Spirituality and Secularism

We currently live in an age of dualities: pro-life or pro-choice, sexually active or abstinent, secular or Christian. However, due to the shifting moral landscape in modern society, the lines demarcating these worldviews (and other contentious moral issues) are becoming blurred. Ever since mankind started to adopt a more mechanistic view of the human body in lieu of a teleological one, society at large has appeared to lose the respect and reverence it once had for the wonders of being a person crafted by God with a specific purpose. This change in perspective significantly affects moral views on multiple subjects. First and foremost, the perception of Christianity has vastly changed. According to a 2007 survey, nearly 50 percent of churchgoers under thirty “perceive Christianity to be judgmental, hypocritical, and too political”, leaving no reason why there is a decline in church attendance (Pearcey, 2010).

The increased liberalization among young Christians has opened the doors for them to align themselves with concepts that contradict Christian values, such as being pro-choice, pro-euthanasia, or supporting homosexuality and the relatively new concept of being transgender. Sex itself is also becoming a much more murky issue for Christians to deal with, due to the rise of hook-up culture. The body is being viewed more now as a tool than a temple, and an increasing amount of young people are trying in vain to separate emotions from sexual activity. The assumption that there are clear lines between physical action and emotion is an incorrect one, as many who actively engage in hooking up discover. Sexuality is also being pushed on the nation’s youth at a much younger age, causing sex itself to become associated with being emotionally detached instead of being in a loving relationship. Modern publications make “no hint that sexuality has any moral or social significance…instead sexuality is portrayed as an exchange of physical services between two autonomous, disconnected individuals. It’s sex as commodity” (Pearcey, 2010). This shift may be irreversible, but hopefully the new mindset isn’t irresistible to the increasingly wayward youth of the nation.

Reference

Pearcey, N. (2010). Saving Leonardo: A call to resist the secular assault on mind, morals, & meaning. Nashville: B&H Publishing.