Secular Society and the Falling Away of Christianity

Have you noticed how we take so much of what is Christian society for granted, and in many ways nowadays we seem to want to give it away? What do I mean?...

Much of the Western world can be said to have originated and evolved as a Christian society. Catholicism has influence over large sectors of society, for example, many Spanish cultures are rooted in Catholicism. Missionary roots spread far and wide. Of course, not everything done by Christians has been all good in the world, but consider how different many parts of society would be if this had not started from a Christian basis. There is democracy. Human rights. Charitable organisations. Of course, many other religions practice this too, but I speak from a Christian viewpoint, as I am a Christian. And I notice how much of what used to be Christian society is changing and morphing. Christmas and Easter are still set aside as days to commemorate in the Western World, but may be celebrated in a secular manner, for example, at a Christmas parade one year I saw a symbol from another religion as part of the procession. Umm, another religion as part of a Christian parade? Of course, the organisers would see nothing wrong with this, as they probably view Christmas as a retail festival, not a commemoration of Jesus Christ's birth, yet one of the Ten Commandments is to honour God alone and not to worship other gods, and of course a symbol from another religion falls into the category of another god, and it is therefore an affront to Christianity to include this as part of a Christmas (Christian) procession. If you are not a Christian, I am not saying it is wrong for you to have your own religious beliefs, as I fully believe each person needs to make his or her own choices, I am trying to show how secular society is changing the norms, and how Christmas no longer means Christian to many people, even to some Christians. But how can it not! And sometimes Christians themselves are responsible for allowing encroachment of their religion.

Culture and religion are often intertwined, yet a hallmark of some previously largely Christian societies seems to be to disown their own roots. I have heard many say in one particular secular society that people should not to say Merry Christmas, and should instead use the words Happy Holidays instead, in case someone is offended by the term Christmas. A previously largely Christian society may therefore embrace other religions at the expense of her own founding religion, and may see other religions as interesting. Does this happen in societies where other religions dominate too? For example, there are many secular Jewish people in Israel, I am told, who no longer believe in God. But will Jewish society give away her own culture willingly to actively appease the religion and culture of others? Will they tell people not to talk of Yom Kippur in case a Christian is offended? Somehow I doubt this. But for some reason, Christianity is being eroded in this manner, and then the new society says she is being fair to all. I do wonder what future secular society will look like. I would like to see a secular society where people can be themselves, including Christians, without fear of offending other people, and where the phrase Merry Christmas is not frowned upon. What happens if a new religion or culture dominates a previously Christian society? Will the new religion or culture be so all embracing and self effacing as some previous Christian societies seem to be, at the expense of their own beliefs?

Is it possible to be truly secular, and to allow everyone their own beliefs, including allowing Christians to say Christ in public? It must be so! Or is it often Christians themselves who doubt their own beliefs, and are not willing to stand for scrutiny, and thereby effectively give their beliefs away? If you are a Christian who becomes uncomfortable when the question of God is raised, all you need say is "I believe in God the Father and Jesus His Son"--you do not need to defend, you do not need to debate, you only need to believe and to be. Allow others the dignity to be themselves, and allow yourself the same, and be proud of your God.