My wife picked up on this the other day. I really have no
deliberate plan to pick on Charles Colson, but he’s on the radio 5 days a week,
and even after years of his flawed worldview and erroneous and deceptive
commentary…he still amazes!
He’s representative of so many things dangerously wrong with
modern American Christianity. He’s a giant though. His influence cannot be
discounted. The fact that a bunch of Evangelical Culture Warriors are
considering supporting Rick Santorum, a Roman Catholic to be President of their
Sacral project can almost directly be attributed to the work of Colson. In the
early 1990’s he brought together various leaders and put forward the
Evangelicals and Catholics Together agenda and it literally has transformed
American Evangelicalism. Protestants supporting a Roman Catholic would have
been unthinkable just twenty years ago. Now, the blood of many martyrs is
trampled underfoot as the Gospel apparently no longer matters…what really
mattered all along was Westernism…America.
Francis Schaeffer couldn’t have imagined what some would do
with his teaching! It’s a fitting legacy to the deadly seeds he helped to plant.
Sacralism waters down the gospel and in seeking to make Babylon into Zion ends
up not only overthrowing the gospel (as Colson has done) but leads to startling
consequences.
Here Colson argues against multiculturalism being taught in
schools and how it has lead to moral relativism. As usual I don’t agree with
his assessment though I have no problem admitting our culture in general has
lost the ability to find any kind of moral grounding. Morals and Ethics are
metaphysical questions… Western Enlightenment Rationalism with its closed
universe has rejected the whole concept of metaphysics. Postmodernism is
looking for answers beyond scientific naturalism but doesn’t know where to find
them. Past societies have been able to figure out at least some of the basics
with regard to these questions and even if grounded in bad metaphysics, fallen
depraved men (via the General Benevolence/Common Grace of God) were able to
draft societal standards that promoted some kind of imperfect civilization.
I would argue American narcissism and extreme self-absorption
are driving much of the ethical malaise gripping our youth. They are the
spoiled children of a decadent generation. Hard times, the sorrows of life, or
as is commonly called…the school of hard knocks…will knock some limited sense
into them, or yes, this society will implode in a generation or so. As people
deal with raising their children and wrestle with hard questions they are
forced to deal with some of these issues. Many wrestle with them too late to
rescue their children.
Constantinian morality has granted a form of godliness but
in denying the power thereof (because the Gospel cannot be legislated) has made
it very difficult to evangelize these people. We are now reaching the point
where we have adults who have never been to church and have had little to no
contact with Christianity. The Gospel message will be something new and quite
foreign to them. I have some hope in this regard!
In the past, for many people, to accept what you’re saying
when you preach the gospel to them is to acknowledge the Christianity they grew
up with and that of their parents is false…a harder pill to swallow. And
frustrating from my standpoint when they go back to the United Methodist or
Presbyterian Church USA ‘minister’ for affirmation that the Bible doesn’t
really say all that stuff about sin, Christ, consequences and so forth. Since I
don’t wear a robe and have a big building with a steeple, I don’t have the
cultural authority and my words lose their weight. The false teacher tickles
their ears and assuages their troubled conscience…sending them to hell… but at
least they teach them to do good and love their neighbour right? Colson would
be pleased. At least people go to hell waving the flag and feeling good about
themselves.
Perhaps the coming cultural implosion will generate the hard
times and lead people to re-think some things? We’ll see, won’t we? Again a
rescued society doesn’t mean a Christian victory, it just means a more tolerable
place to live. But I think we’ve already gone way beyond the point of return. I
think the cancer is terminal. It seems inevitable. Lo, it is even at the door.
It’s not because America forgot God…it’s because America became an Empire and
is now following the path of Empire. If more people bothered to read history
they would see this.
Multiculturalism can be a good thing in terms of breaking
through the narcissistic self-focused mindset of American culture. It can teach
young people to take note of people in other countries…yes, they’re human
beings too! Most are just normal folks that want the same things in life that
we do…peace and security to raise their children and grow old without fear.
They don’t like it when other countries conquer them, bomb them, and impose
their will on them… smashing a boot down on their customs.
Is it bad for those trying to construct a Sacralist culture?
Of course. Sacralism wants to teach its culture is superior. Now if
Constantinianism accurately represents Biblical Christianity and thus was part
of the gospel, then certainly we would be under Divine Mandate to stand for it.
But if it is a false construct, which it is, then look at the results. Rather
than teach humanity, love and respect for others, it teaches pride and cultural
bigotry. It ends up promoting an ethic antithetical to Christianity and
certainly crushes the Fruits of the Spirit and their ability to impact culture.
Moral relativism? Isn’t that what Sacralism does? How many
American Christians, blinded by Sacralism and Nationalism turn a blind eye to
the sufferings of millions of people around the world? They’re viewed as lesser
people. No one comes out and says that, though it was certainly the impression
I got growing up in a Right Wing Nationalist pseudo-Christian home.
Bombing becomes…the right and just thing to do.
Assassination becomes a moral response. Exploitation becomes stewardship.
Colson proudly signed the Land Letter urging Bush to invade
Iraq in 2003. Sacral thinking has led to erroneous extra- and anti- Biblical
concepts like the Just War Theory and the doctrine of resistance based on the
Lesser Magistrate. These dreamed up formulations have given Sacralists carte
blanche to wage war and shed blood.
Moral Relativism? My goodness, this monster, this servant of
the enemy is responsible for many souls being led astray and in terms of this
age…the man’s got blood on his hands and through his teaching, enables others
to turn a blind eye to the world of suffering his sick and twisted Empire has
inflicted on multitudes.
Moral Relativism? It can come from many sources. But Sacral
Nationalism/Culturalism brings it about like no other force can. It leads peoples
to become convinced that God is on their side. Their cause is right as they
bomb people of others cultures and races into oblivion for their business
interests and as they cleanse their land of lesser cultured/raced vermin…putting
them into camps and worse. After all they’re not like us right? They only think…evil
and twisted thoughts. German Sacralism led good upright Lutherans to turn a
blind eye to, and in many cases openly participate in, mass murder on a hellish
scale.
With Colson all I can say is…blind leading the blind.
Whenever I read 2 Corinthians 11. 13-15 I think of people like him. They have
plagued the Church from the beginning. When Colson dies, there will be five
more to take his place.
For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
I suppose when he reads Christians who critique him he
thinks he’s being persecuted, a martyr suffering for the cause of Christ. All I
can say is…Matthew 7, starting at verse 13…
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and
broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which
go in thereat: 14Because strait is
the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there
be that find it.
15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of
thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt
tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and
cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from
me, ye that work iniquity.