Note: I do not think the world is in moral decline. Different? Changing? Yes, but not in moral decline. What we consider moral or immoral is changing, and entrenched, unmoveable Evangelical Christians think this is a sign of moral decay. I am addressing the common Evangelical belief that the world is getting morally worse by the day, especially as the second coming of Christ approaches, and the unsaved are to blame.
Evangelical apologists are fond of blaming non-Christians for the world’s ills. If everyone would only get saved and worship the Evangelical deity, Christian nirvana would arrive. The various culture wars would be fulfilled, with Evangelical churches filled to the brim with people. All would be love, joy, and peace, right?
The Bible puts the blame for the world’s ills on different people; namely Christians. That’s right, Christians are to blame for the sorry state of the world. Second Chronicles 7:14 says:
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Let me break this down. God promises to forgive our sins and heal our land IF and when — and only if and when — Christians (who are called by his name) humble themselves, pray, seek the face of God, and turn from their wicked ways.
Instead of putting Second Chronicles 7:14 into action, Evangelicals blame everyone but themselves for the state of the world. Look at Dr. David Tee’s behavior in the comment section of his post, Is Providing Unbelievers “Evidence” a Waste of Time? By Derrick Thiessen. He accepts no responsibility or accountability for anything. This is standard Evangelical fare. Atheists are to blame. Agnostics are to blame. Catholics are to blame. Pagans are to blame. Humanists are to blame. Liberals are to blame. “Abortionists” are to blame. LGBTQ people are to blame. Immigrants are to blame. Democrats are to blame. Science is to blame. Mainline Christians are to blame. Muslims are to blame. Hollywood is to blame. Rock music is to blame. Satan is to blame. Demons are to blame. Pornographers are to blame. Feminists are to blame. Elvis is to blame. Illegal drugs are to blame. Public schools are to blame. Joe Biden is to blame. Blame, blame, blame, with zero personal accountability.
God will not be mocked, Evangelicals. Whatever you sow, you will reap. Want the world to change? Humble yourself, pray, seek the face of God, and turn [repent] from your wicked ways. And if you do that, not one of you will vote for Donald Trump. That upwards of eighty percent of Evangelicals plan to vote for Trump in November tells me that they haven’t read Second Chronicles 7:14 in a while. Either that or their lust for political and social power drowns out all sense of duty to God and love for their fellow bipeds.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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