Political Ideals at Stake
An excellent news analysis made by a Straits Times journalist on the nature of politics in SIngapore.
http://www.asiaone.com/st/st_20060329_381298.html
The author has rightly pointed out that the political game - if conducted merely on the premises on material needs - will have disastrous consequences. If ideals like "love" and "justice" are merely rhetoric weapons of the powerful and play no part whatsoever in social life, then we are treading on a slippery path to big-time problems.
In my opinion, the current battlelines drawn between the ruling party and the opposition party is one that is clearly based on a materialist (or epicurean) worldview. This is probably inevitable, considering the amount of secular success that Singapore has achieved over the past 40 years.
To position the arguments within a different context, the church is playing the same game too (albeit sugarcoating it in spiritual mumbo-jumbo)... in her attempt to stay "relevant" within contemporary society. My question is: When is the church ever commanded to stay relevant? Isn't the duty of the Christian church to challenge the principalities of this world (not simply to convert them to become Christians), but rather to fulfill its mission to be the salt and light of this fallen world.
Sadly, we have been so used to the materialist rhetoric that it seems churches who do not abide by these rules are being labelled as being "un-loving". But as David F Wells rightly argues, "if the [church] cannot clarify for themselves who is sovereigh - God or the religious consumer? - what is authoritative in practice - Scripture or culture? - and what is important - faithfulness or success? - they will find themselves walking the same fate as the churches that failed before because whatever seriousness now remains will dissolve into triviality" (Above all Earthly Powers: Christ in a Postmodern world).
In other words, once the capitalist-consumerist-materialist system that our modern society is based upon starts to wither, it will take down all elements that have aligned themselves with her. If the defining characteristic of the church is merely a built upon such foundations, then it too, will capitulate along with everything else it stands for.
http://www.asiaone.com/st/st_20060329_381298.html
The author has rightly pointed out that the political game - if conducted merely on the premises on material needs - will have disastrous consequences. If ideals like "love" and "justice" are merely rhetoric weapons of the powerful and play no part whatsoever in social life, then we are treading on a slippery path to big-time problems.
In my opinion, the current battlelines drawn between the ruling party and the opposition party is one that is clearly based on a materialist (or epicurean) worldview. This is probably inevitable, considering the amount of secular success that Singapore has achieved over the past 40 years.
To position the arguments within a different context, the church is playing the same game too (albeit sugarcoating it in spiritual mumbo-jumbo)... in her attempt to stay "relevant" within contemporary society. My question is: When is the church ever commanded to stay relevant? Isn't the duty of the Christian church to challenge the principalities of this world (not simply to convert them to become Christians), but rather to fulfill its mission to be the salt and light of this fallen world.
Sadly, we have been so used to the materialist rhetoric that it seems churches who do not abide by these rules are being labelled as being "un-loving". But as David F Wells rightly argues, "if the [church] cannot clarify for themselves who is sovereigh - God or the religious consumer? - what is authoritative in practice - Scripture or culture? - and what is important - faithfulness or success? - they will find themselves walking the same fate as the churches that failed before because whatever seriousness now remains will dissolve into triviality" (Above all Earthly Powers: Christ in a Postmodern world).
In other words, once the capitalist-consumerist-materialist system that our modern society is based upon starts to wither, it will take down all elements that have aligned themselves with her. If the defining characteristic of the church is merely a built upon such foundations, then it too, will capitulate along with everything else it stands for.
posted by Benjamin Ho at
4:51 PM
2 Comments:
I think we are most relevant to society when we are most true to Christ and His word.
www.graceatwork.org
well said ben!
i think we Christians should take two applications from this:
1) The church needs to be aware that she has bought into such a nihilistic framework, and recover the transcendence of her religion.
2) We need to more consciously affect the world through instilling godly values (including those that should be recovered!) into society, decrying the nihilism that the current situation is.
I guess we can't expect anything more from the world... as Solomon noted, if indeed everything is "under the sun... as long as I live", "eat, drink, and be merry! For tomorrow we die"
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