Are We Now In a Post-Post Christian Pagan Australia? - The Gospel Coalition | Australia

Are We Now In a Post-Post Christian Pagan Australia? - The Gospel Coalition | Australia

John McClean writes: "I grew up being told that Western culture was trading on a Christian heritage without appreciating it. That is still true in terms of the structures and institutions of society. But it in terms of worldview there is almost nothing left on which to trade.

"Most of the opinion leaders and culture shapers in the West are not reacting against a culture which has been shaped by Christianity; they, largely, know nothing about the Christian past. Our society, at least on cultural leading edges, is post-post-Christian.

"And by 'pagan', I mean that people operate without any overarching, coherent, religion or worldview....

"Christian moral orthodoxy is rejected and critiqued. Our views of sexuality, and of life and death, are considered false and dangerous. For many of our non-Christian neighbours the conviction that the marriage is life-long commitment and that sex is only for marriage seems bizarre, oppressive and abusive. Religious education teachers are instructed to not present Christian sexual morality in school classes, because its 'judgementalism' is potentially damaging to students....

"Living as a Christian is always a difficult calling; but the more clearly we are out of step with our society and under suspicion, the more obviously difficult it is. Christians are seriously wondering if they can be open about their convictions and work in the public service, big corporates, the wedding industry, medicine and education (to list just a few)....

"Recently a minister told me about a migrant family, who had been coming along to church, and seemed interested in gospel, but suddenly stopped. When he followed up with them, the mother was clear about the reason they were not attending: 'I don't want my kids to become Christians. It will make it harder for them to get on in life'."