End of “Christian America”?

church-ruin3 Newsweek editor Jon Meacham writes in this week’s cover story, “The End of Christian America.”

“To the surprise of liberals who fear the advent of an evangelical theocracy and to the dismay of religious conservatives who long to see their faith more fully expressed in public life, Christians are now making up a declining percentage of the American population.”

The image on the front cover says it all, declaring “The Decline and Fall of Christian America” in type set to form a cross. It’s important to read even in light of Easter approaching. Albert Mohler is quoted in the article and offers excellent commentary on it and what exactly is the main concern. In one instance, he writes,

“What does become clear…is that what Newsweek sees as the essence of the issue is political influence. While this is hardly a non-issue, my greater concern is not with political influence and what secularization means for the political sphere, but with what secularization means for the souls of men and women who are now considerably more distant from Christianity — and perhaps even with any contact with Christianity — than ever before. My main concern is evangelism, not cultural influence.”

He further writes,

“I appreciate the care, respect, and insight that mark this essay by Jon Meacham. I also appreciated our conversation about an issue that concerns us both. Still, I hope I did not reflect too much gloom in my analysis. This much I know — Jesus Christ is Lord, and His kingdom is forever. Our proper Christian response to this new challenge is not gloom, but concern. And our first concern must be to see that the Gospel is preached as Good News to the perishing — including all those in post-Christian America.”

As we meditate on the glorious truth of Christ achieving salvation on the cross for sinners and triumphant over death through His resurrection during this Holy week, let us be compelled to tell the good news to all we come into contact with.

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rc Says:

April 7, 2009 at 4:48 am

As the people gathered for Passover,filling the streets and byways, Jesus made his triumphant entry. At last their King had come and He would lead them to victory, overthrowing Roman rule and once again God’s people, Israel, would be recognized as His chosen ones with sovereign borders and the Son of David seated on an earthly throne. They sought an earthly kingdom and desired a lesser king of their on design.

Not to in any way diminish the benefit of godly leadership, could it be that we as His people today have sought our own earthly “kings”, focusing our efforts on securing men and women that hold Christian values to fill our elected positions of government when the Kingdom for which we are to pray and seek might come is but the hearts of men and women who have allowed Christ to be the King, seated on the throne of one’s heart?

Have we believed a lie and like Israel of old desired and pursued something less than His true Kingdom and His throne? What do we seek this week before Good Friday? Will we acknowledge Him for who He is and allow Him to be King?

Joe DeSantis Says:

April 8, 2009 at 12:01 am

Dave,

I appreciate Albert Mohler’s hope that he not express too much gloom since “Jesus Christ is still Lord and his kingdom is forever.” Hopeful concern is always better than pessimistic gloom.I wrote a journal note about this just last month while resopnding to a book called “Living Gently in a violent World, the prophetic witness of weakness.”

I mused, “Do we live in a ‘post-Christian” society or a ‘post-Christendom’ one? Often we say ‘post Christian’ but I wonder if that can ever be true. This is still God’s world after all, and “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord.” Can we ever be past Christianity while gentleness still exists? Was the world more Christian when Christendom’s structures held greater public prominance? I don’t think so. It seems that the essence Christian influence – the real presence of Jesus – is better expressed in the world by a transforming gentleness than by social or societal power, by love embodied and lived in community than by unchanging, controlling dogmas.”

I agree too with your thoughts about our world needing to hear God’s Good News. Especially now. Yet in scripture people usually bore witness to what the “heard” and “saw”. Fruits of the Spirit, like gentleness, are observable, something seen as well as heard, something embodied as it is proclaimed. Hopefully that will take the ‘post’ out of ‘post-Christian.’ Peace and Blessings!