Maybe resistance isn’t really all that futile.
Jeff Toler | Shenandoah Christian Alliance
For most of the last 54 weeks, SCA’s Understanding the Times has attempted to instruct, inform and enlighten you, our reader, with an analysis of our current state of affairs… particularly here in America. Like much of the rest of the western world, America is firmly in the grip of a serious struggle for the very soul of humankind.
Originally aimed at encouraging church pastors and teachers of the importance of registering to vote—and vote according to a Christian biblical worldview—UTT evolved into a cultural chronicling of what has become apparently, a rapid descent into madness; a shocking exposition of ideological warfare on the psyche and soul of America.
We have explained the Hegelian dialectic, critical theory, and it’s monstrous cousin, critical race theory.
We have parsed and dissected social justice, cultural hegemony, and woke writ large. For most of us who have always assumed we knew what was going on in the world, and that it didn’t necessarily affect us personally, this brave new age has finally slipped off the cloak of its deceit and, taken off the gloves. We now find ourselves staring into ideological warfare on a scale never really seen before.
It is quite shocking, but not so much because it is terrible, but because it is so brazen. No one is really making any attempt at disguise anymore. The face of evil is looking at us from the network news desk, the press secretary platform, and the Oval Office. Monsters don’t need to look massive and misshapen to slaughter us. They only need to annihilate our collective assumptions of sanity, dignity, and justice.
Western Civilization, is staggering about like a brutally beaten prize fighter about to go down for the count.
This is a hard charge, and it is controversial to say the least, but we simply must face the facts. Western Civilization, with tacitly at least, the Judaeo/Christian understanding and observance of law, the thirst for truth, and the love of liberty, is staggering about like a brutally beaten prize fighter about to go down for the count. We shouldn’t be surprised though. For generations, we have barely bothered to train anymore. We have become weak, slow, and dull-witted. For some, running the race for the prize just doesn’t seem worth the effort to put on our shoes.
At some point during this misadventure, Western Civilization must realize its very existence is on the line. We as a culture must realize we have all the evidence we need that time is not just running out, we need to flip the hourglass, or it’s game over.
Just recently, a new film is being released promoting the call to resist: The Woke Reformation, a series on the true meaning of wokeness, and its illiberal origins. (Warning: graphic language) It is significant because the video interview with Dave Rubin and three of the film’s creators include no Christians—in fact film maker Travis Brown admits he left a very “fundamentalist Christian church.” Yet he manages to discuss the immorality of woke progressives from a very sharply defined perspective of good versus evil. This is something that seems increasingly difficult for many Christians who should know the definition very well.
The film apparently will not be made available on any of the usual venues or platforms. There are a couple of reasons for this: It simply would not survive the censorship. Another, and more prescient reason is this method and manner is the way free speech and thought will be conducted now and in the future. We must pay for this freedom—at the very least, a nominal fee. Virtuous people have always known freedom and liberty come with a price.
But wait, there’s more!
There is another celebrity we need to hear in our cultural war: his name is Jesse Kelly. Recently Allie Beth Stucky interviewed him about his campaign to train Christians to be anti-communist. If you are aware of the likes of Abram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, you will find the contrast interesting as both are promoting the idea becoming anti-racist—the newest flavor in communist ideology.
Kelly defines communism in very stark and simple terms—but terms that withstand argument. He says, “Communism is simply a way you sell taking power for yourself, and how you sell it. If you are oppressed you give me power, and I promise I will hurt that guy who has been oppressing you on your behalf.”
Such people who sell this are no more than hucksters and grifters.
“You could sell that [idea] in 1917 Soviet Union when people were standing in breadlines. You can’t sell that here. So you [have] to find a new way to sell it to Americans that would appeal to American sensibilities—and American sensibilities are Christian sensibilities, because even if you don’t call yourself one, it’s a Christian nation. That’s what it was founded on.”
“Christian sensibilities are kindness, tolerance, equality. These are things you’re taught, and especially in this country. So in America the way you sell Communism is, “Don’t you want black people to be equal?” [Don’t you] want women to be equal? Are you being intolerant of gay people? You sell it through cultural means. You’ve been oppressed. Elect me I’ll hurt them for you.”
“It’s absolutely everywhere here. They make your movies. They educate your kids. They’re in your church.”
Such language may seem inelegant, but that’s Kelly’s appeal to his growing audience. Oh, did we mention he is a Christian? The difference is he just hasn’t been seminary educated and trained apparently.
The “Woke Reformation” film makers advocate resistance. Kelly advocates moving your family to a community that shares, or least accepts your worldview and your faith. Both ideas call for courage. Both ideas actually align with biblical teaching and understanding. On the other hand, there is nothing that anyone should find appealing about surrendering to evil.
