COMPARTMENTALIZATION

One huge reason for the condition of our country is that Christians have been conditioned to not bring their faith into the marketplace of ideas. Religion needs to be kept within the four walls of the church, separation of church & state, blah, blah, blah.

“Secular” government doesn't by default mean that policy, legislation, etc. are to be neutral. That's actually impossible. Legislation by its very nature reflects some kind of moral standard.

This idea of keeping the various areas of life neatly separated is called compartmentalization. It reflects the idea that the mind is separate from the body, the emotions are separate from the mind, personal ethics & honesty from job performance, & so on.

Education is now seen by many as imparting knowledge & skills to people, & nothing more. Very few people believe that it is concerned with character development or moral outcomes.

Of course, this has to a certain extent been twisted by some “PC” aspects of education. The progressive “education” that we’re seeing in much of primary, secondary, & higher education is better described as re-education aimed at forming specific attitudes, characteristics & behaviors. That’s what we see being played out in the streets & neighborhoods of some of our cities right now. But that’s another topic.

Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God as having a transformative influence on culture. “He spoke another parable to them, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened’” (Matthew 13:33). It’s impossible to influence a culture without being intimately involved in it.

So, Christian, pray. But don’t just pray. Get involved. Speak up. Join an organization. Meet your neighbors. Run for political office. God has a place for you here & now.