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World Congress of Families in Verona and Dr. Turley
Who nailed it for this week? Someone who brought an unexpected message to an international conference on the family, introducing us to the new field of “Post Secular Studies”. It’s a powerful reminder of God’s sovereignty in the world and should challenge all believers in our posture towards a hostile secular culture.
I’m Joel Fieri, Executive Producer of Christian Podcast Central. And this is “The Best Thing You’ll Hear This Week”
Dr. Stephen Turley is another rising star on the internet, and he gave a speech recently to the World Congress of Families in Verona, Italy that caught my attention for it’s brazen assertions about the future of religion not only in the West, but the entire world as well. Dr. Turley boldly asserts that despite all predictions and appearances to the contrary, faith in God is not being steamrolled by secular atheism. To the contrary, in society after society, country after country “Secularists are panicked…” by
“winds of change that have transformed societies in ways that secular elites never imagined in their wildest dreams”.
He then introduces us to the new (at least to him and me) scientific field called “post secular studies”, which he says “offers us a window to the future”. A very religious, non-secular future. Check out the link below to watch the entire speech. It’s an eye-opener.
To be clear, this emerging future is not necessarily orthodox Christian or even Christian at all. Islam, Mormonism and other faiths are in many cases out-growing Christianity, so this is not something Christians should be necessarily taking a victory lap over. But what we should be taking away from this message is something I find myself going back to time and time again; God (or at least the reality of God) is winning! As Christians, we know that in the end total victory is the Lord’s, and that He has set eternity in the hearts of us all. Against this truth, secularism has nothing to offer the heart of man. Nothing! And the world sees it! The harvest is ready! Which is why it’s so distressing to see normally right-thinking Christians in America and the West, where God has manifested His sovereignty and glory the most, cowering and appeasing the empty post-modern secularism that is being so relentlessly pushed on us. A weak, toothless world view that will eventually crumble (and deservedly so). To be replaced by what, though? Mormonism? Islam? Both of those faiths are growing because they’re believers stand fast and push back against what they see as the paper tiger of secularism. But Christians have the Truth that the world needs, and we’re on the winning team. If we simply push back – gently, respectfully, peacefully, in love (whatever qualifiers you want to add) – but with just a little bit of boldness, knowing that our God is the only true fulfillment for the emptiness of the modern world, our society (and the world) would see how empty it truly is. And then it would be transformed for His Kingdom! The evidence is all around us. Secularism has failed! Predictably! And thanks to Dr. Stephen Turley, THAT is the Best Thing You’ll Hear This Week!