Schaeffer's a Christian Manifesto a Frank Reminder of Our Nation's Heritage

Christianity, or at the very least, the Judeo-Christian philosophy off of which the Founding Fathers based this nation's laws and principles, is the only hope for the continued thriving of a nation such as ours. Without the absolute guidelines handed to Moses in Exodus, and the practice of those guidelines under God-given executive authority, there is no absolute law, only arbitrary law made to keep the society functioning as best as it can. Without absolute morals, everything is relative. Human lives are in fact expendable in some cases where inconvenience or poverty make parenthood a bigger problem than the worth of having a child. Schaeffer's book A Christian Manifesto is at its core a warning to Christians, who have allowed this society to drift in the past fifty or sixty years from the Christian religion to the humanist religion. Shaeffer's answer to the Humanist Manifestos is so relevant to our time, regardless of what specific issues he addresses at the time of writing (though most of the Supreme Court cases he mentions are still issues today), it is no wonder that the study of Modern Humanities so directly involves his teachings.

A Christian Manifesto is perfectly clear about the problem of materialistic humanism, the cause, and the solution required by God (which comprises the most interesting section in the book). We know by what is currently being taught in public schools, or more appropriately, what is not allowed to be taught, what religious view of humanity is currently being endorsed by our government. The Supreme Court, which Schaeffer argues has too much power, is lately becoming more involved in the legislative process, and at the same time, it is an ideological entity, and a most powerful one, which has grossly misinterpreted the original intent of the Founding Fathers by restricting religious practices rather than sanctioning the free exercise of it.

To Schaeffer much of the problem lies in the indifference or ignorance of Christians, who have failed to see the totality of spirituality, how it affects every facet of their lives. "Christianity...is true to total reality...the objective existence of the personal-infinite God." So when the humanist movement began to gain momentum, Christians only saw the problem in bits and pieces. They recognized the falacies that were developing in government and in the beliefs of common people, but only in a fragmented, disconnected way.

But in any case, it is the responsibility of God-fearing, God-serving Christians to move against this destructive wave. Schaeffer talks about civil disobedience, and how as Christians, we must submit to the authority of those who have been given power by God. But when the actions of such authorities stand contrary to the Word, it is then our duty to remove that authority figure from power, regardless of the consequences. Schaeffer elaborates on the different levels of civil disobedience that should take place, and makes it clear that anarchy is never appropriate and that force should be a last resort.

The book essentially traces the fall into humanism, the forthcoming consequences of this, and the divine rights and duties of those subjected to a humanist government. Schaeffer states that no civilization has been able to function without some form of religion. That is the main point of A Christian Manifesto: without those basic Judeo-Christian rules and principles, the only thing that stands between stability and anarchy is a set of arbitrary rules to keep everyone in order.

As we become more comfortable with the freedom we have in our society, the price of that freedom slowly fades from our collective conscious. Basically, we've come to take it for granted. When a society reaches this point, where decades pass without a true threat to the foundation of that society, there is a greater tendency toward individualism, a moving away from the beliefs and principles the society was initially founded on. Schaeffer points out that no society could ever begin with humanism as its base.

This is why Schaeffer believes Christians must fight much harder than we have been for the soul of the nation. This battle is and should be mainly fought on the political front. Schaeffer compares the rights and responsibilities of those in power to the rights and responsibilities of the common citizens subject to authority. All politicians have no authority accept that which is granted them by God. Our political system is very compatible with this Judeo-Christian philosophy; if a political authority figure is not measuring up to the expectations of his constituents, then he will be removed from office.

This is why anyone who desires a successful long-term career in politics must never lose sight of those absolute, Godly laws and principles. As long as a society is pleasing God (and I believe ours has been for the most part), only those who follow His laws will be allowed to stay in office. Furthermore, even an atheist should admit that the Judeo-Christian philosophy is a valuable base off of which to form laws and maintain a balance between form and freedom. I'd rather base my morals off a book of religious principles (which have proved themselves vital in successful government) than to have no moral base at all.

A Christian Manifesto is a vital reminder of our duties as Christians. The reason I liked this book so much was because it not only calls for action on the part of Christians, but it serves to reestablish what we as Christians should believe. Schaeffer implicitly touches on James 2:26 that says faith without works is dead. It is not enough to simply speak out against abortion, euthanasia, etc. We must put all necessary costs and efforts into providing alternatives.

I liked the fact that Schaeffer repeatedly expounded on the totality of spirituality, how it encompasses every area of our life, including the rules of our government. If every Christian could remember not only this, but the totality of the humanist religion and it's total effects on society as well, then we are better equipped to fight off this new form of thinking that tends toward chaos. We must rediscover not only our role as Christians but the role of Judeo-Christian philosophy in our government. Without Christianity, our society has no backbone, because it is impossible to continue enjoying the freedoms we have without acknowledging how and for what reasons we obtained those freedoms in the first place.