There is little doubt and very little debate that the United States has become a non-Christian society. We have churches scattered through the towns, cities and countryside like ripe apples hanging on a tree but most contain handfuls of faithful members. There are as many people to be found in the bars on Sunday as in the churches. Our airwaves are saturated with other than a Christian witness seven days a week.  Our land is inundated with porn and pot. Why? How did this happen?

Christians have far too long turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to culture. We have clung to our values and retreated from the stage of ideas. Rather than fight liquor by the drink we allowed big money to control elected politicians. Rather than fight lotteries we accepted their arguments of funding for schools and lower taxes. Rather than reason for God we accepted reasons for abortion. Not wanting to distance a loved one we drew them close no matter their sexual orientation. A few cuss words added flavor to our language. Without so much as a passing thought we incorporate cultural language from the gutter.

How have we become Christians in a non-Christian society? We allowed others to set what we will accept as normal. Television became our entertainment. Words, phrases, behavior and ideas beamed into our homes to entertain did more than make us laugh. The idiot box made us into non-readers, non-thinkers and visual addicts. Things we would never say to our fathers became the substance of parent-child relationships. Respect, courtesy and manners were ridiculed right before our eyes and our brains told us to laugh. What we saw became the normal and what we lived was at odds with that normalcy so we changed.

How did we become a non-Christian society? Examine the theology of the last fifty years. Thou shall not kill became “it’s my body”. The unnatural act became “God made me this way”. Don’t steal turned into “it’s just business”. Go and sin no more became “Jesus never said anything about it”. Christians allowed marginal Christian theologians to vault to the top of the New York Times best seller lists. Self-help became far more important than God-help. Rather than see the larger theological precepts of God’s Word we soaked up one-phrase from one verse theology.

God is love became a mantra for those who hated sin-haters. Non-Christians began to define Christians and theology. Media became the gods of acceptable behavior. Politically correct superceded God-correct. Environmental meant humans were evil. Many paths to God sprang from the pens of political speechwriters, columnists and new age converts. What Christians for two thousand years proclaimed was taken, twisted, vilified and restated into humanistic terms. God became myth and Jesus became a good guy who taught some good stuff.

The church did through half-hearted attempts try to stem the tide of Christian in a non-Christian society. But each big nation-wide campaign funded on a shoestring budget failed. Those efforts failed, not so much because of funding, but for the lack of focus. Denominations have seen the handwriting on the wall for some time and sought to add to their numbers rather than add to the Kingdom of God. Even our present day efforts are segmented, narrow and framed to fit an ego. Conference after conference, seminar after seminar is centered on gaining credibility with a selected demographic for the purpose of enlarging a church or denomination.

What ever happened to Billy Graham-ism? The idea of preaching to save souls?

Christians in a non-Christian society are where they are because they stepped back from the Great Commission.  The Kingdom of God is not denomination or church it is the salvation of souls. Church and denomination are just the tools God uses to build the Kingdom. We are to proclaim Salvation. We are to teach Salvation. We are to offer Salvation. Yes, an old-fashioned word but there is no Salvation apart from Jesus and there is no Kingdom building without Jesus.

The old saying, “divide and conquer” comes to mind. Turn denomination against denomination, church against church. Baptists believe this but the Presbyterians believe differently. They accept this but those over there don’t. Theological differences have a huge impact on how society views “The Church”. For one denomination to ordain gays and other to reject gays for ordination plays into the hands of the Devil and the media. “Controversy sells advertising” is a well-documented media strategy. It has been used, unintentionally, to devastate Christianity in the United States. A fellow once said, “When you give a loaded gun to a killer you can expect to get shot.” Christians dividing over theology have given the killer the gun.

By the same token Christians have “told a lie often enough it became true”. Theology, what we believe about God, changes according to who is speaking. There are volumes and volumes of theological texts written by men and women to explain their understanding of God. Luther, Scofield, Calvin and a thousand others have their ideas in print. The internet has link and page to all manner of thought. Far too many of the great minds that have written, spoken or thought have had their words taken out of context. God as good, God as evil, God as Father, God as woman, God as creation, God as whatever has been stated and accepted by readers. Basic tenets of theology are passed over in favor of making a name, making money or growing an organization.

Make the lie taste better than the truth and you have a winner. Good examples are:  All paths lead to God; God will forgive everyone; Sin is only what you consider to be sin; God is love and because He loves, He will not destroy anyone; It is not wrong to do wrong.

Division and lies have taken their toll on The Church in the United States. The once powerful voice of God has become muted and driven from the conscience of America. It is okay to be a Christian as long as you don’t voice Christian belief. We are told to keep our religion confined to the inside walls of our church. Ours is but one voice in society and not a welcome voice at this time.  For too long, we are told, we have enjoyed favoritism from government. And, we are told to keep doing all those good works, to give charitably but don’t expect any thanks. We are to be careful and lawful so as not to be sued.

Is there hope for the Christian in the non-Christian society? For the Christian there is hope in Jesus for He will save. Is there hope that the society of the United States will become Christian again? Yes, for we believe God is eternal, all-powerful and has the power to save. But, as in the Old Testament, the people were told if they would be healed they must come from their tents and look up and see the serpent on the pole. If the people of the United States remain in their homes and refuse to look there is no hope.

We, Christians, should pray God would raise up leaders from all denominations to stand united in the basic tenets of our faith and proclaim Jesus. We are in desperate need of Christian men and women who are humbled in the presence of Holy God. We need those who will lay aside denominationalism, petty theological positions and ego. We need those who in the words of God (Job 38:11) “This far and no further” take their stand at the foot of the cross of Jesus.