Take off your pants? Why not?

On Sunday, thousands of subway riders across the world participated in No Pants Subway Ride Day, boarding subway cars at various stops, without pants. The founder of the event told USA Today that the day was created to celebrate silliness—to make people laugh and smile. When one participant was asked by the media why he was taking off his pants, he said, “Why not?”

The “why not” attitude is not new, but it is a reflection of any society that lacks “raison d'être” (reason for being). Without purpose, life is arbitrary, accidental, and random—not, as Thoreau described it, “living deliberately” or as Warren captured it in a “Purpose Driven Life.” Today’s “why not’s” include things as weighty as abortion or euthanasia, or as petty as taking off your pants in public. But there is an important question here. How will citizens of a secularized society decide what is right and wrong? Solomon said, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild and cast off constraint [along with their pants]. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” (Proverbs 29:18). That's why.

Coexist?

This “Coexist” bumper sticker really caught my attention the other day; it so perfectly depicts the belief that there are many ways to God, called pluralism. But as I considered the ambiguity of pluralism, I wonder if it is not a stepping stone to a secular society that despises religious reference or affiliation.

The Pew Research Center says one in five Americans is thoroughly secularized, with no religious affiliation at all. Last year when I wrote about the movie “Life of Pi,” I claimed that the essence of the film's philosophy was captured in the words of Pi’s father who challenged the pluralistic beliefs of his son, saying, “believing in everything is the same thing as not believing anything at all.”

Previously, I saw that pluralism is really polytheism. Now I’m seeing it is a precursor to a secular society, based on humanism. No wonder Jesus asked, “Will I find faith on the earth when I return?” (Luke 18:8)

You can Almost See the End from Here

Polish Nobel Peace prize winner Lech Walesa addressed the Nobel Peace Prize committee last month, calling for a new “secular” Ten Commandments that would express universally-shared values for all religions of the world. It's not hard to see this as movement toward a One World Religion, one of the end-time prophecies.

Nor is it hard to see unrest in the Middle East exploding into a Mid-East war, if not a world war, and all the more because of Israel's imminent attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. What's more, because of the region’s oil wealth, it is easy to imagine the fulfillment of the Gog-Magog invasion (Russia and Iran).

With Israel back in the Holy Land for a generation, steeped in global conflict as prophesied for the end times, and with geo-political instability, along with the re-posturing of post-WWII allies, how long can it be before a leader (Anti-Christ) appears on the world stage, offering a plan for unity, peace, and hope? “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7).

Christmas Presence in the Mall

Black Friday is appropriately named—it’s the gross over-commercialization of Christmas. But it’s only a symbol of the larger problem. The eternal spirit of Christmas has become temporal and material. The secularization of Christmas—now called a holiday—re-focuses the most celebrated Christian day of the year from rejoicing in God’s Presence to celebrating man’s presents.  “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name 'Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us’” (Matt 1:23).

As I was reflecting on the impoverished condition of Christmas in our nation—trees, lights, pretty paper, Santa Claus, elves, etc.—I was sent the following YouTube video. Right in the middle of a large mall in ‘Anywhere America’ a group of Christians begins singing the songs of Christmas, of Christ, of good news. As you will see, right in the midst of busy shoppers purchasing passing presents, God’s surpassing Presence prevails. Please take a moment to watch it. You won’t be disappointed.

“Christmas Flash Mob by Journey of Faith at South Bay Galleria”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnt7euRF5Pg

“Life of Pi”—Faith is a House with Many Rooms

Knowing nothing more about it than what we saw on the trailers (and its PG rating), Altha and I saw the movie “Life of Pi” this weekend. It turned out to be a vehicle for postmodern theology. As the title character battles to survive on a life raft from India to Mexico, he also struggles to believe in God in the midst of his suffering.

The story begins in India where Pi develops a zeal for religion. Declaring that “faith is a house with many rooms,” Pi integrates Allah and the Christ easily into his Hindu faith, even thanking Krishna and Vishnu for bringing Christ into his life.  When he cries out to God in desperation, “I give myself to you,” it is not clear to which god he is praying. To most god seekers in our universalistic culture, it wont matter. Whom you have faith in is less important than that you have ‘it’.

Ironically, Pi's atheistic father captures the error of this thinking when he tells the young Pi that believing in everything is “the same thing as not believing anything at all.” And that statement may be the only ‘truth’ you’ll find in the “Life of Pi.”

Gratitude without God?

When Congress passed legislation making Thanksgiving an official holiday, was it an attempt to codify feelings, i.e., ‘you must be thankful?’ No. Congress was only affirming thankfulness as a national core value, an expression of America’s Judeo-Christian heritage.

Does that mean non-Christians can’t be thankful? Well, of course not. But last century’s paradigm shift from a God-centered worldview to a man-centered one has secularized Thanksgiving far beyond a Pilgrim’s paradigm. The Pilgrims who celebrated that first Thanksgiving believed everything they had came from God, a gratitude built on a foundation of belief in God's Providence.

Of course the ungodly can be thankful. But unlike them, hopefully, you and I are like the original pilgrims who knew they were on a journey to something/someplace far greater than the things of this world. Thus, while our gratitude is rooted in the eternal, the natural man knows only situation and luck. Jonathon Edwards says “true gratitude or thankfulness … arises from a foundation of love to God whereas a natural gratitude has no such antecedent foundation.” Let us be thankful for what we have. But let us be more grateful for what awaits us.

More Nones than Nuns?

The group called “Nones” (Americans without religious identity) is now the 2nd largest after Catholics [Pew Forum]. Officially, then, there are almost as many “nones” as nuns. In fact, Pope Benedict, who is dedicated to combating secularism in Europe, has convened a 3-week assembly of Bishops to strategize how to get Catholics to come back to church. On the Protestant side, Albert Mohler of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says “this is a wake-up call.” What exactly is it we should wake up to?

In a word: deception. Jesus warned of increased deception before His return—we are all at risk. “Warn each other every day... so that NONES [emphasis added] will be deceived by sin and hardened against God” (Heb. 3:13). (Yes, that is  a play on words.)  Many of these "nones" were once part of us.

At one time in my life, I was one of the “nones.” In my confusion and hurt, I was easy prey for Satan’s schemes. I was (as are today’s “nones”) a casualty of Satan’s war against the Church. Paul says we should be gentle with these “nones”—that they will come to their senses and escape from the devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants (2 Tim. 2:26). Significantly, an antonym to the word “none” is SOME.  Let us remember “and such were SOME of you” (1 Cor. 6:11).

Why?

This summer has seen a plague of extreme weather events in the US, from thunderstorms that knocked out power for millions, to the heat wave the produced a crop-destroying drought. And just in the last 30 days, Americans have witnessed 2 violent massacres—in a Colorado theater and a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin. How do most people explain such suffering?

Recently I read an article that said Americans, unlike the rest of the citizens of our planet who accept suffering as a normal part of life, see suffering as wrong, something that interferes with the natural flow of life.  Given that, I think many Americans see suffering as something to be tolerated (“This too will pass”).  Is it any wonder the average person seems surprised when disaster strikes (“why is this happening to me?”). To the degree you and I are affected by this cultural view of suffering, we too will ask the “why” question.

Peter says, “Beloved, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, rejoice that these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world” (1 Pet. 4:12-13).  Though many attempts have been made to understand it, there can be no explanation for suffering apart from this eternal perspective.  

The President and the Pill: Declaring War on the Church

Last week, the White House announced that the final rule on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) mandates coverage of birth control even if the employer happens to be a religious institution that objects to it.  This will be a particular issue for the Roman Catholic Church which employs 1,000's in its 600 hospitals (Catholics and non-Catholics alike), and does not offer such coverage to any of  them.

Ironically, the Catholic Church was one of Obama’s strongest allies in his health care initiatives. But now they are angry.  The Obama administration has no plans to reverse its decision even though the Bishops have signaled their intention to defy the law rather than to violate their conscience.

What is the significance of this for us? Well, beyond the obvious First Amendment issue, it is an example of the secularization of America. Secularization neutralizes religious ideas and institutions until they have lost their social and moral significance, and have no influence on society. (Europe has been secularized.)  Scripture says the true Church will decline in influence at the last days, as apostasy increases.  Who can argue that the Church no longer has the influence it once did. The Obama ruling is a test of that influence; we should pay attention to how this plays out.  Something is going on here between the President and the Church that is more important than the pill.