Culture Wars
A recent survey confirmed a trend that is of incredible impact: The US has gone from a predominately Christian population to a country where Christians are now less than 50 percent of the US population. (1)
This trend, which has been gaining strength over the past 20 years, is just one of that factors that have coalesced into what is often characterized as “culture wars.” The term refers to the growing polarization of the country.
The left side of the spectrum generally supports abortion – even infanticide - big government solutions to all sorts of issues, open borders and, recently, socialism.
On the right side of the spectrum are those who support conservative, and often traditional Christian, positions. Typically, pro-life and pro-constitution, these folks generally support lawful immigration, strong military, and the rule of law.
This polarization has ushered in a new era that is ominous for Christians. The increasingly vocal left-wing often attempts to marginalize Christians. Making use of social media and the cable news stations, they routinely portray Christians as intolerant and uneducated.
Christians who are visible and verbal about their beliefs are routinely demonized. We’ve all seen the negative comments made about Chick-fil-e, for example, because of its Christian values.
And, despite the world-wide growth of Christianity, persecution of Christians has increased, and the radical Islamists have made Christians the most persecuted religious group in the world.
It is easy for North American Christian businesspeople to look at these trends and dismiss them. Our businesses exist in a world that seems light years away from the heated rhetoric of the cable stations. A common thought is this: “The atheist leftists are in Washington and have nothing to do with my business.” Or, “All this noise and conflict is just the media trying to attract viewers with
sensational and outlandish stories. It has nothing to do with me and my family.”
There may be a grain of truth in those ideas. The moment when these trends hit home, however, is just around the corner. You recall that the Obama administration mandated that businesses, regardless of their ethical positions, had to provide free contraceptives to their employees. That had the potential to touch almost every business.
The IRS, under the Obama administration, routinely delayed applications from conservative groups for non-profit status. You may recall Lois Lerner, the IRS person most clearly associated with this effort, taking the 5th Amendment in her testimony before congress. If you were one of those people trying to form a conservative non-profit organization, the culture wars were impacting you in a dramatic way.
