OUR NATIONAL DIVIDE: SECULAR MORALITY VERSUS THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW — PART 4D

This is the fourth part of the following topic in bold below.

Are The Conflicts That Arise Because Of The Differences Between The Christian Worldview And Secular Morality The Cause Of Our National Divide?

What is the subtopic in this post?

Do Our Political Divisions Match Our Religious Divisions?

Making Sense Of The Last Three Posts

When we compare American Christians with American Secularists to determine what divides us, there are no obvious differences, but Christianity and Secularism are different. Christians and Secularists have different ways of resolving moral issues. In the last three posts, we discussed the formation of our consciences, the origins of modern Secular morality, and the differences in the way Christians and Secularists view humility, the opposite of pride. Why? How does the formation of our consciences, our view of morality, and our regard for humility create the potential for conflict? Let’s summarize the differences.

Conscience

Both Christians and Secularists begin the formation of their consciences the same way. Both pay attention to the feedback that they receive from those around them. The Christian, however, considers a mature conscience one that regards the All-Seeing Spectator as the final authority on right and wrong. The Secularist, on the other hand, does not overtly points to such a final authority. Nevertheless, what a Secularist considers a properly formed conscience depends upon whom he turns to as his final authority.

The Origin of Secular Morality

Because we share America’s Christian heritage, Christians and Secularists still share similar ideas about what constitutes right and wrong. However, because we turn to different arbiters to resolve moral issues, the divide between Christians and Secularists is rapidly increasing.  Whereas Christians use the Bible as their source of wisdom and truth, Secularists claim to seek the greatest happiness for all. Therefore, Secularists effectively use a “majority vote” to decide moral issues.

The Definition of Humility

Christians see humility primarily as a willing obedience to God. Secularists/Atheists define humility in terms of the collective, putting the needs of the group above the needs of the individual.

The Christian puts his faith in the wisdom of God, as manifested by the Bible, and the Secularist put his faith in the wisdom of man, worldly wisdom usually as manifested by the government. That difference, because Secularists demand that all of us must humble ourselves before the will of the majority — the demands of the government — creates a severe problem for Christians. Secularists, because their final authority on the collective will and morality is government, must almost inevitably demand that Christians render unto Caesar that which they can only rightfully render unto God. 

Different Sources Of Wisdom

Christian Wisdom

Christians believe wisdom comes from God through His Word.

Psalm 111:10 New American Standard Bible

10 The ^[a]fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

All those who ^[b]follow His commandments have a good understanding;

His praise endures forever.

And Christians believe in asking for wisdom from God.

Psalm 25:4-5 New American Standard Bible

4 Make me know Your ways, Lord;

Teach me Your paths.

⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation;

For You I wait all the day.

What is the gain of Godly wisdom? Among other things? Peace.

James 3:13-18 New American Standard Bible

Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and ^[a]selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, ^[b]natural, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and ^[c]selfish ambition exist, ^[d]there is disorder and every evil thing. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, ^[e]reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, ^[f]impartial, free of hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace ^[g]by those who make peace.

Secular Wisdom

What do Secularists uphold as their sources of wisdom? Consider Abraham Maslow – Wikipedia => https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Maslow#Hierarchy_of_needs.

Note that Maslow’s Hierarchy describes a godless progression of needs from entirely fleshly to more spiritual needs. What exactly is Self-actualization? That depends upon the person.

Self-Actualization Needs

At the very peak of Maslow’s hierarchy are the self-actualization needs. “What a man can be, he must be,” Maslow explained, referring to the need people have to achieve their full potential as human beings.

According to Maslow’s definition of self-actualization, “It may be loosely described as the full use and exploitation of talents, capabilities, potentialities, etc. Such people seem to be fulfilling themselves and to be doing the best that they are capable of doing. They are people who have developed or are developing to the full stature of which they capable.”

Self-actualizing people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others, and interested in fulfilling their potential.

The 5 Levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (verywellmind.com)

What motivates people to self-actualize? That is not clear. Do we actually have to satisfy other needs lower in the pyramid before we attempt self-actualization? No, but why not?

Comparing Christian With Secular Wisdom

Maslow himself thought his hierarchy incomplete. So, there is an expanded model of Maslow’s Hierachy that includes Transcendence needs.

Transcendence needs – A person is motivated by values which transcend beyond the personal self (e.g., mystical experiences and certain experiences with nature, aesthetic experiences, sexual experiences, service to others, the pursuit of science, religious faith, etc.).

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs | Simply Psychology

How do Transcendence needs fit into Secularism? They don’t. What Transcendence needs point out is that something or SOMEONE pulls us upward towards the spiritual from the needs of the flesh. Christians would say that is God.

What is wisdom without God?

Ecclesiastes 2:12-17 New American Standard Bible

¹² So I turned to consider wisdom, insanity, and foolishness; for what will the man do who will come after the king, except what has already been done? ¹³ Then I saw that wisdom surpasses foolishness as light surpasses darkness. ¹⁴ The wise person’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that one and the same fate happens to ^[a]both of them. ¹⁵ Then I said ^[b]to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also happen to me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So ^[c]I said to myself, “This too is futility.” ¹⁶ For there is no ^[d]lasting remembrance of the wise, along with the fool, since in the coming days everything will ^[e]soon be forgotten. And how the wise and the fool alike die! ¹⁷ So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was ^[f]unhappy to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

The Wisdom of Man

Without God, consider our three primary sources of wisdom.

• Educational Indoctrination. Because of the Secularist/teachers union opposition to school choice, most children and college student receive their education in government-run schools. Since politicians sell access to our children to the highest bidders, the controversy over what should be taught in the public schools is constantly expanding. Ostensibly, the role of the public schools is to teach the 3 R’s, reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, the list of ideologies taught in the public schools is constantly expanding. Therefore, teachers preach on Multiculturalism, Environmentalism, Socialism, Secularism, Humanism, Establishmentarianism, Transgenderism, Feminism, and so forth. Sex education, because it has become so ridiculous, stands out, but anyone who believes in religious freedom and parental rights should wonder why the public schools still exist. Apparently, the object is to undermine the Christian faith.
• Mass Media Indoctrination. The mass media does not exist to inform us, entertain us, or to make us better people. The mass media exists to provide an audience for advertisers. Hence, the mass media will do anything to draw attention to the products that marketers want to sell us, whether we need these products or not. Hence, the mass media is full of sex, violence, and “edgy” ideas. Unless we hold it accountable by refusing to listen to and watch their junk — refuse to watch anything except decent content — the mass media exists merely to tempt us with the least expensive garbage it can produce.
• Government Funded/Required Indoctrination. To indoctrinate both their employees and the public in Secular morality, government and corporations spend huge sums of money. For example government agencies are currently filling the air waves with ads encouraging us to wear masks, and government agencies and corporations are paying to have their employees given bias training. In effect, government is forcing people to pay for the propagation of ideas and beliefs with which they may disagree. What is the justification for wasting all this time and money? What is the practical difference from forcing employees to accept instruction in Christian morality, which would be illegal? Political indoctrination is not religious instruction, and the majority approves?

What is the consequence of Secularism? Read Romans 1:18-32 NASB – Unbelief and Its Consequences – For the – Bible Gateway. Then consider the trends in our society, our declining standards of morality.

Previous Posts

This is part of the fourth installment in this series. What were the first three?

• Introducing The Topic
• Does Secularism Provide A Practical Foundation For A Decent Ethical System?
• Does Christianity Provide A Practical Foundation For A Decent Ethical System?
• Are The Conflicts That Arise Because Of The Differences Between The Christian Worldview And Secular Morality The Cause Of Our National Divide?

Where are we at in Part 4 of this series?

• How do we form a mature conscience?: Part 4A
• The origins of the modern Secular morality: Part 4B
• The issue of pride: Last post, Part 4C.
• Do our political divisions match our religious divisions? This post, Part 4D.

Additional References

Christian

• The Source Of True Wisdom | Bible.org
• The Only Source of Wisdom (gty.org)
• The True Meaning of Wisdom – What It Is and How to Get It (biblestudytools.com)
• Americans religious liberty under siege: Worship the state, or else – Washington Times
• Home – Christian Worldview
• What is a Christian worldview? | GotQuestions.org
• Christian worldview – What is it? (compellingtruth.org)
• Objections to Objective Morality | CrossExamined.org
• What are some Christian Worldview Essentials? | CARM.org
• 8 Questions Every Worldview Must Answer – (christianity.com)
• Secular Worldview (allaboutworldview.org)

Secular

• Secular ethics | Psychology Wiki | Fandom (wikia.org)
• How Do Christian Ethics Differ From Secular Ethics? (reference.com)
• What Are the Four Major Ethical Theories? (reference.com)
• Secular Morality (infidels.org)
• Secularism and Humanist Morality | Center for Inquiry
• What is humanism? – Humanists International