Tuesday, November 23, 2010

My Generation and the Culture Wars

I'm currently reading a book called, The Reason for God by Timothy Keller. So far, I'm really enjoying it. Timothy Keller is the pastor of a Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. The average age in his church is 30. He deals a lot of with skepticism and yet his church in Manhattan has been flourishing. There was a quote in the book that I think really did a great job of describing my generation:

"I think these younger Christians are the vanguard of some major new religious, social and political arrangements that could make the older form of culture wars obsolete. After they wrestle with doubts and objections to Christianity many come out on the other side with an orthodox faith that doesn't fit the current categories of liberal democrat or conservative Republican. Many see both sides in the "culture war" making individual freedom and personal happiness the ultimate value rather than God and the common good. Liberals' individualism comes out in their views of abortion, sex and marriage. Conservatives' individualism comes out in their deep distrust of the public sector and in the understanding of poverty as simply a failure of personal responsibility. The new, fast-spreading multiethnic orthodox Christianity in the cities is much more concerned about the poor and social justice than Republicans have been, and at the same time much more concerned about upholding classic Christian moral and sexual ethics than the Democrats have been."

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