the culture warriors

Yesterday I finally caught up with some excellent blogging over at The Scriptorium Daily - a blog created by faculty members at Biola University. They tackle all sorts of interesting topics from literature (a current feature on the Inklings: Lewis, Tolkein & Williams) to theology, art, philosophy, culture and politics.

This being political year, quite a few of their posts have followed the current political roller coaster. In particular, JP Moreland tackles Bill O'Reilly's book Culture Warrior and provides some thoughtful analysis on the underlying worldview of O'Reilly's "secular progressives".

Here’s my two cents worth on this question: Assumption one: God exists, secular progressives (and liberal religionists) spend a lot of energy suppressing the awareness of God to keep him out of mind. Most secularists were raised in a Judeo-Christian family with traditional values, and they feel much guilt and shame for abandoning God and their upbringing and for rejecting traditionalist authority figures from their childhood. Assumption two: Everyone wants to think of oneself and be perceived by others as a good person with solid values who makes a difference in the world. No one wants to be perceived as a self-absorbed narcissist. Assumption three: People would rather find a way to feel good about themselves as they are, whether or not they should feel that way, rather than learning to change. Why? Change is difficult and involves self-denial. And change requires admitting that one is wrong and needs to change.

Together, these assumptions imply the following: Secularists need a cause that makes them feel good about themselves, that allows them to continue to reject God, traditional values and their upbringing, and that doesn’t require them to change....

I encourage you to read the entire essay here, and then check out John Mark Reynolds' essay on Obama and the pitfalls of a Reform candidacy where he compares & contrasts Senator Obama's reform platform with that of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Senator Obama would be fortunate indeed if the sole measure of his candidacy became about the “color line.” If it were, many of us would vote for him. The vast majority of Americans will give Senator Obama a hearing. Race will not keep him from winning, but his ideology might....Senator Obama has promised change, but this word forces a voter to ask, “What kind of change?”