Live and Let Live

It is reasonable to assume that nearly everybody wants peace in the world. This is a sentiment that resurfaces annually as part of the perpetual wishes voiced worldwide on birthdays and certain holidays. Governments, social organizations and a myriad of other agencies exist for the purpose of seeking global harmony, and subsequently implementing policies that work toward accomplishing this goal. Furthermore, there are millions of people who travel great distances to avoid conflict and preserve peace, even if it requires a willingness at times to compromise the truth. So, then the following question logically follows - is securing peace a situation where the ends justify the means? While negotiating with the truth is something rather commonplace in the secular arena, should it be something incorporated into the Church on a periodic basis where the situation demands a gentle concession?

Truth is both the foundation on which the Bible is established, and the claims of Christ are determined. Tragically, numerous studies have revealed there is a compromise of the truth underway in Christendom. Our westernized world today is living in a state of deception, and a massive number of people do not even know it. There is a dangerous trend unfolding in our way of thinking. Fewer and fewer people understand critical thought. They have lost the ability to evaluate information, implement reason, and ultimately make decisions based on sound judgment. Far too many citizens blindly believe what the media espouses to be the truth, and they never pause to investigate those claims. Postmodern thinking has lulled millions of people into a place of indifference toward the truth, resulting in the attitude of “live, and let live.”

This new cultural norm promotes the theory that all ideas are equal. The result has been to discard judgment on any and all behaviors, even those with negative moral consequences. The argument is, “who is to say what is or isn’t negative? It’s simply a matter of opinion.” Contemporary secular thought suggests that it is nobody’s right to render a verdict on another individual’s opinions. This places the follower of Christ in a difficult situation. While Christians must respect personal sovereignty, it is necessary to guard against falling in line with society’s ideologies that are contrary to a biblical worldview. One such current prominent thought claims that a person’s chromosomes could be wrong, and that their physical appearance can actually be a hindrance to who that individual really is. In other words, if you were born with ovaries, yet you feel as though you are a man trapped in a woman’s body, you should pursue surgical modification. By doing so, the outward appearance then properly mirrors the gender that defines who you believe you actually are. As should be obvious, but evidently is not, this can be a slippery slope leading to utter cultural contamination and chaos.

The idea of “live and let live” in our principles concludes that all ideas about faith and religion are ultimately equivalent. Ironically, American society publicly condemns any expression of a righteous deity who establishes boundaries for life and claims to be the primary purpose for living (John 14:6). Such an idea contradicts, and ultimately challenges, those who take the teachings of God seriously. Alarming numbers of Christian entities, including churches and seminaries, now reject the infallibility of the Bible. Ecumenicalism is spreading like a poisonous agent throughout the Christian church arguing that the sincerity of the heart is the criteria for acceptance by God. Multiple heretical teachings of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have only served to contribute to nominal Christianity, resulting in the abysmal influence the Church serves in the much of world today.

Trifling “Christians” are undoubtedly the most problematic segment of our population to reach with the truth of the Gospel. Their ideology states that God is loving, and therefore, accepts everyone just as they are. While this statement in and of itself is true, the conclusion is inaccurate because other propositions are involved. Yes, God is loving, merciful and forgiving; but there are the obligations of repentance and obedience that remain a constant (John 14:15-16). The requirements of Christ clearly delineated in the Holy Bible certainly do not allow for the “live and let live” attitude.

The many misconceptions about biblical Christianity rife within modern society must be addressed – and now! The teachings of Scripture are not irrelevant rules and regulations that have long since been outdated. While believing in the God of the Bible may be dismissed as excessively restrictive, it is still in fact the only way to be saved (Matthew 7:13, 14). The Christian faith is not merely another expression of believing in a higher power or being. It is the only way to genuinely discover life.