Culture & Religion

Feldman Module 11-2

Religion & CultureReligion can be the chief influence of a

culture – IslamReligion can be a unifying force for cultural

morality.Religion can be ignored in a culture – The

“state church” of Denmark is Lutheranism.Differing religious views within a culture can

be a cause for conflict.

Individual Interface of Faith & Culture

George Barna –

“Every person’s central choices in life are driven by their worldview, and everyone’s worldview is greatly influenced by their spiritual inclinations. Their social and political preferences are closely tied to their spiritual beliefs and practices.”

ChristianityThe Foundational Religion of The United States is

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, . . . . .

Where did our ideas come from?The Bible

Equality

All men are created equal –

Endowed by our Creator with certain, unalienable rights –

Rights come from God

Hard work + thrifty living = prosperity.

This created a prosperous middle class.

Also rejection of the concept of royalty/nobility.

The Protestant Work Ethic

“The more I read, hear and research, the more I am willing to believe this financial crisis which was mostly birthed in the Clinton administration and continued by the George W. Bush administration, was possibly orchestrated in order to destroy the Middle class and implement radical, extreme socialism; . . “

Brannon HowseChristian Worldview Network

What about the Middle Class?

Our culture is no longer unified by identification with the Christian faith.

Christian by default? Barna. Jan. 12, 2009

For much of America’s history, the assumption was that if you were born in America, you would affiliate with the Christian faith.

50% in a recent survey said this is no longer true.

Christian ApostasyDenial of Biblical beliefs; truth and authority of

the Holy Bible (Apostasy)Mentality of salvation by good worksUniversal salvation of all faiths and those with

no faithThe idea of many equal paths to God – universal

religionLiberation theology

Started around 1900 with questioning of the infallibility of the Holy Bible.

Who among Christians Has a Biblical Worldview? Source: Barna Polls in 1995, 2000 and 2005 Respondents: self-described Christians

yes no

Biblical worldview 9% 91%

Beliefs about truth:

Absolute moral truth exists 34% 66%

The Bible is accurate 50% 50%

Truth is discovered only through logic, reason, and experience 54% 46%

The Bible, the Koran (Qu’ran), and the Book of Mormon are different versions of the same truth 44% 56%

What Do “Christians” Really Believe?

yes noGod is the all-knowing, all powerful creator who still rules 70% 30%

The Holy Spirit is only a symbol 40%60%

Jesus lived a sinless life 40% 60%

Satan is real 27% 73%

Demons are real 67% 33%

What Do “Christians” Believe about how to get to Heaven?

Only 30% believed that salvation comes through correct beliefs.

50% believed in salvation (getting to heaven) on the basis of good works.

Only 28% believed you cannot get to heaven by good works.

50+% believed some non-believers can get to heaven (42% included atheists)

75% believed people are not born sinful, but neutral

Secularization - The Emergent Church

Critics Description(Compromising) Generally apostate –

questions doctrineAmbiguous idea of truth (postmodern)Universal salvationSocial justice gospelOpen to pagan (non-Christian) practices

YogaMeditation (contemplative prayer) Walking the labyrinth

Is the Influence of Christianity in America Waning?

“at the close of 2008, few Americans perceive that religion is thriving in U.S. society, and a relatively small majority believe that religion is relevant to solving today’s problems. They also believe the overall influence of religion is declining.”

2008 Gallup Poll

With What Competing Ideologies are people trying to merge traditional Christianity?

New Age/Humanism/Cosmic HumanismOne-world Spirituality

Liberation Theology/Social Justice (Marxist)Socialism/Communism (atheist)

Islam (Chrislam)?

How about the New Spirituality?New Age “Cafeteria” Religion

Based on personal experience

Cosmic Humanism God is in everything. (Pantheism) We are all gods.

Wicca is popular; reincarnation is popular; meditation and occult practices are popular

New Age Gospels?

Oprah Winfrey (and many others)– many paths to God; spirituality is about feeling, not belief

Marianne Williamson – A Course in Miracles LSD gave a whole generation a spiritual experience Helen Schucman in 1965, wrote this course.

She believed that she was channeling “Jesus”. However, her “Jesus” contradicted the historical one of the Bible.

He said there was no sin, no need of a savior, salvation comes from yourself, and Jesus was just a man.

One-World Spirituality: Do we really all need to be on the same page?

Evolutionary humanism (Man will spiritually evolve on into godhood.)

Hindu pantheism (God is in everything.)Occultism

Practice, experiences, channeling “ascended masters”

Socialism/social justiceEnvironmentalism (nature worship)Coming Alien Invasion (U.N., Vatican)Goal: Unified world

What is liberation theology?

It is Marxist, Communist tactics and doctrine masquerading as (Catholic) Christianity.

It has a history among liberal Catholic theologians, and was practiced extensively in South America by Jesuit priests in the 1970s and 1980s.

What is liberation theology?

Basically, it advocates redistribution of income.How is this different from charity?

It also advocates Christian cooperation in the overthrow of governments to obtain social justice for the poor and oppressed.

What is liberation theology?

What is currently happening?

Rev. Jim Wallis claims to be a spiritual advisor to the President. He has had relationships with the communist Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador and has rallied support for the communist Nicaraguan regime. He is calling for “social justice” in America.

What is liberation theology?

It has more recently become popular among socialist-leaning, protestant evangelicals.

Tony Campolo (The Red-Letter Christians) says that “Christians should engage in efforts to change the political and economic structures of our society because these structures do not adequately address the needs of the poor and the oppressed.”

What is liberation theology?

Together they want the U.S. government to further tax America’s rich and give the confiscated proceeds to the poor.

They do not seem to realize what when you do this, most of the money ends up in the pockets of highly paid government administrators (about 75%), or in the case of foreign aid, the Swiss bank accounts of dictators.

Columnist Thomas Sowell insists that we could raise every poor person in the U.S. out of poverty in one week while reducing the program budget by 75% simply by getting rid of the government bureaucracy.

And How About the Muslims?The Muslim goal is world domination.To achieve this they are using population,

immigration, and terrorism.Their agenda is the U.S. is to become a

mainstream (the dominant) religion, become numerous enough to elect a mayor of a large city, and eventually a president (2024).

They also want many countries, including the U.S. to become Sharia compliant.

This would cost us our freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and women’s rights.

And How About the Muslims?

The ideologies (not people) of Christianity and Islam cannot peacefully coexist. – What is Chrislam?

While Christians are told only to share their faith to make converts, Muslims are permitted to persecute and even kill unbelievers who refuse to convert.

Muslims are currently persecuting Christians, Jews, and others around the world.

Iranian leaders believe they must destroy Israel and the United States so that the Mahdi (the Muslim messiah) or the 12th Imam will return to convert the whole world to Islam (the caliphate).

Why Americans would not be happy to be Sharia compliant?

Islam orders/commands:1. . . Jihad (war) against the infidels (unbelievers).2.. . Apostates to be killed.3. . .death for critics of Muhammad, the Qu’ran, &

Sharia.4.. . Fornicators to be whipped and adulterers to be

stoned to death.5. . . Homosexuals must be executed.6. . . Highway robbers should be crucified or mutilated.7. . . Male & female thieves must have a hand cut off.8. . . An injured plaintiff may extract an eye for an eye.9.. . Husbands may hit their wives, even if they merely

fear highhandedness10. . Drinkers and gamblers should be whipped.

And how about prophecy?Christian Prophecy

Belief that the Second Coming of Christ will be soon The nation of Israel has been restored. There appears to be a one-world government on the horizon.

Doctrine of the Rapture Belief that Jesus will remove his true followers from the Earth

prior to a 7-year period of time called the “tribulation” during which the world is ruled by a world dictator and terrible judgment takes place.

The belief that Jesus is returning to rescue Israel and set up His kingdom there, and that the United States will surely be judged if we are not her ally.

Islamic Prophecy

The 12th Imam or the Mahdi will come and convert the whole world to Islam. He will bring Isa (Jesus) with him to assist him in doing this. The unbelievers will be killed.

There are a number of interesting parallels between Christian and Islamic prophecies.