birth abortion. Critics argue that late-term abortions will not occur, but let's not forget bill A.B. 2223 from California, in which Governor Gavin Newson just signed in September, allowing the termination of a baby weeks after birth with no investigation of death.
There is more than enough evidence in the bible to prove that abortion is murder, yet, Christians vote for politicians and policies that favor abortion. Therefore, my conviction as a Christian - abortion is non-negotiable, and it is murder.
With the many issues in culture today, are Christians the problem?
There are professing Christians, and there are born-again Christians, which may be the reason for the division among believers. Sadly, the response from the Christian community has been more disheartening than encouraging. So many pastors and churches in silence support the murder of babies, transgender affirmation, and the education of twisted ethnic studies.
The professing Christian no longer lives in a biblical worldview. It’s called abandoning truth (the bible) and accepting a lie to be socially accepted. Christians have fallen victim to biblical illiteracy which leads to a conscious deadened by a secular culture. As I stated in this article, Christians are plunging into an ungodly and sinful culture; if the believer continues down this path - how can the believer be a light in the world?
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16
Well written Ben! Sad but true.