My Way or the Highway

Beneath the Surface of Secular Humanism

We  once heard of a Professor of Systematic Theology who frequently employed the epithet, "Ah, Consistency, thou art a jewel."  Consistency is a fundamental characteristic of the Christian world-view.  Since God is God, His Law-Word governs all.  What is holy and ethical on Mars is indeed what holds equally true for Venus.  The whole universe is commanded to love the Lord its God with heart, soul, strength, and mind.

Thus, in the Christian world-view, whilst consistency is a jewel, inconsistency is hypocrisy.  In the post-modern world (the crowning glory of secular humanism) there is no such thing as hypocrisy.  Not really.  There are only perspectives, and all perspectives are implicitly equally valid, or ethical, or true.  The only sin, it is alleged, is to deny that truth is perspectival, subjective, and relative.  Oxymoronic, don't you think.

It is not surprising that the cutting edge of secularist thought and action is riddled with petty hypocrisies.
 We came across a pearler the other day.  We posted a piece about bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein who refused to bake a cake for two homosexuals who wished to use it to celebrate their "marriage".  A local commissar, a petty tyrant named Brad Avakian fined them over $130,000 dollars and drove them out of business.  They were guilty of hate speech, discrimination, persecution, etc. etc.

Fast forward a few months to the election of Donald Trump as President of the US.  The craftswoman who had created Michelle Obama's exclusive wardrobe--one Sophia Theallet--stood in the public square and proclaimed that she was not going to design any clothes for the incoming First Lady, Melania Trump.  She had reached this decision on the basis of her beliefs, her conscience, her world-view.  She would not compromise.  She would stay true to her beliefs.

But for all those who cheered on and celebrated the depredations of Brad Avakian (and there were many) why will they not call for the metaphorical head of Theallet?  Well, because it's different.  They doubtless happen to agree with Theallet's politics and beliefs.  But the Kleins?  Nah. They will hate them to the third and fourth generation.

Consistency--thou art a jewel.  Inconsistency is hypocrisy writ large.  Unbelief cannot even be consistent with its own precious post-modernism.  It is interested in one thing above all else.  Power.  Power to condemn (even though it has not basis on its own terms to condemn anyone, anywhere).  Power to destroy.  Power to rule.  Power to oppress.  Scratch secular humanism and underneath you will find a hypocritical tyrant.

The reason is simple.  The post-modern West long ago tossed out objective truth as a possibility.  The only way to have the world conform to one's particular view is to compel it.  Therefore, it is not at all surprising that these days public argument can so quickly morph into riots and violent demonstrations.  The chant of our post-modern culture is, "It's my way, or the highway!"  Conform or get out.