Post-Christian America?

The cover of the April 13th edition of Newsweek Magazine struck me and left me wanting to read the cover article. The cover is black and contains in red print the title, "The Decline and Fall of Christian America" - and it is printed in the form of a cross.

The article is based on the results of a new survey that was recently published. The survey, the American Religious Identification Survey reveals a sobering trend in our country. According to this study, the percentage of self-identified Christians as fallen 10 percentage points since 1990, from 86% to 76%. In addition, the number of people willing to describe themselves as atheist or agnostic has increased about four-fold from 1990 to the present, from about 1 million to 3.6 million. Based on these statistics, the article goes on to claim that although Christianity is not dead in America, it's influence upon American culture is declining - and will most likely continue to do so well into the foreseeable future.

Now, I did not need a magazine article or a survey to tell me that. All I have to do is look around. In the past two weeks, for example, two state supreme courts have overturned their own state bans against homosexual marriage (and the Bible is clear that God's plan for marriage is one man, one woman, one flesh for life - see Matthew 19:4-6). The fact that one of these states was Vermont did not surprise me at all. But I was surprised that Iowa's supreme court did the same! Iowa is at America's heartland. But apparently, even in America's heartland, biblical values are on the wane.

So, am I discouraged by all this? Not really. I know that the God we serve is sovereign and all powerful. He has a plan and He is working that plan (just read the book of Revelation, for example). And I also know that where ever it is darkest, the light that is shining shines more brightly! So for us who are devoted followers of Jesus Christ all this means is that we must work intentionally at obeying our Lord's command given to us in Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj