Shift_mores

Doug Wilson has written a particularly good piece on postmodernism and conservative response entitled Three Winter Quilts. I enjoyed it for the writing alone, but the message was a good one as well. In the piece, Doug talks about the post 50's/pre-80's change in Evangelical mores that allowed them to take on the liberal satirist with their own sharp satire. Prior to that change, conservative Christianity wouldn't allow them to be sharp with anyone at all. But by the time the 80's had rolled around, conservatives -- both Christian and secular -- had picked up the weapons of sarcasm, satire, and sharpened wit and were holding their own against the acerbic assaults of liberalism. Wilson concludes that the response of the conservative satirist is much more potent because he loves what he defends and has truth on his side.

I enjoyed the piece, but it got me to thinking. What about that decline in mores?

When I was a kid, Mom and Dad took us to the movies on occasion and we were allowed to play cards (no, not gamble, but "Go fish" was okay). However, if Grandma came over, the cards had to be out of sight. You see, everyone knew that Christians don't play cards, go to movies, or dance. Everyone, that is, except my parents, I guess. You see the shift in generational mores here. Was it good? Well, of course, I would think it was. I don't find "Thou shalt not play cards" in my Bible. And while Jesus never did visit a drive-in theater in His day, I can't really imagine that He would find it objectionable ... to a point. In other words, I suspect that the shift in the two generational mores here was a supportable shift from unnecessary rules to a more biblical perspective.

This concept still continues, however, and the question has to remain: Is it good? My parents taught me that rock and roll was evil. My mom has finally acquiesced to "No, I just don't like it at all" while my dad still suspects it is evil, but I don't think that the rythm of a particular song defines its moral character. That's a shift in moral perspective. Is it good? I like to think so.

Other areas are also in flux. Every Christian used to know that smoking was a sin. It not only was evil; it made you smell like you came from Hell itself. What further proof did you need???!! Well, that's in question now. And clearly Christians should never touch alcohol, but modern conservative Christians aren't convinced. There are words used in Doug Wilson's piece that would never have passed my lips as a young Christian that are now passé in today's conversations. (Actually, Doug has trouble with the word as well, referring to it as "the other part of the compound word".)

It begs the question. How much of this shift is a cultural shift that simply aligns current Christianity with biblical Christianity, and how much is a dip into worldly standards? Aligning with biblical Christianity is a good thing; aligning with the world is bad. Which is it?

We've introduced rock and roll into church services as "worship music". Is that a good thing? I don't mean "good thing" in the sense that "people like it". Of course they like it. But is rock and roll music ... worshipful? Is God pleased? Some pastors have loosened their lips, so to speak, allowing mild expletives into their sermons. Does this help get the gospel across, or is it a violation of Ephesians 4:29 and the like? (Note to the more conservative reader: the biblical reference to "cursing" or "swearing" is not the same as our use of the term. Be careful about trying to apply that concept to this one.) What was considered acceptable to the liberals has now become acceptable to the conservatives, and the realm of unacceptable continues to dip lower and lower. Some of that is an adjustment from conventional Christianity to biblical Christianity, but I'm certain that a good portion of it is a realignment from Christianity to worldliness.

I am in favor of aligning our mores with the biblical perspective. At times that can be extremely difficult. It violates the cultural norms. It can be difficult to figure out exactly what is meant by "unwholesome words" in Eph. 4:29. Does 1 Cor. 6:19 forbid smoking or is that taking it out of context? Exactly what is "worship music"? We need to consider all these and align our thinking with the truth of Scripture, even if that means tossing out treasured, long-held positions. On the other hand, we must not -- we dare not -- allow a decay from biblical morality to cultural morality without even thinking about it. The problem, of course, is that such a decay is natural and almost imperceptible. It is deadly, but it is often hard to recognize.

I enjoyed Doug's analysis of the new conservative ability defend truth with edgy humor. It just raises a flag in my head to be careful about allowing shifts in what we allow that don't align with what God allows, since He, not our culture, is the one whose opinion matters.