Full Strength Christianity: Modern Secularism

This is the first part in my series on Full Strength Christianity.

Modern Secularism is the overriding cultural framework of Western cultures.   It is through this lens, by which governments, Western institutions and the public make their decisions.  Any positions outside of this Overton Window, are viewed with suspicion and feelings of discomfort. I know when I hear someone say something politically incorrect, I even tend to wince.

Secularism is normally described as creating a separation between religion and state.  This means that all religions can function together under this framework, without coming into conflict.

Nowadays, I am reading some secularists say religious leaders are simply ‘social influencers’.  Describing their role in purely materialistic terms. Denying their spiritual and metaphysical function. They are only there to help influence the congregations to make the right choices, in order to be good secular citizens.

Having said this, Secularism comes out of Christianity.

Colossians 1 v 16-17

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

This verse describes how the framework of Reality is sourced in Christ.  It is held together in Him.  All the opposites find their resolution through Him. In a Christian society, secularism is used to weave in non-Christian groups into the community, recognising Christ’s role as the universal integrator.

A leader of an East Asian country, possibly Malaysia or Indonesia, commented that secularism creates a back door for Christianity (I can’t find who said the comment). He implied that because of this, Secularism should be banned from the country.

So, since Christianity has now been removed as the overriding framework in Western countries, all we have left is the Secular State.  This is now the arbiter of reality, wherein all opposites and extremes are expected to be reconciled together.

The Secular State still relies on Christian ethics, but without this metaphysical root, it struggles to bring the opposites together in communion. So a secular society, without a suitable metaphysical root, will eventually collapse into a dialectic process. Where all different identity groups begin vying for control. An equilibrium will be reached, but who knows at what cost.

What is a Religion?

In ancient times, religion equated to carrying out your ‘civic duty’.  This is different to the modern conception where it is a belief system centred around the metaphysical.

The ancient view would clearly place Modern Secularism in the subset of a religion.  In the modern secular state, we pay taxes.  We have politically correct speech.  We have secular events like Remembrance Days, Nationalist Days and days where we commemorate famous people. All of these we are expected to honour. This is no different to Rome. They paid taxes to the temples, they had things you had to say and the gods and heroes were honoured. The Roman world would indeed view modern secularist societies as religious. 

So when people say they are secular, this generally means their idea of civic duty or ‘religion’ is linked to the axioms of the Western nation state rather than Christianity (or any other religion).   In the ancient sense, every civilised person is religious. There is no secular.

Am I Anti-Secular?

No, as long as secularism is subservient to Christ, it is a good framework to bring people together in a multi-ethnic society. The universal outlook of Christianity provides a suitable underpinning for secularism. Without it, we often see a strong centralised state power is needed to bring a multi-cultural society together.

Which Way Western Christian?

The Christian today needs to choose whether they place Christ above Western Secular ‘religion’ or make Christ part of the subset of historical ‘social influencers’.  Christians need to understand who defines the framework of reality, the Modern secular state or Christ Himself?

Should Christians place the primary concerns of the Modern Secular order above the Gospel?

Or in other words, do we believe in Christ’s supremacy or Secular supremacy?