By: Rosemary Dewar
Modern Western civilization continues to chip away at the Judeo-Christian foundation upon which it is built. History is either ignored or revised due to the left’s agenda to “liberate” the social constructs they believe are causes for inequality and marginalization. They do not realize they are dismantling the foundation by which they live their lives, regardless of whether they hold religious views or not. Refusing to acknowledge the origins of our social structure leaves people who benefit from it vulnerable. As much as a theocracy is not ideal, neither is an overly expressive secular society. That’s why in the United States, the pluralism they are able to embrace is vitally important.
The existence of this type of complexity is present when explaining the Judeo-Christian worldview. Former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, expressed it best when he said, “A great city, whose image dwells in the memory of man is the type of some great idea. Rome represents conquest; Faith hovers over the towers of Jerusalem; and Athens embodies the pre-eminent quality of the antique world, Art.” So, let’s break this down.
Rome was the vehicle by which Christianity was able to reach much of what Europe is today. The root of Christian expression and ethics is Judaism, whose eternal home is Jerusalem. Finally, Athens was an origin of philosophical reason and science. All these aspects are elemental and essential to the social structure that gave birth to Europe, England, and the United States. Without consistently balancing these three dimensions expressed in Western culture, society is prone to instability and inevitable self-destruction.
Currently, we are dealing with a culture in the United States that is dead set on pulling down the society they have the privilege of benefitting from. Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias stated, “…We are now standing with our feet planted firmly in mid-air. I would say, while theoretically a person may block God out, logically there will be a breakdown because ultimately all enunciation implies a moral doctrine of some kind. And if that moral doctrine is not absolute then the definer himself becomes undefined.”
The idea of a God is integral to the implementation of a moral standard. Without one, it is impossible to give a coherent example of what is right and what is wrong. Jewish radio commentator Dennis Prager stated, “In a secular world, there can only be opinions about morality. They may be personal opinions or society’s opinion, but only opinions. Every atheist philosopher I have read or debated on this subject has acknowledged that if there is no God, there is no objective morality.”
Now, the origin by which that God is defined is just as important as what is implemented on behalf of His authority. Some Christian denominations are dealing with the same relativism issues by attempting to override the Jewish roots from which they spring. Should this continue, the secular world will devastate the logical structure of society in coordination with the religious community dismantling its moral core.
In this case, our Western civilization will continue to decay as we see it is now. If Western civilization is to recover, the current culture must reconcile itself to the historical record that has brought it here. The longer the Judeo-Christian
By: Rosemary Dewar