Our culture has made many advancements and adaptations over the last few decades. Overall there is much more “tolerance” within the culture, giving different groups of individuals the freedom and comfort to do and believe whatever they so desire. It is ironic that in the midst of this transition more and more people are forgetting about God and keeping the idea of religion as an afterthought.
The society itself – or at least the American society – is moving further into a postmodern mindset, which is the practice of tolerance of other people’s views. In other words, the idea that two people who completely disagree on some of the biggest matters in life can “agree to disagree,” in a sense, while continuing to live life alongside one another.
Some within the postmodern society commonly say that postmodernism is more or less “what’s good for you is good for you, and what’s good for me is good for me.”
At first glance this is a really great idea, that regardless of one’s beliefs in life they can live alongside someone with different beliefs with no issues. And this is good, it is indeed a great quality – but the problem here is that people are flawed and imperfect. Oftentimes both parties don’t want to simply “agree to disagree.”
This is where the water gets muddy for religion. For the most part, in the modern world the religious person is viewed as intolerant and a menace to society with their views that limit the beliefs and freedom of the non-religious sect.
Christians in particular are typically viewed as close-minded and intolerant towards other beliefs, making it seem that Christians can’t contribute to the newer age of society. There is certainly a lot to support this claim. Many of today’s so-called Christians have been the source of much hate and judgment throughout the world and particularly here in America.
It seems that every time the media shows Christians they are using the Bible to seize their own gain through devised schemes as opposed to letting the truth of what the Bible actually says be known. Not to mention the apparent war that has been started by these Christians towards the homosexual society (which would have to be covered in an entire different piece due to the amount of content).
College campuses around the country are a clear representation of the postmodern culture that is consuming America. More and more college students are living their lives with no apparent care of God, claiming either atheism or agnosticism as their religion, while here in the South a lot of college students claim to be Christians without (for the most part) living a life that would be honorable to God. In fact, the 18-24 college aged male is the least likely of any demographic in America to attend church or any other religious service on a regular basis.
Today’s culture is moving further away from reliance on God and more into a reliance on one’s self. It seems that much of today’s society, especially the college culture, has lost most, if not all, interest in God. The overwhelming belief about Christianity on campus is that Christians are to blame for much of the problems in the world and God can’t truly be a loving God like Christians claim him to be when there is so much hurt and pain in the world.
Much of this culture has been scarred by a misrepresentation of authentic Christianity over the last several years. The media only decides to show the “Christians” who picket soldiers’ funerals and degrade homosexuals as opposed to the actual Bible-believing Christians who serve the community with a loving heart just as Christ called them to.
Everyone seems to have questions or problems with God, which is completely understandable. Most college students have a lot of misconceptions of who the God of the Bible truly is and therefore go on in life having their hearts hardened to the possibility of God impacting their lives.
The most beautiful thing in life is to have life itself. To receive a peace and forgiveness from God that can only come through an authentic faith in Jesus Christ. This does not come by attending church once a week to “wipe away” sins for the week but rather it comes through a whole-hearted relationship with God.
Christians and non-Christians can certainly agree on one thing and that is that the world is a dark place, growing drearier. But what Christians believe is that there is indeed a hope to believe in, a hope that even in the midst of all the suffering in the world there is still a God in Heaven that loves and sympathizes with the entire world. Because the reality is that God himself has suffered alongside the world, when Jesus Christ took on all the pain and suffering from God. The God of the Bible is unlike any other God of any other religion because he himself has suffered along with the world.
As culture continues to progress it would be foolish not to at least consider investigating whom Jesus truly is, it might just change some lives. Giving people actual purpose and significance – after all, isn’t everyone aiming to have a significant life?
Tyler, you have described our society of self-reliance’s very well. It is easier to believe in nothing with no absolute rights or wrongs than it is to hear that your life choices are not approved by God. Using the word Christianity to describe faith or someone who is religious id like using the word “Coke” to describe all soft drinks. A true follower of Jesus Christ’ knows what to expect form the command to “pick up your cross and follow me daily”. Most people who claim to be Christians, as you pointed out, will scatter when their religion quits benefitting them and it is time to pick up the cross for the Lord. Religions will destroy the world. Christ came with a simple message so simple we can’t accept it “love God and love your neighbor”. Christ told us to be a servant as he was a servant. When we put ourselves first, as the world tells us to, how can we accept the command to be a servant?