I came across a small, book from the 50’s collecting a series of articles from some Neo-orthodox professors on this subject. I’ll be slowly working through the book. Today’s chapter was written by John C. Bennett.
“Liberal Christianity shared the belief in progress that came to dominate the culture.”
Bennett believes that there are 3 forms of this optimistic belief that we must reject. First is the one that was developed as an alternative to the belief in divine providence and the Christian ideas of redemption. It therefore became a substitute faith- one that did not require personal faith in Christ & Him crucified.
Second we are to reject the belief that progress was inevitable. This left no room for human freedom, being based on a concept more akin to fate than the biblical teaching of providence which mysteriously teaches both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of humans.
Third, we are to reject a view that believes that the major sources of evil can be removed in such a way that the gains received are secure.
“The classical Christian teaching about the universality and persistence of sin has not been the main cause of the rejection of this sober belief in progress though it is the ground for doing so.” We should reject these beliefs precisely because “the deepest roots of sin are spiritual.” We are the problem- meaning people are the problem. Institutions are part of the problem, because they are comprised of people. But getting rid of Nazi Germany, for instance, did not forever remove the lie of supremacy from the human heart.
Check this: “The division is all the deeper because it is caused not only by differences of economic interest or by nationalisitc rivalries, but by a spiritual chasm that for the present destroys communication between those on opposite sides of the conflict.” He was thinking of Germany and the USSR. I am thinking about the Islamo-Fascists. It is not that they prefer their country or economic interest above ours. There is a huge spiritual chasm which means we can’t even have rational dialogue. Their response is to destroy those who are not on their side.
The lie of liberalism (political & religious) is that we can just be diplomatic and talk it out. But, unfortunately they leave no such option open. Hatred so inflames their passions that what they seek is our ultimate destruction by any means necessary.
The other Liberal answer is education. But Bennett says “Education, for example, is a great good, but it will always be difficult to get the right educators; and there is no way of insuring that the educational process will not be perverted by those who have the most political or economic power.”
In other words, it becomes a tool for propoganda. We see this overseas in the Taliban. We see it here as various groups have gotten into power in our colleges and universities. Students are not taught how to think- they are taught what to think. And for all the lip-service to tolerance, they are painfully intolerant to divergent views (like Intelligent Design, conservatism etc.). Using the postmodern politics of power, they seek to destroy those who fundamentally disagree.
Well, there is more in this great chapter to ponder. That will come in #1b
Cavman Considers 
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