The Roots of Wrong Thinking

 

Goal:

 

To understand  the basic philosophical “root process” that is driving the erosion our Christian culture.  This article is to be used as a discussion guide for adults . Each section makes a statement and shows the logical connection to the next. Do you agree or disagree ?

 

 

Reference Materials:

 

1) F.Schaffers, How then Shall We Live

2) J.I.Packers, Knowing Man

 

Our Cultures Backdrop – Modern Science

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Modern science was based on premise that God is outside the cosmic system of matter and energy .. (ie. he is spirit) and to the extent man is spiritual so is he somewhat outside that system as well.  Place man totally inside the cosmic system of cause and effect and ignore God and you will leave  the world of good science,  such as the science of Newton, Faraday and Bacon and enter the world of the empty science of Einstein, Darwin & Sagan .

 

 

Human Conditon + Materialism + Plato = Secularization

 

 

Secularization: (ie. the removal of God from any and all relevance in life) .. is inevitable in Western culture when a mixture of God knowing people exist in contact with non-God knowing people. The platonic Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis process will drive it.

 

Two things drive the need for Antithesis 1) over reactions to failures of  the prevoius system of thought ( ie. failures to relieve the human condition of pain, suffering and difficulty and  2) the distraction of materialism fed by the assumptions of secularized science. (ie .man is only matter and energy so we must focus on building for ourselves) .

 

 

 

The Results of Secularization

 

 

5 common results of secularization:

 

• Drift from Church (ie mtg togther to worship, educate and serve)
• Drift from Christian knowledge
• Drift from Commitment
• Drift from Biblical morals
• Drift towards forms of science where man is just part of the cosmic machine

 

 

 

2 Common Reactions to Secularization

 

 

• Utopianism – the striving for a perfect society by social evolution or in some cases revolution. In Christain circles can take form of amillenialsim.
• Astheticism – the policy of enlarging ones individual experience, maximising sennsation , feeling , pleasure and happiness (ie. Solomanistic) all which are fleeting.

 

 

The Biblical Response to Both

 

 

Emphasis on strengthening our union w/Christ and striving not for perfection as a humans but for for improvement of your relationship to Christ. This to derive true joy that is not fleeting desite the backdrop of the human conditon which in the presensce of right relation to Christ becomes irrelevant. (ie.. to love him so and enjoy him so much that all else pales in comparison. )

 

 

Conclusion

 

Historically  trends toward secularization have not been reversed without God intervening and generating some kind of reset action in society either removing a godly seed to a new location or generating a movement in the wake of a godly leader.