America, Libertarianism, and The Church

Two days in a row Albert Mohler will serve as inspiration. On his podcast, the briefing, for 11/15/13 he quotes from 2 stories that are of enormous interest. First he quotes from an article by Conor Friedersdorf,  Atlantic

In it he quotes and article by Ross Douthat in which he claims that the impulse driving the increase in legislation for drug legalization and gambling have numerous causes. However, he argues that the cause of both is "the rise of a live-and-let-live social libertarianism, the weakening influence of both religious conservatism and liberal communitarianism, the growing suspicion of moralism in public policy."  Friedersdorf argues that people are still making moral judgments but that the American people have largely embraced different moral principles and want the law to reflect their own moral Judgments.



He then makes the profoundly sad argument that "What's definitely grown larger is the subset of Americans who not only disagree with the notion that gay marriage or smoking marijuana or watching pornography is immoral, but can't even understand the moral logic of traditionalists."

 

This raises interesting points. This revolution in moral perspective is obviously been brought about by a number of factors : 1.) The saturation of Humanistic, Materialist and Post-modern propaganda via A Secular Education system, Hollywood, Modern Music, Liberal Theology, and Mainstream Evangelicalism refusing to face this Deluge. 2.) Many in the Church are now arguing that it's not our place to try to change society only to preach salvation. The society that has as Friedersdorf has pointed out "On gay marriage, many would go so far as to say that it is immoral to prohibit same-sex unions. Their determination to moralistically press their advantage is why traditionalists like Rod Dreher now worry that cultural conservatives will be compelled by anti-discrimination law to participate. "Do the advocates of this point of view think these people will leave us to preach the Christian message which will constantly point out the shortcomings of their cherished views?



Those of us who are reformed understand these people in the eyes of Romans 1. This new, "libertarianism" is nothing more than an effort to suppress the truth in unrighteousness. As Christians we call into question their most fundamental views. We are thus inevitably going to be the Fingernails on the chalkboard to these people. The Christian Message will create the dissonance in their mind that cannot reconcile their "new" morality with what their created natures know to be true and against which they have rebelled.