Tags: revisionism, rewriting history,
Western heritage, Western history, Reformation, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Dr. James
Dobson, Shakespeare, Mozart, Newton, Galileo, British monarchy, European history, National
Endowment for the Humanities, Magna Carta, Francis Schaeffer, The God Who Is There, Saint
Augustine, C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Biblical Christianity, homosexual
marriage, Sodom and Gomorrah, hell-fire and damnation, Adam and Eve, original sin, Pope
John Paul II, Pontiff
Looking Back
We will begin by turning back the pages
of time to look into eras long forgotten by most people. History is not always the most
exciting adventure for most individuals.
* * *
For our comic book hero Calvin, the test
question was: "When did the Pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock?"
On his paper, Calvin scurries with his
hasty answer, "1620."
Further, he explains on his test sheet,
"As you see, I've memorized this utterly useless fact long enough to pass a test
question. I now intend to forget it forever. You've taught me nothing except how to
cynically manipulate the system. Congratulations."
In the next frame, our tiny tot looks to
us with adulation, "They say the satisfaction of teaching makes up for the lousy
pay."
* * *
When many Americans contemplate the
reality of the subject of history, they conceive of a feeble and stuffy librarian leading
them through the dusty shelves of a dim-lit building. These "wire-rimmed
book-lovers" help their victims interpret the myriad of numbers that categorize each
volume filled with wearisome details that seem to have no real meaning beyond curiosity.
Or other people when they think of
history, remember a pompous elderly lady with inch-thick spectacles who presents her class
with more reading material than they could bear -- demanding if the work wasn't completed
correctly they certainly would fail. Then there is the astute college professor who delves
out a lecture at a rate that causes his student's hands to cramp in the very effort to
keep up.
The reality though, is that history has
become one of the most important controversies expounded in America today. A rich Western
heritage that was once taken for granted has now been challenged by those who claim to be
the most knowledgeable in the field. The facts of our history are being re-evaluated as
the question is being risen concerning the role and validity of the Christian faith in the
events that have made us what we are today.
Rewriting
History
The technique utilized is revisionism.
As my wife, Vanessa puts it, "They are rewriting history!"
Indeed, they are, for the revisionists
put very little credence in the depictions of our past as understood according to
historical writings. "They didn't understand the things we know now," the
revisionist contends. So, the modern so-called historians continue to re-write history in
a manner that supports the social agendas they are interested in propagating.
The Apostle Paul becomes in their eyes a
male chauvinist. The leaders of the Reformation, John Calvin and Martin Luther are
transformed into persecutors and hypocrites. The Europeans who settled in America change
into ignorant and superstitious capitalists who fail to understand the "keen
insights" into nature that were possessed by the "noble savages" who first
inhabited America. American history becomes a story of the Indian under white persecution
rather than a history of freedom born. The melting pot is remade into a salad bowl with
the express intention of decimating American culture. This is revisionism.
Likewise, even the traditional values of
our culture are being questioned, as the study of our Western lineage continues to become
subjected to de-emphasis in our colleges and universities who proceed to delve deeper into
the study of civilizations they deem to be superior to our own.
In a letter to his readers Dr. James
Dobson reported in April 1993, "Many of the more prestigious universities, including
Stanford, have eliminated their 'core curriculum' based on Western civilization. It is,
they say, inherently unfair to minorities, women and homosexuals. Great disrespect is
expressed on these campuses for the literature, science, art, religious heritage and
history of our European forefathers. (PARDON ME! Fore people!) Much less emphasis is given
to the study of Shakespeare, Mozart, Newton, Galileo, the British monarchy, and the
significant events in European history. In fact, it is possible to graduate from 78
percent of America's colleges and universities without taking a course in Western
civilization.
"The consequence? Lynne Cheney,
former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, wrote that many students
earn bachelor's degrees without knowledge of 'the basic landmarks of history and thought.'
For example, in a 1989 Gallup poll, 25 percent of 700 college seniors did not know that Columbus
landed in the Western Hemisphere before 1500. Most could not identify the Magna Carta. In
short, what was constituted a liberal arts education for the past 200 years is undergoing
radical transformation. The revolution began by eliminating the concept of truth, and from
there it dumped the common heritage that has bound us together as people. Diversity,
rather than cohesiveness, is the new passion, and it pits us up against each other for
'rights.'"
Why Does it
Matter to Me?
So what bearing do these facts have upon
me as an individual believer? You might be thinking, "Look, I have my family and I
read my Bible and go to church regularly, so why should it bother me if the world is
screwed up and demented? Why do I have to know history? What bearing does the acts of
someone a thousand of years ago have on my life? I live in today. . . . and I am doing
just fine, thanks."
I got to looking at the table of
contents of my Bible and noticed something very interesting. Out of the 66 books listed, I
discovered that 23 of them contain dialogue portraying significant events in history. All
but two of these books contain in virtually their entirety nothing but details of history.
Now I am currently reading an NIV
Thompson Chain Reference edition and noticed that it devotes 1,273 pages to the
presentation of Scripture. But of that entirety, according to my calculations, at least
625 pages have been devoted to depicting history. That is approximately 49% or half of the
Biblical contents. For those of you who give more credence to the scripture written in the
New Testament though, mine is 288 pages long. Out of that, the four Gospels and the book
of Acts total to 164 pages. That equates to 57%, well over half of the New Testament
depicting historical material. Apparently to God, history is very important.
The emanate Christian theologian and
apologist, Francis Schaeffer wrote in his book, The God Who Is There, "God has
set the revelation of the Bible in history; He did not give it (as He could have done) in
the form of a theological textbook. Having set revelation in history, what sense then
would it make for God to give us revelation in which history was wrong? God has also set
man in the universe which the Scriptures themselves say speaks of this God. What sense
then would it make for God to give His revelation in a book that was wrong concerning the
universe? The answer to both of these questions must be, "No sense at all.'"
It was to a deteriorating Roman world
that St. Augustine defended the Christian faith against the attacks of those who blamed
them for the troubles that had befallen upon them. ". . .The ill will against the
Christian religion," he wrote, "which is stirred up by people ignorant of
history and who blame on us the disasters of life and the crumbling and collapse of
civilization is without foundation. It is not a conclusion of right thinking and
reasoning, but the evidence of reckless and malicious animosity. The facts are clear, even
though some of the scholars pretended not to know them, or, yielding to irrational hate,
deliberately encourage the bigotry."
History is the very thing that speaks
out in a unanimous voice against the accusations and contentions of the modernists. If
they want to blame the Christian for the errors of society, they have to divorce
themselves from the past. If they desire to believe that their liberal agendas are really
as such that will benefit society, they must cut themselves off from their historical
foundation.
The facts are as clear today as they
were in the ancient Rome of St. Augustine. The modernist has either made himself
deliberately ignorant or has just completely forgotten the events of history that have
gotten us to the point that we are at. If the truth would be made known, his argument
against the God of creation would be completely diffused.
How important is it then, for the
Christian to be aware of his past? If you can sever a nation from its history, you can
undermine the very foundation upon which its culture rests. If that is accomplished, the
kingdom will be no more. Rome and the thousand years of ignorance that followed its
demise, is adequate evidence of this fact!
Because God has demonstrated and
verified Himself in history and the universe, it is of the utmost importance that the
students of God are likewise the students of history and the creation. If there is
anything that is undermining the testimony of the Word today, it is ignorance. It is
because of Christian ignorance that the revisionist is able to make him look like a fool.
It is because of Christian ignorance that wolves have been able to come into the body of
Christ and twist Scripture in such a way that many are lead into deception.
"God is no fonder of intellectual
slackers than of any other slackers," warned C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity.
"If you are thinking of becoming a Christian, I warn you, you are embarking on
something which is going to take the whole of you, brains and all."
Yet we live in an era, when truth has
died. Truth is no longer believed to be the central force behind knowing. Many people
today don't bother to take the time to think. They don't sit down and contemplate the
things that are being told to them in order to discern whether or not they are really
truth.
This is not what historical Western man
has done. If you look at all of the great literature of the past, you will find that it
contains within it a great challenge -- the invitation to think. Thinking is historically
what has made Western man who he is
Today, we have thrown the book out on
intellect because truth has died. People are no longer looking for truth, but rather
something that will speak to their emotions. Whatever moves them emotionally is what they
will believe.
If you are going to complete these
books, you must be prepared to dust out the cobwebs in your mind and think. You will have
to get those mental juices flowing again.
Christians today must make themselves
aware. They must find out who they are and what has made them who they are. Ignorance may
be bliss, but it certainly isn't something that will support the future of the Christian
faith!
"It is unreasonable to expect
people of the next generation in any age to continue in the Historic Christian
position," says Schaeffer, "unless they are helped to see where arguments and
connotations brought against Christianity and against them by their generation are
fallacious. We must prepare Christian young people to face the monolithic
twentieth-century culture by teaching them what the particular attack in our generation
is, in contrast to the attacks of previous generations."
In the twentieth-century, the attack is
against the truth. The truth of history is being distorted to such a degree that the
Biblical Christianity which is associated with it is being thrown into the waste basket of
lies and deceit.
"We have left the next generation
naked in the face of the twentieth-century thought by which we are surrounded,"
continued Schaeffer.
"So then, the defense, for myself
and for those for whom I am responsible, must be a conscious defense. We cannot assume
that, because we are Christians, in the full biblical sense, and indwelt by the Holy
Spirit, automatically we shall be free of the influence of what surrounds us. The Holy
Spirit can do what He will, but the Bible does not separate his work from knowledge; nor
does the work of the Holy Spirit remove our responsibility as parents, pastors,
evangelists, missionaries, of teachers."
. . .And the responsibility that we have
as we assume those offices of accountability, is to adequately communicate the truth of
Scripture. In order to do this, we must know about the faith we uphold. We must know and
understand the Holy Scriptures as the true Word of God. Likewise, we must understand how
this Word has worked itself into history and the creation. They are all the one
demonstration of who God is.
But we also must know who it is we are
talking to. Schaeffer wrote, "Apologetics (that branch of theology having to do with
the defense and communication of Christianity) should not be merely an academic subject, a
new kind of scholasticism. It should be thought out and practiced in the rough and tumble
of living contact with the present generation. Thus, the Christian should not be
interested only in presenting a nicely balanced system of his own, like some Greek
metaphysical system, but rather in something which has constant contact with reality --
the reality of the questions being asked by his own generation."
Being Aware
So, it is imperative to be aware of what
is going on in the world. We must not only be cognizant of current events, but the thought
life that lies behind these events. We must know the strategy of our adversary, the devil,
so that we can adequately undress him before the population of the world.
"So the positive side of
apologetics is the communication of the Gospel to the present generation in terms they can
understand. . . Historic Christianity has never separated itself from knowledge. It
insists that all truth is one, and we must live and teach this even if twentieth-century
thought and theology deny it."
But to teach it, we must know it and
believe it as well.
The study of history is of the utmost
consequence to the believer. There is invaluable instruction in history that should not be
ignored. It is through man that God has chosen to communicate His nature to His creation.
So committed is God to utilizing this medium of expression that He became incarnated as a
man Himself in order to relay the message of salvation to all mankind.
Men live in the dimension of time and
space. Looking back on this measure of time is called history. It is through gazing at
those past events that we can discover who God really is, what He thinks, what is
important to him, and how he deals with people according to His word. There are patterns
in history that tell us of the nature of God, what He expects out of us, and what will be
the consequences of our actions in relation to our position of obedience to Him. In short,
to be ignorant of God's action in history is to be ignorant of God himself.
This unawareness has been reflected in
the goings-on currently developing in our localities of higher learning. In his letter to
his constituents, Dr. Dobson proceeded to describe the "politically correct"
positions that students in our universities are being forced to submit to. He delineated
the "speech codes" to which students must conform. Dobson went on to detail
exactly which ideas, that are opposed to these "speech codes" (or accepted
"group think"), are currently being censored.
Quoting John Leo in U. S. News and
World Report these were defined as, "The SAT, doubt about abortion, Catholics,
wearing fur, any emphasis on standards of excellence, and any suggestion that gender and
ethnicity might not be the most overwhelmingly important issues of the modern era."
Pennsylvania State University informed
its 1,000 freshmen in 1990 that they might be assigned a homosexual roommate and that they
would not be allowed to object. At New York University Law School the students refused to
argue the con side to a hypothetical case involving a lesbian divorce attempting to win
custody of her child, as it would offend gays. The University of Michigan has instituted a
"student guide to proper behavior" that labels the one who will not "invite
someone to a party because she is a lesbian" as a racist. Had those administrators
and teachers, who demanded obedience to these policies, had a clear knowledge of the
working of God in the very history that they have pledged to teach their students, they
would have understood the folly of their commands.
Confused
Rights
The confusion over human rights is not
one that is limited to our campuses. America seems to have become obsessed with the issue,
and has tagged anyone who dares to proclaim that certain behaviors are unacceptable; as a
bigot, racist, or worse. It appears as if the one who cares enough to stand up for
righteousness is taking all the hits, while the lawless are proclaimed to be modern
American heroes. This bewildered type of thinking has now invaded the Church itself.
Is nothing new for the Pope to clash
with the regimes that govern the nations of the Western world. It has been a source of
conflict since the dawn of Christianity. Notwithstanding that acknowledgment, when Pope
John Paul II visited the United States in 1993, he proclaimed in a speech at McNichols
Sports Arena, "America needs much prayer -- lest it lose its soul." He blazoned
as well, "Young people, do not give into the widespread false morality. Do not stifle
your conscience!"
What is it that the Pontiff saw that
seems to be eluding the body of Christ in America today? The church in America just cannot
seem to make up her mind about the issue of homosexuality. Should she fellowship with
these individuals? Should homosexuals be allowed to be members and even ministers in
church bodies? Should homosexual marriages be permitted? What should the church's attitude
be concerning the opposition of that sort of behavior in our society? Should homosexuals
be left alone to live as they wish? Is this a case of human rights being violated, or
should homosexuals be awarded the same punishment as bestowed upon other sexual deviancies
such as incest, child sexual abuse and rape?
All too many times the attitude of the
church can be summed up in the words written by a well-meaning lady to her local
newspaper. "For the last two days I have read letters to the editor regarding gay
bashing. I take issue with the man who wrote 'homosexuals can't be good Christians.' How
does he know? I think that is between God and the homosexuals: not this man certainly. I
always thought Christianity was based on faith, love and compassion. His letter sounds
full of hate! I wonder if he feels that he is good enough to 'cast the first stone?'
Obviously he does. Perhaps the man I have mentioned above, and the woman who wrote
'researchers are wasting time trying to excuse homosexual practices,' should mind their
own business. Some of the finest people I know are homosexual or 'gay,' if you will, and I
know God loves them, just as he loves us all. So leave the gays alone already!"
If I was a hell-fire and damnation
preacher right now I would proceed to my pulpit to warn you of the destruction that awaits
a society that has given itself over to the inclusion of that kind of sin. As I pounded
furiously, I would remind you with all the animation and determination that I could muster
up, "God demolished the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah over far less than what we are
involved in today."
But the humanist will laugh at the
notion of bringing America to account to the ancient happenings in that which they
consider to be a mythical city. Now since the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was so
complete, it is doubtful that archaeology will be able to uncover its ruins. However, near
to the location of the ancient city of Sodom lies Jebel Usdum, or Mount Sodom. It stands
as a mount of crystalline salt, 5 miles long and 300 feet high, along the southwestern
shore of the Dead Sea, as a reminder to future generations of the penalty incurred by
those who turn back to sin. Remember Lot's wife.
I could speak to you the words of Jesus
who instructed, "When you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets
and say, 'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet
be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.' I tell you, it
will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town."
(Luke 10:10-12 niv)
Should we "leave the gays
alone?" Is speaking out against their behavior antichrist in nature -- born of hate
and judgment? Can we know someone's standing with God based on their performance and
confession? Is the one who opposes the acceptance of sinful behavior in our society
"casting the first stone?" Is it the Christian's business to clarify the issue
to those in the world around him, so that they may know about the separation from God that
is created by sin, and upon what basis God will receive sinners? Should the Christian be
involved in changing the world?
There is something you should know. I am
the one who wrote the letter that this lady was responding to. I am the "gay
basher" to which she was referring.
But let's not get involved with a series
of insults and name-calling. There is nothing to be gained by throwing empty words around
based on what each individual "thinks" is true. There is only one truth upon
which we can rely upon to make our evaluations of life, and it is far more profound than
the opinions of mankind. So shall we dare to proceed on a venture of discovery concerning
the God who has revealed Himself in human history has to say about the subject?
Where
Should We Stand?
The issue in America today though, goes
even deeper than the one sin of homosexuality. It is a question of what grace and love is
all about. It leads us to the question: what should the Christian's stance concerning
living in this morally bankrupt Western society really be? What should we tell the world?
How should we live and think?
Sin is the central issue that the church
faces today. It is the main concern of the Christian faith, because it is sin that
separated Adam and Eve from God, and it is sin that separates man from God. Lastly, it was
for the redemption from the curse of sin that Christ died on the cross. It is through that
death that we inherit eternal life. Sin was the matter resolved with Christ's death at the
cross. Without sin there wouldn't have been the ultimate sacrifice.
There is nothing that God is concerned
more about than sin, and the redemption that can be found as a result of the repentance
from sin. Therefore the issue of sin must become the central focus of all those who call
themselves believers. How this issue is ultimately dealt with by the body of Christ will
determine the future of our whole civilization. This is no minor issue we are dealing with
-- no matter how its significance is diminished in the mind of man.
However, if you are going to arrive at
any legitimate conclusions on the subject, we must make this first concession. We are not
the smartest people who have ever lived. The body of Christ today has filled its heart
with the illusion that they have a bead on God as no one has ever before. How arrogant! It
is as if the scripture from Joel that proclaims that in the last days, God says, I will
pour my spirit out on all people (Acts 2:17a) has put us in a position of insight never
before experienced by anyone else.
Those who believe this way must ask
question: "If the church is so on top of it then why are we living in a society so
morally corrupt that it puts its profane predecessors to unequivocal shame?"
Oh, it can be answered that since these
are the "last days" that we can just expect the world to go downhill. To most
today this sounds prophetic. I say it is a cop out!
About the Author
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About the Author
Don Wigton
is a graduate of the prestigious music department at CSULB where he studied under Frank
Pooler, lyricist of Merry Christmas Darling, and sang in Pooler’s world renown
University Choir alongside Karen and Richard Carpenter. During this time Don was also the
lead composer of the band, Clovis Putney, that won the celebrated Hollywood Battle of the
Bands. After giving his life to God, Don began attending Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa to
study under some of the most prominent early Maranatha! musicians. Subsequently he toured
the Western United States with Jedidiah in association with Myrrh Records.
Eventually
Don served as a pastor at Calvary Chapel Bakersfield to witness thousands of salvations
through that ministry. As the music/concert director, Don worked for seven years with most
major Christian artist of that time while producing evangelical concerts attended by
thousands of young people seeking after God. Don’s Calvary Chapel Praise Choir
released the album Let All Who Hath Breath Praise the Lord on the Maranatha! label.
The next
years of Don’s life were spent as the praise leader of First Baptist Church in Bakersfield
during a time of unprecedented church renewal. Don teamed with the leadership to
successfully meld the old with the new through a period of tremendous church growth.
During this exciting time, Don’s praise team, Selah, produced the CD Stop and
Think About It.
Today Don is
the leading force behind Wigtune Company. This
webbased project located at www.praisesong.net has provided several million downloads of
Don’s music and hymn arrangements to tens of thousands of Christian organizations
throughout the world. More music can be found at Don's Southern
Cross Band website at www.socrossband.com.
The book Holy
Wars represents Don’s most recent effort to bless the church with biblical
instruction and direction in praise and worship. This heartfelt volume is an offering not
only to God’s people, but also to God Himself.
Connect With Don Online
Facebook - Southern Cross
Band
Facebook - Wigtune Company
Wigtune Blog
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was formed as a service to the body of Christ to encourage scriptural
worship. To accomplish this goal Wigtune Company offers free contemporary Christian praise
and worship music, contemporary Christian rock and hymn mp3 and chart material along with
a free on-line worship study book for personal devotions, Bible study groups, Sunday
schools, pastors, music ministers and ministry training. In order to bridge the gap
between the old and the new the worship study book gives solid theological and
historical support to the use of traditional Christian hymn-singing in conjunction with
praise chorus singing. 
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Check out this powerful Southern Cross song! 
