We live in a materialistic culture that
is obsessed with possessions. This is the legacy of Marx, Darwin,
and other nineteenth century progressives. The intangibles such as
humility, honor, virtue, and spiritual growth are treated as folklore
in today's modern world. In Western culture, the driving force in
most people's lives is acquiring money. Money is necessary for
everyday life, but its acquisition now dominates hearts, minds, and
lives. It is sought after for comfort, security, joy, and pleasure.
Money has become the means to our materialistic end. This pursuit is
in vain, for these are all things that God provides and money steals.
Whether consciously or unconsciously, westerners are taught to
strive after material things. This finds its roots in the
progressive ideal. The pervading idea in the west is that man will
improve as his circumstances improve. This is the reason Marx sought
to make all things equal. He thought man was a product of his
circumstances. Darwin also saw creatures as products of their
environment. This is how he formed his evolutionary theories. They
have indeed “cast a long shadow” on the modern secular world.
Today the progressive ideal is beginning to crumble. We see from the
failure of social systems such as Communism, that man is far more
complex that Marx and Darwin estimated. In America, entitlement
programs have proven the sinfulness of man, and his willingness to
work the system rather than improve it. Perhaps we will pay
attention to history before Democracy goes the way of Communism.
Whether we do or not, God is still on His throne. He reigns and
rules whether men recognize it or not. Thanks be to God that He hold
Kings and governments in the palm of his hand!
