In this article we'll take a brief look at the new secular faith. This secular faith could be called the new American religion. The word "secular" means having to do with temporal rather than eternal spiritual matters (Websters). A secularist is skeptical (unbelieving) in religious matters. Secularism can also be called "philosophical naturalism" which is the view that recognizes the existence of nature alone.
Secularism is the dominant religion of the United States. Although relatively few Americans would call themselves secular this does not diminish the fact that secularism is the dominant political and cultural force. Secularism is the dominant religion but not the majority religion in the USA.
A major way that secularism has attained this dominance is by driving Christianity out of the public schools. The secular worldview is imposed on America's children at taxpayer expense. Because of this secular indoctrination, even children who maintain some nominal belief in God tend to adopt a secular mindset and live like atheists.
Secularism has sought to replace the blessed Trinity. In place of God the Father secularists have substituted "chance." Secularists believe that life evolved by chance (random accidents). They believe that swirling chemicals randomly came together to form DNA which is a complex molecule consisting of millions of chemical base pairs arranged in perfect order. Then by pure happenstance a cell membrane and mitochondria and other cellular parts formed and just assembled into a living cell. It's more likely for a tornado to run through a junkyard and assemble a car out of junk than it is for a cell to form by chance!!
Modern biology ever more reveals the immense complexity of single-celled life. Nevertheless many powerful secularists still cling to their absurd view of life origins and their god called chance.
The secularists have replaced the Son of God, Jesus, with self. G. F. Hegel (1770 - 1831) said that "government is god upon the earth." While today's secularists certainly believe in big totalitarian government their emphasis is more upon the self. Secularists embrace the postmodern notion that truth is created in the human mind by the human will. They would say "The truth is within you; self is god upon the earth; you are your own god; you are your own redeemer."
The secularists have replaced the Holy Spirit with the power of the occult. Ironically, many secularists who reject the supernatural work of God eagerly embrace the mystical occult realm. Halloween has greatly increased in popularity. Secularists seek out channelers (mediums) to access the spirit world. They do not realize they are contacting fallen angels and opening themselves up to curses.
Let us pray for our secular loved ones that they will see the emptiness and error of secularism. May they turn to God who loves them. God has sent His Son Jesus to die for their sins. Jesus came in fulfillment of over 300 Bible prophecies and worked miracles to prove His authority as Messiah of Israel.
The Bible is scientifically accurate! Find the evidence at www.icr.org.
Steps to salvation:
Jesus said "Ye must be born again." (John 3:7)
- Believe that God created you and loves you and sent the Messiah (Messiah is Hebrew for Christ) to redeem you.
- Believe that Jesus the Messiah came in fulfillment of over 300 Bible prophecies to die for you to take upon Himself the penalty for your sins. (Isaiah 53:5-6, John 6:29, Romans 4:5, First Peter 3:18)
- Turn from sin and call on the name of Jesus to receive forgiveness. (Romans 10:13)
- Receive Jesus as Savior and experience the new birth. (John 1:12, Acts 2:38)
- Follow Him as Lord. (John 14:21)
"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13)
To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:
"Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen."
If you prayed that prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!
Bill Nugent, Overcomer Ministries of West Harrison, New York, USA
(C) 2010 William P. Nugent, permission granted to email or republish if credit given
Read Bill Nugent's award winning Christian book, Lawful or Legalistic: How New Testament Believers Must Understand Old Testament Laws. For more information and to order click here.
Return to the Defending the Faith Archive
DEFENDING THE FAITH
APOLOGETIC ARTICLES
Bill Nugent currently writes a series of articles called "Defending the Faith" which, as the title suggests, defend the Christian faith from the many attacks leveled against it in our postmodern world.
The articles deal with such topics as evolution, UFOs, cults, modern/postmodern philosophy, liberal theology and popular culture. At the end of each article is an invitation to receive Christ as Savior and Lord. These articles are sent out over the Internet to several opt-in email lists. People who receive these articles are encouraged to resend them to their own lists and in this way reach their own unsaved relatives and friends with the Gospel.
All Defending the Faith articles are © 2009 William P. Nugent, permission is granted to email or republish if credit given.
To receive these articles which are sent out once per month fill in your email address below and click the SUBMIT button.
|
