The above is a quote I recently ran across primarily attributed to Henry R. Van Til and secondarily to Paul Tillich (or versa visa based on who you believe).

“Culture is religion externalized.”

Do you agree or disagree with that quote?

To get to what I believe I might reword it a bit.

The moral and ethical state of a culture is a reflection of the love, faith and power of the religions and their people found in its midst.

If that is indeed true, what does the moral and ethical state of the culture in the United States have to say about the love, faith and power of American Christianity?

Also, what does the moral and ethical states of cultures reveal where Islam is the dominant religion?

For those of you who know how much I dislike the concepts of religion and religious, for the purpose of this post I am using religion as a noun encompassing a body of people who worship and serve the Creator …

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:25 (NASB)

Where worship is defined in the words of Jesus to the Samaritan women …

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:21-24 (NASB)

Now this may seem like an odd conclusion to draw, but if culture is indeed religion externalized (and this is not Scripture) then the culture wars that Christians engage in are actually self-incriminating.

If indeed, culture is religion externalized, then the culture wars first and foremost need to be waged within our religion.  Perhaps we need to do a bit of spiritual lumberjack work, both individually and corporately, if we want to see the culture transformed.

Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Matt 7:3-5 (NASB)

Understanding that the culture is not transformed by our so called ‘culture wars’ …

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NASB)

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:17-18 (NASB)

The only transformation that matters is the one where we are being transformed by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.   We often forget whom our struggle is truly against …

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Eph 6:12-13 (NASB)

I find six occurrences of the word fight in the NASB NT, and in each case the concept being described is of the personal good fight of faith … believers are constantly under siege.  Which is why the phrase ‘stand firm’ occurs 8 times in the NT, typically reflecting standing firm in Christ Jesus.

You will see the word defend in some form used multiple times, not so much endorsing the defense of self (guilty!), but regarding the defense of the gospel and our personal hope in that gospel.

Our culture is indeed a reflection of our religion … we have not taken to heart the call to stand firm in Christ … we have not taken to heart the call to defend the gospel.  Yes, there is so much more like faith, hope, love, repentance, obedience, etc.  but the focus of this post is a bit narrower that that.

The world and Satan has laid siege upon the church and in many cases we have not stood firm … but instead have embraced the philosophies of darkness and the dominion of Satan with open arms …

I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. Acts 26:15-18 (NASB)

Never realizing that Satan was indoctrinating us into his schemes of deception … ensnaring us to do his will.

The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 2 Tim 2:24-26 (NASB)

The more people God grants a repentance leading to the knowledge of truth, the more who come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, the more who turn from the darkness to the light, the more who escape from the dominion of Satan into the dominion or kingdom of God …

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Col 1:13-14 (NASB)

Cultures do not simply change.  People change and the cultures they indwell will reflect the changes and transformation of its people … if we want to fight for something, we need to fight the good fight of faith walking and working with the Lord as He rescues people from the domain of darkness and transfers them into the kingdom of Christ Jesus, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Thoughts, comments, opinions, insights and additional Scripture?