World Unyielding

Fierce rejection of our traditional beliefs, largely rooted in the great theological movements of the West, has brought about consequences beyond the coping capacity of more and more people. What were once perceived to be viable alternatives to the wisdom of God’s word have now lost their appeal. And in the midst of a so-called culture war, non-Christians, yes, even staunch atheists, are willing to fight under the banner of “cultural Christian.” Richard Dawkins, a man whose IQ far exceeds mine, now openly acknowledges the need for Christian values. The sort of surface-level, half-hearted obedience to God’s word that allows for a more comfortable existence. Something like tipping the hat to the Creator in hope of avoiding the social catastrophes happening today where rebellion against God’s word is wholeheartedly expressed.

A guy like Dawkins may feel emboldened to claim “cultural Christianity” in the light of other social movements gaining traction. Jordan Peterson’s Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) is a growing community seeking to bring a fresh narrative into the mainstream. They reject common thoughts of humanity edging toward a monumental catastrophe caused by manmade climate change. Rather, they say we are skirting around a moral disaster of immense loss. What’s to lose? The very values upon which the Western world was built. The present time is pitched as our moment to stem the tide of societal chaos. Now is the time to first hold the lines and then advance against the ideologies destroying that which brought about today’s prosperity. Dawkins seeks to turn our attention to Islam, yet Peterson’s ARC seeks to set our eyes on deconstructionist theories. Where the battle lines have been drawn, there seems to be a real threat on all fronts.

Though people rightly sense the urgency to act, the best motivator for action is overlooked. A man fears the cultural onslaught of Islam. Another man fears the infiltration of theories dripping with Marxism. Where is the man who fears God? It seems these men only fear the loss of God’s material blessings and cannot stomach the possibility of following the current trajectory Western civilisation is taking. They see the outworking of unabashed rebellion against God on a societal scale as people pursue a full range of sins with increasingly less restraint. They feel the growing misery. And it seems they settle for a more tempered approach to rejecting the authority of God’s word, excusing themselves from obedience where they deem necessary yet advocating obedience where it is convenient for their own cause.

Such cherry-picking and masterful maneuvering is evident in the teaching of Peterson. He’s a deep thinker who takes an interest in the biblical texts. His treatment of biblical texts may sadly prove to be a slight improvement on what is preached from most pulpits. That is a reflection on the pitiable state of the present church. For Peterson himself is waist-deep in Jungian psychology. Yes, the psychology of a man who immersed himself in occult and mystical literature. Carl Jung, who was occupied with occultism as much as psychology, influenced by Hindu and Taoist practices. I am yet to figure out how following such a man proves advantageous to interpreting God’s word. Nevertheless, Peterson speaks somewhat authoritatively and leverages the Bible for his purposes. In a introductory speech at the inaugural ARC conference here in the United Kingdom, Peterson boldly stated that faith does not necessitate willingness to believe preposterous stories for naïve children. Before he proceeded to use the Bible, it would have been good to hear what stories in God’s word meet his threshold and thus qualify as preposterous. On the other hand, the risk of alienating some of his target audience would have outweighed the reward of transparency at that particular moment.

Given the limited speech time afforded Peterson, he made a beeline for the chief patriarch as recorded in the Old Testament. The story of Abraham was recounted in a manner quite revealing of Peterson’s humanistic tendencies. After first issuing a call to make the best of anything that presents itself to us, Peterson wades into Abraham’s calling. Abraham’s prosperous situation is outlined for the audience. Then the calling of God is mentioned and falsely equated to the voice of Abraham’s ancestors. Yes, Abraham’s pagan ancestors who did not know the living God and therefore worshipped multiple gods (Joshua 24:2-3). Our friend here is gravely mistaken.

And again, Peterson is mistaken in reducing Abraham’s calling to a simple exchange of a life of comfort for a life of adventure and embracing responsibility. Where does the gift of knowing God and being the recipient of His promises fit in? Peterson did not clarify but used Abraham to simply reinforce his instruction to take responsibility for yourself. Apparently, that is where any person can find self-regard that sustains them through catastrophe. Reader, tell me, how did that turn out for Abraham?

Consider the outcome of Abraham’s self-regard as opposed to regarding the promise of God. The same God who promised him, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.” (Genesis 17:6) Abraham dared to help God along in fulfilling the promise. Nevermind a nation, Abraham and Sarah were confronted by the catastrophe of old age and were unable to have a single son. Sarah was beyond the age of child-bearing. And Abraham had some self-regard in the midst of his troubles. He received the counsel of his similarly self-regarding wife. Abraham then took a slave woman as a concubine, hurried things along, and had a son. This son was not the son of promise and only added to Abraham’s troubles. Abraham heeded the call of his wife, Sarah. His attempt at humanistic enterprise backfired dramatically. Rather than self-regard sustaining them, it was faith and regard for the sovereign God that sustained the married couple. God kept His promise in spite of their episode of unbelief. And there a person’s responsibility lies, in first taking God at His word and acting accordingly in obedience to His authority.

Nevertheless, self-regard seems to drive both Peterson and Dawkins toward Christian values. Peterson proclaims that we are sovereign citizens responsible for our own destinies. It is worth considering where this proposed sovereignty ends. What are the limits? Is God’s word off limits? Go ahead and exercise your supposed sovereignty and sit in judgment over God’s word. Decide what values fit your agenda and then discard the rest. Be prepared for a rude awakening as God, in His sovereignty, continues to withdraw His restraining power. Marvel at a society left to its devices. Western civilisation is already bursting at the seams with confusion and about to collapse under the weight of its own perversion. It will take more than men adopting a mere fraction of biblical truth to reverse the situation. It will take a rightful surrender of body and soul to the living God who, in His mercy, sustains a fallen people.

As men ponder a return to more biblical values, nothing less than the regenerating power of God working in souls is true progress. So-called “cultural Christianity” is a purely social endeavor aimed at forming a beautiful society with God on the outside looking in. Where God is left at the fringes, men will soon push Him out once again. It is the same anthropocentricity in Peterson that is found in his cultural opponents. Different expressions, but the same root of faith in humanity. The same misplaced faith elevates and sets up humanity against God, the precise way by which we got into this mess. So even the most well-intentioned and well-articulated thoughts of a caring man serve to prolong the social chaos. Such is the futility of the call to adventure made by Peterson. And the Bible is a sort of roadmap that neither Peterson nor Dawkins, nor any other unbeliever, can rightly figure out. Why? Because the things of God are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). They show themselves to have fallen at the first hurdle—repentance to and faith in Jesus Christ.

It will always remain a question of authority. I wouldn’t trust Peterson to speak to my heart, never mind discerning God’s word for the truths that can aid Western culture today. His eloquence is great. His passion is contagious. He speaks authoritatively. But he holds no authority over me. I will not heed his call, neither will I fight a culture war among his ranks. I have heard the call of Him whom God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Saviour. Yes, even the captain of my salvation. And this call was issued before Dawkins or Peterson ever opened their mouths with infantile cries upon this earth. Furthermore, it will reverberate down the corridors of time into eternity. “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth!” God speaks through His word. He calls people to look to Him. Not to His blessings, not to His moral principles, but to Him. Eyes once fixated on the pressing troubles of today are raised to the eternal Son, King Jesus, who has authority over all created things. Only a multitude of souls conquered by and in loving surrender to Jesus can win a culture to the truth, much to the dismay of conservative thinkers who remain hostile to the King. The war is spiritual, so let spiritual lines be drawn.