"A house divided against itself cannot stand." - Abraham Lincoln

For 500 years, the primary dividing line in Christianity was between the Protestants and the Catholics. For a thousand years before that, the Catholic Church was split between the Roman and Orthodox dynasties. Today, in the United States, not only are Christians divided we are increasingly seeing that many people are not engaged in any form of organized religion. Some are most threatened by Islam, while the Hindu, Buddhism and eastern religions seem to receive more notice in this country.

In the late 18th & early 19th Century, Europe saw a growth of secularism, i.e., the study of the philosophies and science and a decline in the influence of the church. But in the United States, we saw a new wave of evangelism as many Protestant denominations experienced explosive growth.

We’ve developed a short-hand version to describe the current phenomenon as liberal vs. conservative, progressive vs. evangelical, situational vs. biblical, etc. It is not just the theological stance of various denominations or divinity schools, but also individual congregations and/or priests and pastors. The sticking point seems to be interpretation of the Christian scriptures. Some consider the cultures and context of the times, and others insist on literal transliterations of the English words in the Bible.

There is a lot to debate about, and we do. In more recent times, however, the debate has led to an inbreeding of religion and politics. That is unfortunate, because we were formed specifically to create a government that separated church and state. This was unique in comparison with Europe, where in many cases there was an official religion for each country. While we were predominately WASP, we always were racially and theologically diverse.

How did generation Z come to be so disillusioned with religion? Well, for the obvious reasons that prolonged debates and differences about dogma were counterproductive. We got lost in the theological weeds and couldn’t find the basic tenets of our faith. The ecumenical movements of the 60’s and 70’s got swept aside beginning with the political activism of the 80’s.

Is this just another transition period, or are we seeing a structural change in American culture and social norms? Obviously, our traditions are changing as we build new ones. It is too simplified to pass it off as a struggle between science and religion. Change is inevitable, and in our situation, technology and economics impact our social structures dramatically. We’ve become more urban than rural, live in a global economy, and we deal with a global clash in cultures and histories as well as religion. That’s even before the Ukraine War started.

How can I share my faith and still be respectful of the faith (or none) of others? Am I so dogmatic that I am right and that you are wrong that there is no bridge of common courtesy? We’re not having a debate over culture in the United States. We’re having an uncivil war over different worldviews or mindsets that seem totally incompatible and out-of-touch with reality. We’re letting our fears confuse and control us. We’re letting our anger loose without bounds. If we can’t compromise in our churches, synagogues, mosques, or in Congress, how can we in society at large?

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