Modern thinking

Recently on CHOGTalk (a Yahoo! discussion group) I posted a message in response to a debate that was developing over the creation-evolution debate, mainly in response to the recent movement to include "Intelligent Design" ideas in public school curriculum.

While I am convinced that we have much bigger items to discuss, underlying this debate are some deeper issues that we must come to terms with.

Here's a slightly modified form of my original message:

I am astounded at the current "intelligent design" debate because the advocates of this position fail to see that they themselves have been duped into a modernistic worldview, and are trying to read Scripture from those lenses. To be blunt, conservatives who insist on reading the Bible with strict literalness are in bed (albeit in a strained relationship) with the "liberals" they so are so quick to attack. Obviously they each have different presuppositions, but when push comes to shove they both approach these issues from the modernistic, rational perspective that is more a product of the Enlightenment than the milieu of Scripture.

I am not a "liberal", as liberalism has proven its emptiness. But, I also consider myself less and less part of "conservative" Christianity, which also blindly taking its cues from culture instead of faith (despite what they may claim). The tragedy for conservatives is that they are unaware of their sell-out to modernism. And, of course, we in the Church of God have increasingly gone lock-step down this path of intellectual and spiritual demise.

It's time we abandoned these polarizing categories since they have become so emotionally charged and bereft of meaning. If we are serious about following Christ, we all must repent of our worship of modernism (or any other intellectual trend), and that includes our modernistic reading of Scripture. Only then will we allow the Spirit to reveal truth and work among us.