It’s a
cliché to state that the world today, compared to fifty years ago, is a vastly
different place. In western societies a
lot of changes can be related to a shift in human thinking. Often this shift is described as a move from
modernity to post-modernity. This move
seems to affect all areas of life.
European
nations saw themselves as culturally superior to other people groups. Especially racial differences were studied
with scientific rigor to support the notion that, “We are best; down with the
rest!” Today it is appalling for most of
us to read about the study of eugenics (the promotion and protection of ‘our
good genes’) and how it was used as a rational ground for the abuse or
extermination of people groups of (presumed) inferior standing. And yet, Nazi Germany was not alone in this
approach, for the study of eugenics was embraced by many western nations.* Both
the pretentious status of scientific research and the belief in one’s own group’s
superiority are characteristic for modernity.
In anthropology class we learned about the rampant ethnocentricity of
the past, while we noticed how many modern researchers drifted to cultural
relativism. This latter -typically
postmodern- approach refuses to condemn any cultural ceremonies or
traditions. So, they would argue that we
have no right to condemn cannibalism, female circumcision or child abuse if
they are integrated into a culture not our own.
We may be appalled, but that would be merely the result of our western prejudices
and the underlying Christian roots.
“Science
rules”, or so claims Bill Nye, the science guy.
Until recently science and technology were the new gods of western
society. Many Canadian schools still use a science textbook that starts the
unit on “Weather & Climate” with a picture of the god Zeus in front of a
tornado. The accompanying text suggests
that primitive societies were scared of natural powers, which were ascribed
to angry gods. Today, in our modern
societies we no longer need to believe in gods that control the weather. Modern man has scientific knowledge to
understand the laws of nature. Indeed,
over the last century or so, westerners have been bombarded with the doctrine
that Faith and Science are incompatible approaches. Only science can lay claim to verifiable and
objective truth, whereas faith is based on subjective speculations, which
result in disagreements, troubles, and war.
This religion-like faith in one’s own objectivity and the power of human
reason to attain to the truth were characteristic of modernity. Now, most people realize that “scientific
truth” is pregnant with personal biases and cultural presuppositions. Although most westerners are still addicted
to the newest technological toys, postmodern netizens (citizens of the virtual
global village) no longer believe that science will bring heaven on earth. The radical postmodernists even argue that we
cannot have any meaningful communication, for each of us would attach our own
unique meanings to the words used. This
trend, however, is bound to self-destruct.
Why should we try to understand philosophers who strongly argue that
nothing can be understood? Such thinking
must lead to the abolition of education and the collapse of the modern
civilization.
As Science
lost its lofty status as the guardian of the objective truth, Christian
apologetics gained confidence. Scholars
carefully built up case after case of evidence that pointed to the reliability
of the New Testament. Even many secular
historical scholars today admit that there is good historical evidence that
Jesus Christ died on the cross and was raised on the third day! They must be amazed that there is more (and
more reliable) historical material about Jesus of Nazareth than about most
emperors of Rome! And yet, just as this
material was becoming available, people lost their interest in finding
truth. It seems that Satan had already
switched his strategies. Until recently, Christianity was denied a place among
those who hold the truth, while now the western world shrugs its shoulders and replies,
“What is truth?”
D.A. Carson,
in his book “The Gagging of God” (chapter 3) reminds us that the breakup of
modernity is not all bad. “Christian
thinkers have often mistaken their own tradition with the sum of all
truth. Theology can become an agent of
political correctness; Christian institutions can become corrupt; preachers can
ratify the status quo, even when reformation is urgently needed. If deconstruction helps some to overthrow the
hegemony of mere traditionalism, let us be thankful!”
Conform to
the modernist mindset, churches often suffered from denominational pride. Some
would take pride in their piety, others in their purity of doctrine, and yet
others in their charismatic gifts or care for the less privileged. In the churches where doctrine was of the
greatest importance, there was great emphasis on and confidence in human
reasoning. Systematic theology was
embraced as tool to package the biblical teachings in a neat framework of
dogmas, which should be passed on through the generations to safeguard the true
doctrine as the essence of the genuine church.
Just like the secular scientists of the time, there was an optimistic
attitude towards human understanding of the biblical truth. Although reformed churches formally
subscribed to “sola scriptura”, in practice the Scriptures had to be read and
interpreted through the lens of ancient creeds, like “the forms of unity”. Over time, their primary purpose of world-wide
missions often became the conversion of churches and Christians to the reformed
faith. The prevailing mindset seemed to
be, ‘It may be of some value to be a Christian, but if you’re not reformed, you
are either misinformed or just not a real Christian.’
In my early
blogs I wrote about “the Centre of the Universe”. In modernity we see our own nation or
culture, or indeed our own church group as the centre of the universe: ‘We are
the best; we have the truth! Just listen
to us, and don’t ask any critical questions in catechism class!’ Early on, I began to question those things
that were presented to me as indisputable truths. I had a lot of respect for the kid that first
yelled that “The emperor walks in his underwear!” So, I tried to look at issues from a new and
fresh perspective. I love to read Vinoth
Ramachandra, who makes it his specialty to expose the myths of modern culture
for instance in his book “Subverting Global Myths”. I realized that we must also critically
examine our life and doctrine in the church.
What are our blind spots and our idols? What are our “shrines” that are more
sacred than they ought to be? Is it
really God in Christ, who is at the centre of our church, our preaching, and
our lives?
For those
who follow my blog it shall be clear that it is my conviction that the church
must stay clear of the excesses of modernity as well as postmodernity. We must repent of denominational pride and
doctrinal arrogance, while we continue to give leadership and guidance in an
increasingly confusing reality. We may
see the truth as in a “foggy mirror”, but that is not to say that there is no
truth or that we cannot discern any of it.
We can never lay claim to the pure doctrine, but we must not reject the
need for an ‘asymptote-approach’ in our quest for a better understanding
through the honest listening to God’s Word and Spirit.
I already
wrote about the damage of the New Hermeneutics (Shelob’s Web). We have been warned that “We must test the
Spirits to see whether they are from God” and that anything spiritual that
contradicts the teaching of Christ and his apostles must be rejected. Yet, in the postmodern church growth movement
it seems that the postmodern approach to the Word of God is used to turn this
around. This is what “apostle” Bill
Johnson tries to teach us: “Those who feel safe because of their
intellectual grasp of Scriptures enjoy a false sense of security. None of us
has a full grasp of Scripture, but we all have the Holy Spirit. He is our
common denominator who will always lead us into truth.” Problem is, that he has just thrown overboard the very tool to test the
spirits and thereby opened wide the door for other, deceiving spirits. In the book “The Physics of Heaven”** big
church leaders of today (like Bill Johnson) are trying to convince us that all
Jesus’ miracles were done by him as human being only, not to prove that He is
God. Therefore, we can do the same
things and raise the dead and all such things.
We must look at the New Age for
techniques (which they stole from the church!) to help us to accomplish
this. To me, this sounds super scary
(like Rev. 16: 14), but many Christians today get terribly upset if anyone
dares to suggest that Satan has high-jacked the church growth movement of today.
So, the
church must go through this transition phase, and there will be fall-out. Some will hold fast to modernity; they will
lose their ability to reform and to address the public arena. They will collapse into a holy huddle to
worship the good old religion, but they will have lost the transforming power
of the Spirit. Others will embrace the
change, throw out the baby with the bathwater, and focus more in blessing Babylon
than on building the City of God. Some
will fall prey to the New Age, as they can no longer test the spirits to see
whether or not they are from God. May
there be a large majority that seeks to hold on to the truth, avoiding the
mistakes of the past and the new reality that is upon us. Yet, if the great denominations are to fail and
sink like the Titanic, we may have to plant new house groups as life boats for
survival.
*BBC
documentary: Scientific Racism: The Eugenics of Social Darwinism
**http://heavensphysics.com/
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