Dr. Sharon James: there is a war going on between worldviews

War of worldviews

James quotes the apostle Paul, who writes: ‘Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil’ (Ephesians 6:11). “Let’s be clear, we are not talking about physical violence here. The Bible unmistakably tells us that we are engaged in a cosmic conflict. God is the Fountain of all goodness, justice, and beauty. He has an enemy: the father of lies. The Bible calls us to be on guard against the devil's wiles. He seeks to destroy us by denying the ultimate truth. Satan does this by instilling in people that feelings are more important than facts and the belief that you should not hurt with your words.”

She refers to the Nashville Statement published in 2019. “There is a war going on against the Biblical truth which makes clear that God created man and woman. That teaching is interpreted as hate speech. God's design of the family is seen as oppressive male domination. Sexual purity is dismissed as unnatural. Killing unborn children is considered to be a human right. Trying to prevent abortion is seen as detrimental. Ruling is part of the order in creation to curb evil, but many believe that any authority is oppressive. No matter your desire, it is fine, because it expresses your true self. Calling people to repentance is thought to be equal to spiritual abuse.”

James relates that the way she denounces the spirit of this age is not appreciated by all christians. “Some say, ‘Just tell people that Jesus loves them’. But then I respond: we need not be afraid. Jesus taught His disciples to distinguish truth from lies. Lies bear bitter fruit. Consequences are much more obvious when there is a leak: the roof stops the precipitation or you see it leaking. But when it comes to ideas, the results are not always immediately visible. Yet intellectuals can do untold damage. For this, they are rarely called to account. Jesus says: ‘A tree is known by its fruit’ (Matth. 12:33).’’

“There is a war against the biblical truth that makes clear that God created man and woman.”

James lists three lies that, in her view, violate God's truth.

Lie 1: There is no creating God

“Unbelief has been present in every era, but for centuries Christianity was part of our worldview. During the Enlightenment, philosophers started to question sources of authority like the Bible. They argued that we should look at human solutions. God, according to philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872), is a human projection. Ideas of God serve as a religious blanket to comfort us: we created Him instead of the other way around. In 1959, Charles Darwin, in his book ‘The Origin of Species’ stated that life can be explained without any reference to God. A famous humanist aptly put it this way: ‘Man is part of nature, as is a stone, cactus or camel’.’’

Lie 2: There is no absolute morality

“If there is no Supreme Being outside of us, we can set our own rules and so there will be no judgement. Karl Marx (1818-1883) sought the destruction of private property, family, and church. Religious leaders would instill false consciousness in people. Even mass murder could be considered good if it promoted revolution. It is written in Karl Marx's life's work that communism aims to abolish all religion and morality.” James notes that the idea that everyone has their own morality and truth is strongly held today.

“Students are told that it is wrong to talk in terms of ‘truth’ because every person has his own truth.”

James also brings up Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). “He regarded Christian morality as a weak thing. Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’ and ‘Blessed are the meek’. Nietzsche thought that was pathetic. His goal was to expose Christians.” The speaker presents Wilhelm Reich (18977-1957) as one of the founding fathers of the sexual revolution. “He believed that restraining sexual activity would make children unhappy. If Reich is the father of the sexual revolution, Margaret Sanger (1879-1966) is its mother. In her view, stripping away Christian morality would solve human suffering. Reich and Sanger saw themselves as saviours to bring liberation. They wanted to free young people and children from biblical beliefs about marriage and sexuality.

Many now take for granted that sexual fulfilment is essential for living with dignity. If there is no creating God, moral standards are undefined, and social constructions are put in place. Those constructions stem from a worldview that rejects God as Creator. This supports the idea that our desires must be respected and expressed. God's law is regarded as unacceptable oppression. We make our own rules. Today, there is only one rule: ‘to forbid is forbidden’.’’

Lie 3: There is no ultimate truth

“Students are told that it is wrong to talk in terms of ‘truth’ because every person has his own truth. Some activists call for the demise of structures that protect our freedom. ‘Destroy patriarchy,’ they insist. This is an indirect call to destroy the traditional family.”

“A normal family consisting of a father and mother is interpreted as heteronormative oppression.”

How does this affect everyday life? People have been trained to recognise homophobia and racism behind the most innocuous remarks. Today, if a man offers a woman to carry her heavy suitcase, it is an expression of toxic masculinity, because that way the man would claim his power. Similarly, a normal family consisting of a father and mother is interpreted as heteronormative oppression. The result is division and distrust.

“The devil hates God's image-bearers and tries to destroy them by spreading lies. Any expression of masculinity is seen as poisonous. A war against women is taking place because a man must be able to claim to be a woman. In this way, womanhood is effectively eradicated. Also, a war is raging against mothers, as they are encouraged to kill their unborn children. And there is a war against children, as they are killed in the mother's womb and given sexual rights. But the deepest hatred the devil harbours is hatred of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ultimately, there is a war going on against the gospel.”

How should Christians respond?

“As Christians, we stand on the Word of God. Boundless freedom ends in a utopia and produces bitter fruit. Complying with Christ's commandments is the better way. Good ideas bear good fruit. Christians serve others voluntarily because people are created in God's image. Jesus did not come to be served, but to give His life for many. We must maintain confidence that the Biblical worldview provides a solid foundation for human truth, genuine freedom, morality, and human well-being.

In our opposition to the father of lies, we must stand firm while having compassion, in the spirit of Christ, for those who are deceived and corrupted. With tenderness and respect, we denounce lies. The body of Christ shows compassion and reaches out to others. Many people have little hope and are lonely. We have good news for all creation and may share the free grace of the gospel, trusting that Christ reigns.”