Recently, I had the opportunity to appear on Worldview Matters with my beloved brother in the faith, David Fiorazo. In the interview, we discussed how secular progressivism, which largely rules the thoughts of the secular left, is antithetical to a Biblical worldview. To understand the age in which we live, it is important to understand the ideas behind secular progressivism and, more importantly, what its aspirations are. After all, whether the majority of people realise it or not, secular progressivism has the stated goal of organising social life (with or without your consent) toward explicitly chosen goals. Those goals, however, put it in direct conflict with Biblical truth.
The major flaw in secular progressivism is its belief that preference trumps truth. Because the maxim of this ideology is that “all preferences are created equal,” any belief which competes with somebody’s “preference” is treated in one of two ways. Either it must be suppressed (usually with the backing of government or media institutions), or it must be branded as a private hobby which is acceptable in the home or inner thought life but not welcome in the public square where others may be influenced by it. So that dissenters don’t get any ideas about stepping outside of these arbitrary boundaries, opponents of secular progressivism are therefore branded as ignorant bigots who have not yet developed an adequate thought life to be trusted with any public influence.
Although secular progressivism is tirelessly critical of Christianity, ironically, it cannot operate without it. You see, progressivism needs an external order against which it can rebel. So, as much as it claims its goals are to destroy Christianity, the reality is that, like the parasitic organism it is, if progressivism destroys its host, it dies also. Therefore, you will note that progressivism’s aim is not necessarily to destroy Christianity, but to highlight its supposed negative qualities in order to promote secular progressivism’s supposed positive qualities. In other words, in this clash of worldviews, secular progressivism still needs somebody to clash against so it may seek to expand its own influence.
There are notable areas where these clashes are most volatile, with sexual orientation, gender identity, and abortion being three key points of unabating friction. So, under the cultural rules of engagement which have been thrust upon Christians, secular progressivism has cast Christianity as antiquated and evil—a system of thought which has failed to advance as the pages of the calendar turn. In its place stands a communally accepted movement which has marketed itself as an ethical worldview emphasising human-derived morality, universal equality and social justice. Its so-called appeal is that rather than relying on religious dogma, it grounds its belief in reason, empathy and the improvement of social conditions as society advances. But no matter how secular progressivism has chosen to see or define itself, when you adopt a Biblical worldview the only conclusion you can reach is that the movement is delusional and spiritually damaging.
The reality is that although secular progressivism may cast itself as a social or even political movement, it does have a quasi-religious character. Its orthodoxy emerged out of the sexual revolution and its “promised land” is a society which fully accepts the dominance of pleasure and self-will. Unfortunately, as secular progressivism has increased its grip on society, yesterday’s sins have now become today’s sacraments meaning that yesterday’s sinners are now lauded as today’s saints. That’s why those who are firmly entrenched in the progressive agenda do not think what they do is deplorable. Their spiritual delusion has led to their belief that they are in possession of a higher truth that they insist must now become the dominant universal truth.
Because secular progressivism is not accountable to any kind of theistic worldview, it claims that it is possible to be good without God. But in progressive orthodoxy, who or what is “good?” Well, it comes back to individual preference. To determine what is morally acceptable in their movement, there is a simple equation: preferences define what is good and since all preferences are equal (through moral egalitarianism) then everybody has equal claim to a satisfying life through the manifestation of their preferences. Where we experience hostility from secular progressivism is when we reject an individual’s “preferences” because they are in opposition to Biblical commandments. Rather than respecting our position, they perceive the rejection of a preference as baseless discrimination and therefore, in their view, a form of hatred and oppression.
Secular progressivism, whilst focusing its attention on the exercise of personal preference, has completely overlooked the problem of personal sin. In attempting to absolve people of guilt, progressivism has sought to recast sin as preference, whilst blindly ignoring the ruinous (and eternal) consequences of mankind’s depraved and sinful state. The truth is that there is nothing forward-thinking about secular progressivism. It is grounded in a regressive and harmful unbiblical lifestyle which will put a person’s very soul in eternal jeopardy.
