In the history of peoples and nation-states, conflict comes in two forms: internal and external. Which do you think is more deadly?
One prime example comes from church history. During the early years of the church, it was considered ‘counter-cultural’ and an enemy to the occupying Roman empire. Christianity was called a religio illicita, meaning ‘an illegal religion.’ There were periodic and savage outbreaks of deadly persecution. Yet, during heat of these dangerous days, the church did not diminish – it thrived. It is the proverbial principle of the diamond. As long as it is strong internally, it can withstand the mightiest of blows. Tertullian was quoted as saying ‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.’
However, there was a mortal threat to the church: the enemy from within. The Bible rightly warns against ‘false brethren,’ ‘false christs,’ ‘false prophets’ and ‘false teachers.’ They are the proverbial ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing. With their false doctrine and divisive heresies, they posed a greater threat to the Church than what any external foe could do.
The goal of the far left, including extreme progressives and cultural Marxists, is to alter, if not destroy, western civilisation. They have managed to do more damage to the West in just 50 years, than external foes have done in centuries. Because the culture war is a ‘conflict from within,’ ‘westerner pitted against westerner,’ in every respect it is a civil war. Remember, the American civil of the 1860s killed more Americans (655,000) than two world wars combined (116,000 in World War I and 406,000 in World War II).
How can we bring this long, protracted culture war to a close? There are several options:
1. An armed conflict: Defeat the other side in a military engagement. With 350 million guns, there is plenty of ammunition. This, of course, is a horrible option, though not totally out of the realm of possibility;
2. An economic depression: This would ‘wipe the slate clean’ regarding mammoth debts, discredit utopian ideologies, and bring us back to square one and hopefully some common sense. This option is not only simplistic, it is dangerous and destabilising. The cost is simply too great;
3. Give it some time: If we give ourselves enough time, all of these issues will be sorted out. How much time do we need? At least 200 to 300 years! Well, we don’t have that much time to begin with. Besides, the destructive nature of this war precludes lengthy waiting – there might not be much left to sort out if we do wait.
None of the above are even remotely good solutions for our societal conflict.
What is the answer?The key is in remembering that at its core the cultural war is spiritual. It is not merely flesh and blood that are in disagreement. Thus, the person you see on the other side is not the true enemy; indeed, the real enemy is the one you cannot see. According to Ephesians 6:12 we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but with principalities, powers, and hosts of wickedness in high places. As has been shared already, the culture war is spiritual and the solution is equally spiritually. TO BE CONTINUED