The World We Live in: Apologetic Issues Unique to the Modern World
During recent years, attacks against Christianity have increased in scope and dimension. In addition to challenging specific doctrinal beliefs, such as the reliability of the Bible and Jesus’ resurrection, cutting-edge apologetic issues today include Christian ethics and other values. The Christian stand against abortion, same sex marriage, cohabitation, Internet pornography, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, cloning, and similar moral issues have come under increasingly strong criticism, due primarily to dramatic sociological changes that have taken place in Western culture since the 1960s. Prior to the mid-twentieth century, Christianity was not only the dominant religious belief in America but set standards for moral and social behavior. Until the 1960s, even non-Christians generally accepted and obeyed Christian values.
In the 1950s and early 1960s, there was a popular television show called “Leave it to Beaver.” This weekly comedy centered on the day-to-day life and adventures of a mid-twentieth-century American family. The main character was a boy nicknamed “Beaver” (Jerry Mathers). In one episode, Beaver tore his pants and lied to his parents about how it happened. Of course he was found out. As the show concluded, his mother reminded Beaver that God sees his actions and knows when he lies, even if no one else does. The show ended with Beaver and his brother, Wally (Tony Dow), recently home from Sunday School, reflecting on the lessons learned.
Today, as in the 1950s, television is a major barometer of American values. What one sees there usually reflects current values—or at least those the media wants us to accept. Practically every episode of pre-1970s sitcoms, including shows such as “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Father Knows Best,” presented implicit lessons on honesty, courage, sacrifice, kindness, and other values intrinsic not only to Christianity but to American culture in general. The shows often included scenes in church, showed pastors in respectful roles, and frequently ended with moral lessons.
When was the last time you saw a modern sitcom encouraging godly behavior? Rarely, if ever. Most openly promote adultery, fornication, homosexuality, cohabitation, swearing, lying, cheating, pride, self-centeredness, disrespect for parents, and much more. Go to the movies, scan magazines at a grocery store checkout line, or attend a play. Clearly American culture no longer promotes biblical morals and values. The syndicated advice column, Dear Abby, illustrates this. In a single column I read a few years ago, Abby tackled homosexual relationships, children being checked for weapons at a public school, and a woman who was pregnant by a married man!
Today, Christianity no longer sets the standard for moral behavior in America. It has been shoved off center stage and replaced by a godless worldview called secular humanism. As a distinct ideology, secular humanism promotes a brand of “morality” that is largely antithetical to Christianity. Because the values and political agenda of secular humanism largely dominate and direct popular culture—particularly in academia, the media, and the entertainment industries—Christians are struggling just to maintain a vibrant voice and influence in modern culture, especially in the area of moral behavior. Thus, as we consider apologetics, we must be prepared to address a host of moral issues rarely encountered fifty years ago.
* This article is adapted from Part Four in my book, The Christian Combat Manual; Helps for Defending Your Faith: A Handbook for Practical Apologetics, which is available in most outlets.