Missionaries to the Western Civilization by Ruth Beechick | HOMESCHOOLING TODAY Magazine

Degenerating Western Christianity

Through the years I read of amazing results in missionary letters from Africa, and I said to a class, “Africa must be more Christian than America.” That was long ago, and recently I said it again to a missionary. He agreed quickly. “Yes, it is.”   

A historian (Philip Jenkins) put it this way: In 1900 there were about 9 million Christians in all of Africa and today there are almost 400 million. According to population figures I find, that comes to 59% Christians in Africa. Do that many cars in your neighborhood drive off to church on Sunday morning? The missionary work of Western Christians in the last century has paid off remarkably.

Exciting growth is happening in other areas of the world also. A leader in one denomination worked among the poor and outcast in India. With native helpers they have planted 820 churches with 78,000 believers in just the last twenty years. Nothing like that is happening in North America. The vast majority of Christians now live in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, not in Europe and North America (or Australia and New Zealand).

In the Western world, Christianity is declining, not growing. Why the decline? One way it creeps up subtly is that Christians adopt attitudes of the society around them. “American virtues” replace Bible virtues. For example, the word tolerance replaces love-thy-neighbor. And tolerance grows a wider meaning than it should. It started out meaning that we put up with practices or ideas of others that we do not necessarily agree with. But it grows to mean that other people’s practices and ideas are as good as ours, which is not true if ours are biblical and theirs are not.

Another common Americanism is that we should “agree to disagree.” That is like saying “Let’s not study this any further; let’s not find a right answer.” If the matter is not worth studying further, then the two friends should probably not hold firm opinions that disagree. They should, instead, realize that they have not studied enough to hold an opinion. At least one of them hasn’t. One could be right, but not both.

When God said, “Come now, and let us reason together,” He did not allow for reaching two different views that can tolerate each other or that can agree to disagree. He followed immediately with the firm doctrine that though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Reasoning can lead to a right answer if we use the Bible.

Dialog is a fashionable word for reasoning. If two groups dialog enough, they supposedly can shed differences and find a few agreements and then merge or get along peacefully. That can sometimes work in communities or politics or business, but not for merging religions together. Christian churches may join with some slight differences that they can allow, but what kind of church will we get by dialoging with Buddhists or Muslims, or even “Christians” who do not believe the Bible is infallible and other important doctrines? We can talk with them, of course, and witness to them. We can listen to their beliefs. But the fashionable meaning of dialog is that somehow in the exchange of ideas we will find the true way. But truth is only in the mind of God, not the minds of men.

Such false virtues as these from modern society have crept into Christians’ thinking, and this weakens our Western Christianity. Jesus told his disciples to teach sound doctrine—the good, pure, and uncorrupt doctrines—the doctrines of God and not of the Pharisees or of Balaam. Or of the devil. Not the commandments of men but the doctrines of God, who sent Jesus. That word doctrine is in the King James Bible 56 times. Many of those 56 are removed in newer translations.* Thus a Christian can be heard to say “I hate the word doctrine; it’s so divisive.”

Divisive is another Americanism— something we’re supposed to avoid. But Jesus said He came not to send peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34). Being true to God is precisely what sets Christians apart. Teaching unsound doctrine weakens Christianity for this generation and loses it entirely for many in the next generation. Several surveys show that over 80% of churchgoers abandon their faith after they go off for higher education. Their churches and families evidently failed to teach them enough sound doctrine.

Polls and surveys on religions in the U.S. yield varying results for various reasons. Should they count Mormons as Christians? Should they ask churches or ask individuals? It’s a difficult question to pursue. But whatever means they use, they all agree that the trend now is downward. Fast growing groups are Islam and small pagan groups like Wicca (witchcraft).

In 1990, over 86% of Americans identified themselves as Christians, but by 2008 that had slipped to below 70%. The numbers are even lower when measured by church affiliation or participation. Some count the number of Protestants as below 50%, less than in Africa. The Barna Group has been measuring evangelicals since 1994 and their numbers do not slide; they remain at 7% of the population. Those counted as evangelicals believe:

• they are born again,
• their faith is important in life,
• they have personal responsibility to share beliefs about Christ with non-Christians,
• Satan exists,
• salvation is only by grace, not by works,
• Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth,
• the Bible is totally accurate, and
• God is the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today.

Missionaries to the West

Into the degenerate Western civilization God sends his missionaries, homeschool families being strong among them. They pass on God’s truth to their next generation, and they shine as lights in their extended families and communities and churches. They are missionaries in the needy Western world.

Some of the homeschooled or their parents work in or with government and help to keep the religious freedoms and other Christian blessings of this country. Some are elected as legislators or other officials, helped by other homeschoolers. All applaud these brave leaders. And even a child reaches out with a timely letter to the editor of a local paper.

Relatively new outlets that many families can use are radio talk-shows. When the shows talk about evolution or abortion or another topic that you have discussed and the children can speak on clearly, let them try calling. A child may need to tell them that he has parent permission to call. Only rarely so far have Christian students called, and on evolution one host pounced on them and would not listen to their points or to a quote one wanted to read from a science textbook. But most hosts are gentler, and are skilled at helping callers articulate their points. Most hosts also know a great deal about history or law or politics or whatever is their specialty. Sometimes your child could call to ask a question instead of to tell his opinion.

Students can learn a lot of language skills by listening to talk shows. Notice what good questions the hosts ask interviewees. Notice how some interviewees answer directly and others sidestep the question. Notice how the host brings a wandering conversation back to its original topic. Notice different callers. Some say clearly what they called for and others need help getting to the point. Some read fast from prepared information and are unable to carry on a conversation with the host.

Through these shows people all over the country hear from citizens in every other part of the country. Some politicians threaten to close this amazing free speech. So we should use it while it’s open, and we should fight to keep it open. Through this medium homeschoolers can spread a good word about homeschooling, as well as about other topics. Your missionary work, unlike the last century, begins here and now, right in our Western civilization.

Family Activities

1. Let your family work together to draw up a list of some ways they have extended their Christian love and influence beyond the immediate family. After some thinking and sharing on this, you may be surprised at what you have been doing.
2. Listen together for a while to a talk show and comment to each other on some things you notice—a good thought, some stupid logic, or whatever. Someday a child may be ready to try calling a show.

• A book with detailed information about the translations is One Book Stands Alone by Dr. Douglas B. Stauffer (McCowen Mills Publishers, 2001). Adult and advanced teen level.