Is This for Real?

We can’t do this on our own

May 27, 2008 on 6:17 pm | In Philosophy, Religion | Comments Off

Another one of my Humanities coursework discussion postings:

If one could attribute a theme to the history of humanity it would be this: “we can’t do this on our own”. If we just take western culture as an example, we see that humanity has washed, rinsed, and repeated revolutions of philosophical thought over and over again. We have gone through several micro-cycles of chaos, adjustment, and balance.

After the fall of Rome, western culture had to ‘re-find’ itself. Humanism had failed, but a new direction was given, Christ, the revealed truth. Truth was what the early philosophers sought long before, and now it had arrived. As the years passed, politics took over, and the truth was scattered and mixed among paganism. In the early stages of the medieval period, when we realized that we were too pagan, so we became religious. When we realized that major religious establishment was corrupt, we reformed. But even then some of the reformed doctrines were in error. Once we realized this, we became rational. As a result of rationalism, during the renaissance, we became humanistic all over again. When we realized we were too humanistic, we revived, but by this time we became even more fragmented. Revival gave way to scientific rationalism. The effects of the age of enlightenment continued on. This term is a contradictory term in and of itself for the so-called age of enlightenment was a plunge into darkness whereas there is no truth apart from God. And apart from God we can never get it right. We can’t do this on our own.

Surely each time we woke up and sought after God, it marked a brighter spot in human history. Each of these times, we progress in knowledge and learning. But then somehow with each step of progress, we find a way to mess it up. (Rom. 1:22) With each improvement in social structure, we intervene with human understanding. (2 Tim. 3:7) Rather than continuing to rely on God, we introduce more problems. We practiced slavery, then we abolished it, now we have special rights which are a form of racism. We had tyranny, feudalism, fascism, and Nazism. We abolished the idea of hierarchy, and now have socialism in government, and anarchy in the individual. We promoted liberty for all, but had to fight for women’s suffrage and child protection. Now we have feminism and child rebellion. (2 Tim. 3) New freedoms bring new immorality. (Rom. 1;2) New rights bring new wrongs. It seems like every time we get some knowledge we mess things up just like in Genesis 3. We can’t handle enlightenment apart from God. We can’t do this on our own.

In today’s postmodern culture we have a panacea of philosophies. Anything and everything we have seen before in ancient philosophy is practiced today by modern people. Because the idea of individualism is so prevalent, everyone ascribes to the philosophy with which they feel the most comfortable. All schools of thought are accepted, and none are denied, except for that which is of the truth. The last 2000 years has produced what one could call a great splintering in philosophy. All that has happened has led to great skepticism and disillusionment with the possibility of absolute truth. Surely we have done this to each other; indeed we have done this to ourselves. Seeing the great tragedy of war, Wilfred Owen felt that it was pointless to die for the fatherland. Hemingway communicated an indulgently hedonistic lifestyle with no sense of direction. All the strife we have brought upon ourselves has left people wondering “Where do we go now?” The fact is there is no direction, purpose, or meaning in life apart from God. We can’t do this on our own.

Another micro-revolution is occurring inside the post-modern period. Once again we are facing another crisis in the modern Christian church. The modern-day stronghold of the truth is facing corruption from the inside. A disillusionment and dissatisfaction with traditional methods has led to a movement to change in how we relate to the world. This has brought about some good changes, and a re-thinking in how we reach people in modern culture. However, at the same time and postmodern thought has crept in. The “acceptance of all, denial of none except the truth” is now inside the walls of bible-preaching churches. The emerging church movement has brought in a message of antinomianism and a denial of absolute truth. The corruption postmodernism is creeping in to the church. Those who claim the name of Christ are weak in the Word, and are turning to this system of thought in droves. The desire to be liked by the world, overshadows holding to the truth of God’s Word. (Matt. 24:12) Humanism has crept in. Many church leaders are thinking like Protagoras that man is the measure of all things. In straying from the truth, they are forgetting church cannot survive apart from God. We can’t do this on our own.

I know I am painting a grim picture here, but one must realize that this is just an analysis of what has been happening. Furthermore, we have been told that this would happen. (Col. 4, 2 Pet. 3) Am I disillusioned, frightened, or depressed? NO! Nor should you be. (Col. 2, 2 Pet. 3) I choose to stand for the truth. I recognize these are the last days and I say MARANATHA! Even so some Lord Jesus! (Rev 22) As we see the next revolution in culture unfold before our eyes, just realize that this could be the last one. This could be the last generation. These could be the last days. Just remember that things fall apart, the center cannot hold unless the center is Christ alone. He is our core. He is the truth. We can’t do this on our own.