There are two basic ways that we, as Christians in America can see the world. The first view is that the world is an evil place, full of enemies of our faith who are out to destroy us. The second view is that the world belongs to our Father and we can see his work in it, moving to a final restoration of creation.
The first view sees a culture war as essential to our survival. The prevailing emotion is fear, fear that the enemies of God will deny us the freedoms to practice our faith, fear that the Church will be destroyed and our way of life will be no more.
While it may be true that persecution may come to us in this country (and I don't mean losing tax exemptions), that does not mean that our ability to follow Jesus will be hindered. The early Christians faced terrible persecution, yet their faithfulness in following Christ changed their world. Christians today in China, India, Africa, and many other places faithfully practice their faith in the face of intense persecution. I doubt that they are worried about a culture war.
The Church is the Bride of Christ. Does anyone really think that Jesus is going to let anyone destroy his beloved? The Church in America is declining, but that doesn't mean that the body of Christ as a whole is in trouble. Remember that Jesus said that the very gates of Hell would not stand against his Church. I wonder if the decline in the American way of life is really what some of the culture warriors are worried about.
I prefer the view of the world that sees it as the creation of God. It is a flawed creation, but it is one in which the Father is working and one which he will restore. God is in control, and what he wants to happen will happen. While we here in America may go through some rough times because of our faith, we are children of a Father who loves us more than we can fathom. That alone should give us hope.
In the midst of all the junk, this is still our Father's world.
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