The evils in our world are many
and grievous. Sin has terribly damaged and distorted human beings, and in every
country all sorts of terrible things occur on a daily basis.
It seems to me, however,
that Western society is unusual in the extent of its arrogance and hypocrisy. Western
commentators are forever criticising other parts of the world for various
things, while ignoring the terrible evils that go on in their own countries. I doubt
whether the rest of the world is quite so arrogant or hypocritical in its
attitude.
That is not to say that
criticising non-Western countries is always inappropriate. Far from it. There
are certainly some ways in which the West is more in line with God’s will than
other countries. And it is not wrong to criticise things that He disapproves
of.
It is just so hypocritical
when Western commentators look down on and judge other countries, when there is
so much evil in the West, and when some evils are especially common here.
Homosexuality
Take the mainstream Western
attitude to homosexuality, for example. The West has got things all wrong in
this area. If a man wants to have sex with a man, or a woman with a woman, something
has obviously gone wrong. That is obviously not the way human beings are
designed. Yet in Western countries we are constantly bombarded with information
telling us that homosexual orientation is something normal that you should put
into practice if you want to.
Of course, we all have
things wrong with us, morally and otherwise. So anyone who is not affected by
homosexual orientation is being a hypocrite if they look down on someone who is
affected by it. The typical Western attitude to people with homosexual
orientation of some decades ago – condescension and despisal – was a
disgraceful one. Yet the typical attitude today is disgraceful for a very
different reason. Something that is obviously outside God’s created order is
said to be normal and appropriate.
In Paul’s letter to the
Romans he refers to people suppressing the truth that they know about God
(Romans 1:18). The Western attitude to homosexuality surely involves a lot of
suppressing truth. In their minds people may think of reasons for saying that
homosexual orientation is not abnormal and that homosexual practice is not
immoral, but deep down their consciences are unclear and they know that these
reasons aren’t convincing. There may be a few people who are so deceived that
they genuinely believe that homosexuality fits with the way God made people,
but if so, they are surely a small minority.
So-called 'gay marriage'
The sin of the West on this
issue doesn’t stop at merely encouraging people to practise homosexuality,
however. Many Western countries have gone further and have changed the
definition of marriage to include same-sex unions.
We should be crystal clear
that the offence to God in this is enormous. It essentially involves taking
God’s blueprints for humanity, tearing them up and making new, supposedly
better ones instead. Playing God like this is a terrible thing to do.
Teaching children to approve of homosexual
practice
The sins of Western society
regarding homosexuality go even further than this, however. Not only do
mainstream Westerners practise and encourage this evil, and not only have they
dared to play God by redefining marriage, but they also teach children to
approve of these awful things.
Children are almost by
definition vulnerable people. They don’t have the wisdom to discern good from
evil in the way that adults can. Therefore, adults should look out for and
protect them. Any responsible adult who is caring for children should want to
protect them from the promotion of homosexuality.
Yet mainstream Westerners
teach children that homosexual practice is not wrong. And in some Western
countries they are even trying to stop parents teaching their own children that
it is wrong. This is absolutely
outrageous and nothing other than a form of child abuse.
A Scandal
Anyone who has anything to
do with practising or promoting homosexual acts, or redefining marriage, or
teaching children what is evil is acting appallingly badly.
Yet many of those who do
these despicable things then have the nerve to arrogantly judge people in other
countries. And in many respects these other people are more upright than those
in the West. It is scandalous.
Damaging the health of children
There are other forms of
child abuse that are widely tolerated in modern Western culture too.
For example, here in the UK
Anti-smoking groups know
that they face a huge challenge on this issue, because the parents, and others,
who commit this evil are not willing to change.
If those who do this were
to decide that they would put the interests of their own children above their
own interests, this problem could be virtually solved overnight. It is very
easy to go outside to smoke if you have children in the home.
Yet many parents and
guardians are more interested in avoiding a minor inconvenience than in looking
after their own children. This is appalling selfishness.
Adultery affecting children
Let’s think too about
adultery. This is an awful thing in many ways, but let’s consider how it
affects children.
It is well known that
children often suffer terribly when their parents split up. It is well known
too that often, when someone begins an affair, their intention is not to leave
their husband or wife, but that later they do end up leaving, causing great
pain to their families. They know the risks to their families involved in
having an affair, but they go ahead with it anyway.
In many countries adultery
is properly seen as a terrible evil. Contrast that with the attitude in the
West. Those Westerners who condemn it as a heinous thing are few in number. Most
would see it as a minor vice or a bit worse than that. And many would say it is
not even an evil at all, but just one of those things that happens that isn’t
anybody’s fault.
None of this makes sense. Who
do people think they are kidding? Quite apart from the direct offence to God
involved in committing adultery, to risk getting into a situation where you
break up your family, causing them terrible suffering, is a despicable thing to
do. To actually go ahead and abandon your family for another man or woman is
even worse. Even to abandon your spouse and take the children with you is a
dreadful evil.
If someone leaves their
spouse, causing great suffering, what is the penalty for this in the West? It
is not a criminal offence. Nor are people often socially excluded from anything.
Nor do they usually have to pay any real price. Yet the suffering of children (and
rejected husbands and wives) caused by adultery goes on, their visits to
psychiatrists continue to be numerous and their suicide tally adds up.
If people in Western countries
just chose to put the interests of children above their own, things would become
radically different in this area overnight. Yet people refuse to do this. They
continue to commit adultery, to joke about it, to abandon their families and
cause untold suffering. And then to cap it all, many of those who do this judge
the rest of the world and encourage politicians to preach the values of the
West to other countries. The hypocrisy and arrogance of this are almost
tangible.
The judgment of God
No one is going to get away
with any of the things that I have mentioned in this article, or with the many
other evils that people apparently do with impunity. There will be a Judgment Day.
It will happen. And anyone who has not found the escape route in Jesus Christ
will be punished with the utmost severity.
People need to turn away
from their sins and accept the forgiveness that comes through faith in Christ. That
is what I myself have done. In no way am I writing from some imagined position
of superiority. I am saved by the mercy of God.
However, if people refuse
to repent, then it is good that they will be punished after death. Personally, I
wouldn’t want to worship a God who just turned a blind eye to the awful things
that go on. There really are no words to describe the magnitude of the evil in our
world, and Westerners are major culprits in this.
Christian readers
If you are a Christian
reading this article, don’t be deceived into thinking that today God is
especially on the side of any Western countries or that any of them can be
considered Christian countries.
I don’t believe it has ever
been right to describe any Western countries as Christian, although we can say
that in times past they were heavily influenced by the Christian faith. Those
days, however, are long gone.
If you are a Christian
today living in a Western country, you are living in a foreign land and heaven
is your home (Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:11). Take care that you don’t
share in the sins of the foreign country where you live.
Non-Christian readers
If you are a non-Christian
reading this, make sure that you take up God’s offer of forgiveness before it is
too late. God will judge people after death, He will send most people to hell,
and the punishment will be severe, everlasting and thoroughly deserved.
The wonder is that despite
all our evil, Jesus, in His love, has paid the price on the cross so that we
can be forgiven, undeserving though we are. Take hold of that offer of
forgiveness at once. Today could be your last day on this earth.
See also:
