The same rejection of biblical morality is all too common on these shores as well. Liberal theologians and church leaders display the same embarrassment over the moral teachings of the Bible. Among evangelicals, outright rejection of biblical authority is more rare (at least for now), but too many pulpits remain empty of biblical content and moral confrontation with the issues of the day.
In the confused public square of America's cultural currents, the situation is far worse. Now that God is off limits, we face the morality of the cultural elites and media celebrities.
Evidence of the inevitable confusion that results is seen in the nation's nonsensical moral fireworks over Michael Jackson's arrest for child molestation. Americans seem certain that Jackson's publicly acknowledged behavior--much less his alleged crime--is wrong, even immoral. But why? Will his trial for sexual molestation bring moral clarity to the situation? Probably not. Lawyers like Alan Dershowitz earn their lavish incomes by making certain that moral arguments are kept out of the picture. As Dershowitz instructs young lawyers, "So you want to do good. Don't we all. But when you became a lawyer, you have to define good differently than you did before." Obviously.
Several years ago, a group of boys at Lakewood High School in southern California were arrested as members of a "sexual posse" which kept score at the sport of sexual intercourse with different girls. Several of the boys' fathers said that nothing was wrong with their behavior. Eric Richardson, one of the Lakewood boys, said, "They pass out condoms, teach sex education and pregnancy--but they don't teach us any rules."
Welcome to post-Christian America. All the rules are off--it's everyone for himself. Write your own rules, find your own way, just be sure to leave God out of it. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Rome, warning that "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God has been made plain to them" [Romans 1:18]. God is not mocked. Welcome to Rome--America in the postmodern age.
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R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and host of "The Albert Mohler Program," a daily national radio program broadcast on the Salem Radio Network. Hundreds of articles by Dr. Mohler--along with other helpful materials--may be found at www.albertmohler.com, where you can also access the radio program. To respond to this article, write Dr. Mohler at mail@albertmohler.com. New daily columns will resume August 1, 2004.
Original from Crosswalk
