For decades social scientists, political theorists, philosophers, and others have referred to Western culture as “post-modern.” Postmodernism began in the mid-20th century as a repudiation of 17th and 18th century Modernism; discarding rationality, objectivity, and universal truth in favor of subjective and varied viewpoints. What began as a fringe movement has become the dominant philosophy of our culture.
In Postmodernism each person is encouraged to define reality and truth on their terms, reinforcing feelings over facts. It deconstructs standards of belief and behavior, reimagines history, reinterprets reality, and kindles conflict because “who’s to say what is right or wrong?” As an example, the current rejection of biological science is one of the more obvious and controversial consequences of Postmodernism. Yet, equally concerning are the other “posts” that result from Postmodernism:
Post-Christian. Western Civilization, particularly in Western Europe and the U.S., has largely abandoned biblical Christianity. While some may see this as a social “win,” the undermining of Judeo-Christian values results in rampant moral relativism and the breakdown of human behavioral standards.
Post-Marriage. The statistics are shocking, and not simply in reference to a biblical definition of marriage. The concept of a man and a woman spending their life together in harmony and love through marriage is rapidly disappearing, leaving a trail of both self-centeredness and isolation.
Post-Parenting. From absent dads and child-centered ideologies to the loss of parental rights, we’re abandoning our children to the whims of culture—and we wonder why suicide rates among pre-teens have skyrocketed.
Post-Babies. From abortion to couples choosing not to have children, the precipitous drop in births in Western cultures spells economic and social disaster for future generations.
Postmodernism, the glorious answer to a free and happy life, is a ploy, a trick leading people directly to an inglorious life of captivity. When society has been sufficiently infected with Postmodernism, when individuals can no longer find connections to create a semblance of harmony, when micro-tribalism finally takes root, the only answer will be totalitarian control of that society.
Of particular relevance here is the famous quote from Spanish philosopher, George Santayana:
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (Life of Reason, Ch. 12). Yet the line before this is just as revelatory: “When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual.”
In our allegiance to Postmodernism, we perpetuate infantile beliefs and behaviors. As we jettison biological procreation, we create adults who act like children.
I suppose for some, Postmodernism is fun…while it lasts.
In 2010, before a crowd of 65,000 in Glasgow, Scotland, Pope Benedict XVI declared:
“The evangelization of culture is all the more important in our times, when a ‘dictatorship of relativism’ threatens to obscure the unchanging truth about man’s nature, his destiny and his ultimate good…We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires.”
“Dictatorship of relativism” indeed. There is nothing free or fair about today’s march toward anarchy, nor will there be any freedom or fairness when postmodernism naturally morphs into totalitarianism. The call of the Gospel is to refute the pernicious roots of anti-truth and anti-reality by speaking the truth in love.
We cannot grow weary in well-doing, for we who have ears to hear heard from someone who did not grow weary. This requires us to be knowledgeable of a biblical worldview and the ideologies against which it competes, to be courageous and caring enough to engage those who have ears to hear, and to have answers to those who inquire about the faith we possess.
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