How Did We Get Here? Understanding the Path to Secular Christianity

How did we get here? This is the question I have been pondering for some time and not just since the Supreme Court gave their landmark decision to redefine marriage. I have been pondering the question for years as I watch the American culture…and even the American “Christian” culture change. I know the answer is multi-faceted. There is no one reason why we are here.

As far as a secular culture, we can expect nothing less. God has given mankind free will to choose what they think, believe, and behave. Since mankind is inherently sinful (Romans 5:12, Psalm 51:5, Jeremiah 17:9) we cannot expect the culture to behave any different. When we as a society move farther away from objective morals and moves toward naturalistic thinking, a deeply amoral society emerges. So in short, the secular shift is expected.

What I really am asking is, “How did we as Christians get here. How have we maneuver the path to secular Christianity. In other words, how have some Christians come to switch their view of God, Scripture, people, sin, marriage, and more?” I have become alarmed when looking at research involving the views of modern Christians. In fact in 2014, 40% of protestant believers and 33% of practicing Catholics believe it is morally acceptable to use recreational pot.  61% of Christians ages 18-59 view sex outside of marriage as acceptable.  37% of born-again believers ages 23 – 41 believe using profanity is morally acceptable.  Last, only 15% of non-believers see a lifestyle difference in Christians.   These stats are sad, but true.  

What really caught me off guard was when I saw certain Christians rejoice when the Supreme Court voted in favor of same-sex marriage. Here is a blatant disregard for holy matrimony and God’s word. This is what some “mainline” evangelicals are doing. So again I ask, “How did we get here?”

I believe it is because of multiple flagstones. These flagstones are creating a path to the compromise of orthodoxy and the disobedience to God. Because I want to be brief, bright, and gone, I will cover each flagstone separately over the next few blogs.

Let’s look at the first flagstone: Biblical Illiteracy. Biblical illiteracy is starving the spiritual life of Christ-followers. Wheaton College professor Timothy Larsen says, “it has been demonstrated that biblical literacy has continued to decline. …Gallup polls have tracked this descent to a current ‘record low.’”  Right now 26% of the American population never read the Bible. Only 37% of adults in the United States read the Bible once per week. 

Many Christians today don’t really read the Bible. They dabble. They choose a one or two verse devotional to get their Bible time in. I am not opposed to devotionals. However, I think it is unwise to settle only for that. In fact, surveys show that 60% of Americans want to read the Bible more.  But many claim to not have the time to do so. Why? Neil Postman hit it on the head 30 years ago when he wrote, “Americans are the best entertained and quite likely the least well-informed people in the Western world.”  I agree.

I have spent most of my adult career in the marketplace. The average “what did you do last night” conversation nets the answers of “I watched six episodes of Big Bang Theory, Sons of Anarchy, or Breaking Bad.” Those answers come from Sometimes it involves a sporting event or playing a video game. But secular and non-secular Christians alike are engaging in entertainment in massive quantities instead of reading Scripture.

I am not opposed to entertainment. It is good to enjoy a host of entertainment options from time to time. However, studies show that on Americans are spending on average from 4-6 hours per night engaged in screen time. Houston Baptist Professor John Mark Reynolds said, “You cannot watch 4 hours of television per night and be a good Christian.” Amen.

Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua is impressing his contemporaries and us to make the study of Scripture a must – a daily habit. Why? So we can know what it says and put it into practice. Notice the world “all.” It is not just some of what is written. This verse rejects the “Chinese buffet” approach to Christianity. To quote Egg Shin from Big Trouble in Little China, “You take what you want and leave the rest.”

Jesus Christ gave a similar instruction when he commissioned the disciples. He said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Notice, Jesus did not tell them to teach “some of the things” or “the things you like best.” No, he said teach them everything. So we must too. Otherwise, we could be guilty of what Jesus warned us about in Mark 9. Jesus said, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.” He’s saying if we teach believers to sin, embrace sin, false doctrine, heresy, we are in trouble. In fact, a painful death would be better than what we will face. I don’t know about you, but that is a strong warning from Christ.

So what am I suggesting? Get into God’s word if you are claiming to be a follower of Christ. Study Scripture to see His plan, His fulfillment of prophecies, His remedy for sin, His categories of sin, His immutability, His goodness and more. I don’t suggest you read Scripture because you ought to, but because as a follower of Christ you love God.

Maybe this illustration will help. For those of us who are old enough to remember what life was like before smart phones, we would write and read love notes and letters. When my now wife, Tiffany, would write me a love note or letter I wouldn’t read it out of obligation. I wouldn’t budget how much I would read of it so I got credit for doing so. No! I would read it instantly. I would smell it. I would carry it with me. (In fact, I still carry a love letter my wife wrote me 14 years ago.) I would devour it because I love her and wanted to see how much she loved me. That is what we should do with our divine lover’s love letter, i.e. the Bible.

I challenge you to shut down your TV, tablet, video game, or whatever is distracting you from reading God’s word. It is alive. It is exciting. It is full of love. Read it because you love God more than anything mankind can offer. It’s amazing the effect it will have in your life. Be ready – your worldview will change…and only for the better.