PDATE Reflections on 2015: A Most “Interesting” Year ... · Russell Moore, Onward: Engaging the...
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Jan / Feb 2016 The Areopagus Calendar A SEMINAR IN CULTURAL APOLOGETICS: Secular Humanism and Political Correctness in ‘Post-Christian’ America The philosophical, historical and religious factors that undermined America’s traditional social and cultural values and led to the dominance of secular humanism and ‘political correctness’. Tuesdays, Jan. 12 - April 26 7:00 PM Perimeter Church Midtown Auditorium — and — Wednesdays, Jan. 13 - April 27 7:00 PM Johnson Ferry Baptist Church Room 108 Christianity Thru the Centuries: From Augustine to the Crusades An ongoing study, led by Jefrey Breshears, that explores the major people, issues, and events in Christian history. This course focuses on Augustine, the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the early medieval period. Sundays – 11:15 AM Johnson Ferry Baptist Church Room 270 Winter Seminars w w w w w w w Reflections on 2015: A Most “Interesting” Year Jefrey Breshears An old Chinese curse says, “May you live in interesting times!” We certainly are doing that – although most of what is happening seems to be for the worse. Sure, standards of living continue to rise for many Americans, and we have more material possessions, more entertainment options, and more sophisticated techno-gadgets than ever before. But how does all of this affect what really matters: our spiritual development and the cultivation of our soul? Is a cluttered, frenetic and distracted life really indicative of a quality life? And what about the state of our culture? Many older adults often comment that the pace of life seems to accelerate the closer they near the end. If that’s true for cultures as well as for individuals, the events of 2015 seem to indicate that were hurtling toward an abyss. America today seems (literally) hell-bent on committing cultural suicide. If you understand what’s going on in our society and culture today, and if you care, consider yourself part of the moral minority. Most people, including many professing Christians, are either oblivious to what’s happening (often through willful ignorance), or else they support it. And of course, for liberals and self-styled “progressives,” much of what’s going on is cause for celebration. This has been an exceedingly turbulent year as much of the world is in utter chaos. Iran is in the process of developing nuclear weapons while Vladimir Putin is aggressively expanding Russian influence in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, yet many astute world observers warn that the greatest threat to world stability continues to be China. Meanwhile, as ISIS jihadists carry out their sadistic war on civilization, entire communities of Christians in Iraq and Syria have been exterminated. Thousands of Christians have been murdered, thousands more Christian women (and children) have been raped and brutalized, and over a million have fled areas where they and their ancestors have lived for nearly two thousand years. As a result, Europe has been swamped by refugees from the Middle East. In terms of the level of violence in the world, the Paris attacks on November 13 were merely the tip of the iceberg. But the most insidious threats facing us today come not from without but from within. American society and culture is rotting at the core, and the cancer that is destroying any last vestiges of Christian influence in our nation is radical secularism – or more specifically, what the Marxist philosopher Herbert Marcuse called “libertarian socialism.” For example: Twenty years ago the issue of same-sex marriage wasn’t even on the liberal agenda, and until 2012 both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton publicly supported traditional marriage – as did the majority of Americans. But in just a few years a powerful coalition of political and cultural elites, in alliance with the LGBTQ lobby and the liberal mainstream media, have aligned to undermine and alter this very foundation of social and moral stability. The future impact that this and other immoral (Continued on the back page) UPDATE
Transcript of PDATE Reflections on 2015: A Most “Interesting” Year ... · Russell Moore, Onward: Engaging the...
Jan / Feb 2016
The Areopagus Calendar
A SEMINAR IN CULTURAL APOLOGETICS:
Secular Humanism andPolitical Correctness in ‘Post-Christian’ America
The philosophical, historical and religiousfactors that undermined America’s
traditional social and cultural values andled to the dominance of secular
humanism and ‘political correctness’.
Tuesdays, Jan. 12 - April 267:00 PM
Perimeter ChurchMidtown Auditorium
— and — Wednesdays, Jan. 13 - April 27
7:00 PMJohnson Ferry Baptist Church
Room 108
Christianity Thru the Centuries:From Augustine to the CrusadesAn ongoing study, led by Jefrey Breshears,
that explores the major people, issues,and events in Christian history.
This course focuses on Augustine, thefall of the Western Roman Empire, and
the early medieval period.
Sundays – 11:15 AMJohnson Ferry Baptist Church
Room 270
Winter Seminars
w w w w w w w
Reflections on 2015:A Most “Interesting” Year
Jefrey Breshears
An old Chinese curse says, “May you live in interesting times!” Wecertainly are doing that – although most of what is happening seems to be forthe worse. Sure, standards of living continue to rise for many Americans, andwe have more material possessions, more entertainment options, and moresophisticated techno-gadgets than ever before. But how does all of this affectwhat really matters: our spiritual development and the cultivation of our soul?Is a cluttered, frenetic and distracted life really indicative of a quality life? Andwhat about the state of our culture? Many older adults often comment thatthe pace of life seems to accelerate the closer they near the end. If that’s truefor cultures as well as for individuals, the events of 2015 seem to indicate thatwere hurtling toward an abyss. America today seems (literally) hell-bent oncommitting cultural suicide.
If you understand what’s going on inour society and culture today, and if youcare, consider yourself part of the moralminority. Most people, including manyprofessing Christians, are eitheroblivious to what’s happening (oftenthrough willful ignorance), or else theysupport it. And of course, for liberals andself-styled “progressives,” much ofwhat’s going on is cause for celebration.
This has been an exceedingly turbulentyear as much of the world is in utterchaos. Iran is in the process ofdeveloping nuclear weapons whileVladimir Putin is aggressively expandingRussian influence in Eastern Europe andthe Middle East, yet many astute worldobservers warn that the greatest threat toworld stability continues to be China.
Meanwhile, as ISIS jihadists carry outtheir sadistic war on civilization, entirecommunities of Christians in Iraq andSyria have been exterminated.Thousands of Christians have beenmurdered, thousands more Christianwomen (and children) have been rapedand brutalized, and over a million havefled areas where they and their ancestorshave lived for nearly two thousand years.
As a result, Europe has been swampedby refugees from the Middle East. Interms of the level of violence in theworld, the Paris attacks on November 13were merely the tip of the iceberg.
But the most insidious threats facingus today come not from without butfrom within. American society andculture is rotting at the core, and thecancer that is destroying any last vestigesof Christian influence in our nation isradical secularism – or more specifically,what the Marxist philosopher HerbertMarcuse called “libertarian socialism.”
For example: Twenty years ago theissue of same-sex marriage wasn’t evenon the liberal agenda, and until 2012 both Barack Obama and Hillary Clintonpublicly supported traditional marriage – as did the majority of Americans. But injust a few years a powerful coalition ofpolitical and cultural elites, in alliancewith the LGBTQ lobby and the liberalmainstream media, have aligned toundermine and alter this very foundationof social and moral stability. The futureimpact that this and other immoral
(Continued on the back page)
UPDATE
— APOLOGETICS —
Craig L. Blomberg, Can We Still Believe the Bible? An EvangelicalEngagement with Contemporary Questions (Brazos Press)
— CULTURAL APOLOGETICS —
Russell Moore, Onward: Engaging the CultureWithout Losing the Gospel (B&H Publishing)
— CHRISTIAN HISTORY —
Everett Ferguson, Church History, Vol. 1 (Zondervan)
John Woodbridge and Frank James, Church History, Vol. 2 (Zondervan)
— CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY —Greg Peters, The Story of Monasticism: Retrieving an Ancient
Tradition for Contemporary Spirituality (Baker Academic)
www.TheAreopagus.org
The Areopagus Calendar
The Current Status of ISLAM in theMiddle East, Europe and America
A presentation byIraj Ghanouni
Founder and president of theChristian Center for Islam Awareness
Thursday, February 18th
7:30 PMPerimeter Church
Fellowship Hall
Winter Forums2015
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Three recommended films of 2015with significant theological, philosophical,
and/or socio-cultural themes
Reflections on 2015(continued)
public policies will have on religious libertycan scarcely be imagined.
Political incompetence and corruption,social incivility, an unprecedented heroinand methamphetamine epidemic, anindescribably decadent popular culture, ageneral disregard for the rule of law, racialpolarization, a war on police, uncheckedillegal immigration, and infantile campusprotests further dramatize the fact that oursociety is coming unraveled and our cultureis breaking down on every front.
In response to all this, our Areopagusseminar for winter 2016 is Part 1 of a two-part series on cultural apologetics, “SecularHumanism and Political Correctness in‘Post-Christian’ America,” in which wewill examine the philosophical andhistorical origins of secularism and how ithas managed to undermine, marginalize,neutralize, and eradicate most vestiges ofChristian influence in our culture. This is animportant course for understanding ourtimes and how Christians should respond,and I hope you will join us for this study.
