Ways of the Lord

In the 70”s Francis Schaeffer had already noted, “ …much of the church is no help here either, because for so long a large section of the church has only been teaching a relativistic humanism using religious terminology”. From “How Should We Then Live?” 1976

Relativistic humanism using religious terminology. Ouch.

Of course in the 70’s I would’ve said “no way brother we’re on fire for Jesus.” Actually a few years ago I would’ve said the same thing.

Rushdoony was a voice in the wilderness in the 60’s crying out to the church. He started Chalcedon, laying bread crumbs on the ground, that the church would some day, find their way back. I have since found out there were others even further back. Dabney, after the Civil War for example.

So how does the “Ways of the Lord” contrast with what would be perceived as normal Christian behavior today? Did we lose our way?

It is a humanistic assumption that because we are saved and belong to God that our minds will just automatically get in line with his program. (I know this is a chicken bone in most throats, “ No way! Not if your really saved!!)

But because God himself warned his chosen ones “..that you should no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles In the futility of their mind..( that is, using human reason… see Eve’s example from Genesis, in an unfallen state no less! As example number one)” eph4:17 And “ Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ.” Col2:8 He would not warn us if this wasn’t possibly. This is just so hard to believe. But HE said it.

So Im afraid Swanson is right when he writes that “ …where the law of God has been abandoned, the consciences of men over time can no longer make the fine distinctions between good and evil. As time goes by, the grosser distinctions become equally fuzzy. While the church itself is about a generation behind the rest of the culture in drawing these ethical distinctions, the church bears less and less influence on the minds and lives of its parishioners. This is because the media and the secular education system have far more access to the minds of Christians who patronize them, then does a church which hardly has the courage or the conviction to raise the antithesis of the Lawgiver against the worldview and ethics of the occupational force”… Second Mayflower pg119 emphasis mine

Exhibit A : Vison Forums “Walt Disney, a Christian critique”. Another great cd set from Vision Forum. You can see where Walts vision for normalcy, for what a family is, kind of became a default vision for American families, even Christians. Moralistic goodness, moralism, but disconnected from Gods absolutes of his law word. Disney was at least engaging the culture, even steering it. Most of his errors slipped under most Christians radars and were not even noticed or pointed out or challenged from the pulpits. We have been world view challenged for a long time. I think we were just excited to have something to watch that didn’t overtly offend us.

Doug called one aspect of Walts work the “cute-if-ication of Evil” So long as it was cute, amazing animation, well executed, and great music ,we drank it up and his world view became our worldview along the way. Very good food for thought in this set. Phillips, Botkin, and issac ,Botkins son. Good stuff.

Jeff Baldwin would teach on worldviews, movies, books and literature and he always stressed never ever, ever, go take in a movie or anything of popular culture if you just want to relax and veg out. Rather you must be cogniscent of what your taking in. (taking every thought captive, not only yours but the other ones being shown or expressed around you)

Swanson on the one hand, doesn’t say you shouldn’t go see movies either . He mentions the topic briefly in his war of the worldviews message. But then does emphatically say if you cannot identify worldviews like existentialism, experientialism, etc, etc, in the films, then you have absolutely no business watching them.

A legalist? Or does he take very serious Col2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit...