POSTMODERNISM IN SPAIN AND OUR CHURCH

© Carlos Padilla,  June 2021

The first part about Christian ethics I focused on Postmodernism and Christianism in general. This second and last part I dedicate it to Spain and its church. Postmodernism in Spain faced a bipolar country, Catholic and atheist in its majority, where the radicalism of these opposed thoughts differentiates us as a society, from the Protestant countries in the north of Europe or the US, where they overtook us historically in knowledge since the renascence until the illustration, centuries before, doe to the influence of the Protestant Reform which was persecuted here by the Inquisition. Although the Catholic tradition is well routed in the society, on the other hand the atheist philosophy has permeated the education, science, the university and a vast part of society. This has favoured certain points of view of the postmodern world view, but the Catholic tradition still has a great influence, but not based on the Bible, but in its own tradition, which is influenced by ideas that embrace postmodernism, like naturalism, the theistic evolution or the religious synergism, promoted by Rome. Mega churches have not rooted in Spain, although in touristic areas of the Mediterranean coast some influences are found because the majority of their members and leaders are foreigners, many of Latin American origin from where they try to import the system.

Postmodernism in our church, therefore, does not offer the aspect of the mega churches, but it does look more like it in the vision of adapting to the society to win the souls, and clearly it has influenced all, because we live in a society that it is, which does not imply that all its philosophy is accepted. A traditional service on Sunday is maintained, expository sermon, worship with music that all like, and where we can praise, and during the week, prayer, discipleship and study. In the Mediterranean coast of Andalucía, as well as having been influenced to the same level as the rest of Spain, in a specific way, it shows certain influences, I would say more conservative form the legacy of a more traditional culture, but also for being a touristic area it receives influence from the rest of the modern world, mostly from Europe, Latin America, which brings influence from the US, but also from Africa and the Middle East, a vast mixture of ideas and contrasts. There are still denominational differences, but we have brothers of English background, and they invite Christians of all international denominations to their services when they are here on vacation; the Spanish evangelical still does not accept that. It is true that some brothers that come from other countries are more focused in music than in preaching, they come more to take a break from their lives and to connect with God, but not to compromise, nor to discipleship, nor to the works, and they expect an emotional and sensitive experience, as well as wanting to be part of a great project without being part of it. The Spanish and local brothers, in their majority, see this more separating away from the Word.

It’s Influence in Our Way of Thinking and in Decisions Making

How far have the ideas of Postmodernism influenced us brothers, is something we can thresh if we compare the ethics and moral from which we stand and teach, which is Biblical, which must be a warrantee to the Christian and to the church. When the Protestant Reform rooted, there was a change of paradigm, and the Catholic Church and its tradition, and the interpretation that it was giving to knowledge, was no longer the source of absolute truth, to leave the place to the Bible, the Word of God which could be read by the people. There, modern thinking started, from the tradition of the elders and from “it was always done that way” to “it is scientifically proven” to what Protestant Christianity would say “as the Bible tells”. Whether from expository preaching in these times in an apologetics that confronts ideas of postmodernism with the Bible, but in a way that all ages can understand well, to the way of thinking as a traditional family, the emphasis in the blessing of heterosexual marriage as God created it, or how we treat our children, to be against abortion, or our elders in their elderly, honouring father and mother, and taking care of them instead of euthanasia, show that our live as a Christian community that love each other and help each other, and our neighbour, is based in Christian ethics that emanate from the Bible from the New Testament and that lives the Kingdom of God. My experience in counselling is that the younger are the more influenced, especially those who do not study the Bible, do not gather with other youth to pray, and are exposed to the world. Decisions become more difficult amongst the young who decide to live together before they marry, divorced that want to marry again or live together, or decisions about euthanasia in extreme cases. The rest of the matters are usually less focused on how to win souls for Christ, discipleship of growth as a family of true friends in Christ, and a more distanced community and influenced by a multitude of virtual channels, with a vast mixture of doctrines, like children carried by any wind of doctrine, like Paul would say to the Ephesians (4:14), this is a fight of today, and I think not only with my brethren, but in every church.

Ethics and Moral of the Christian World View vs Postmodernism

Ethics is our guide to what is correct for an according behaviour, which becomes the moral. It is the scientific study of human moral which is determinate by the true ideal and form. It is about the true significance of human life and its purpose, or how to know who is a good man or how to identify a good life, he duty, and if there is a moral obligation and how to determinate it. Christianity uses these bases to provide the moral Christian answer from the Bible to universal matters, for God created us with conscience. With this certainty that Christians ethics and moral comes from God, we can answer to ethics and moral from postmodernism which is subjective, which sees all as relative, and that assures that it is not possible to know what is good or bad, which produces a state of amorality, or moral in fashion, or of the group. This situation of instability, of individual interpretation is producing a society with no values and erratic, and we the Christians are worried of the reaction of the people when we preach to them, to what the Bible tells us that we are more than conquerors, and that nothing will separate us from God (Ro. 8:28-29), and even more, they are Words of eternal life (Jn. 6:63). In general, to the brethren, this is the aspect that worries us most about ethics, but the greater influence could be in the next generations, children, grand children that are being impacted in the school and university by a radically secular teaching. But, like Millar Erickson says, we must share with other Christians from other nations and contexts so that postmodern Christianity does not fall in liberalism, but that it takes into account these situations, like when Jesus and then Paul spoke about certain foods that could not be eaten or drink wine, and others could not, being both ethically Biblical. Definitely, we take the moral argument that proves that universal objective moral values exist, and that God exists, there is a justice, and we know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of God (1 Jn. 2:29).

Family and Sexuality, the Value of Live, Abortion, Euthanasia

Family is the base of society; a father and a mother form a family and the children that they may have fruit of their marriage. This is the model that has made humanity’s existence. Postmodernism embraces other not heterosexual forms, unions or groups they call families, which by the impossibility of procreation use alternative methods, adoption or in vitro insemination. The Bible only blesses the model created by God since Adam and Eve (Gn. 2) as the base of the family, and by design.

Life, is for God so valuable that He came to this world in Christ to save us from sin, giving His on the Cross (Jn. 3:16). If God so loved us, abortion and euthanasia are the opposite to the value of human life, which carries the image of God. In some cases we have debated that sometimes it is argued that an abortions is necessary due to the medical risk of death of the mother, and about the euthanasia, that sometimes suffering is not possible to be palliated, and therefore death is more merciful. Our Biblical faith, what we practice is that the Christian must try, whenever possible to favour life in every case and to guard the family. If it is not possible to take care of our parents, or grandparents due to medical needs, the ideal is the Christian hospice, but we do not have them in most areas, and the few there are, are Catholic, or from the government that promotes euthanasia, and in both cases impossible for most families with low or medium income; there we have a good work for voluntaries of the churches, those who are capable or can become, and can help.

Genetics, Biology, Technology and Climatic Change

Genetics is the great discovery of biological science, the chain of DNA which provides great hope for sicknesses and life quality. Postmodernism does not have an ethical limit whether if human cloning is ethical or not, the embryo selection by colour of eyes or chosen sex, discarding others as if they were building materials, but life begins with fecundation. The limits to advances must be given by ethics which gives value to human life as created by God (Col. 1:16), not that we are the creators. Technology provides us with great advantages to the quality of life, internet, transport, industry, factories, but on the other hand it leaves more and more people without jobs, the era of robotics is coming, artificial intelligence, and we will live with robots in medicine, education, and other social statements and of entertainment, where again we must put ethical limits; do we imagine a robot preacher?

There is a new panacea, a kind of religion called climatic change, and I say religion because I see my fellow citizens, especially those atheists, making every effort to serve the cause while the do non to help the needed, those who are hungry or human causes. Christianity must love creation and be in favour preserving the earth, but each thing in its order. Se see how schools how our children and grandchildren are taken to save the turtles of the beach, but not to help other children hungry due to Covid 19. I think that the matter of climatic change is an opportunity to evangelize its defenders, because we Christians, before them, we loved God’s creation.

In these times of Covid, many brothers who where against internet or the use of technology in the church, have changed their point of view radically, and are now giving thanks for being able to gather in a virtual way, for seeing sermons, study and share with the brothers, and to see the fruits of the Gospel through this media. In the same way seminaries have change in this direction. This is what we see between our brothers in these times, which does not mean that the future of the church will only be virtual, but that some prejudices will be taken away and we may use the benefits.

Implications of the Image of God in Man: War and Death Penalty

The image of God in man implies that we belong to Him. For the Christian it means making an effort to follow Jesus model who defeated sin (He. 4:15). It also implies that when we have a correct relationship with God because we have been regenerated, we can enjoy true humanity. If we learn to work for God, whether in the secular field as in the one of the Kingdom, we will reflect that universal image in humanity. Not taking into account the image of God in man has ended in atrocities in history, like eugenisia, or the Nazi Holocaust, under the deceit of a supposed superiority of race, a diabolic plan of extermination of those that some few unmerciful hate, that we know how they ended. However when we talk of war and death penalty, how do we offer the image of Jesus Christ to the world, who stopped the stoning of the adulterer woman and asked her to not sin any more when His Law says death by lapidating? (Jn. 8:3). The debate continues open!

War can be just if it deals with defending the people before they are annihilated, if all the roots of negotiation have been tried and we are going to be attacked. But who takes sword, shall perish with the sword (Mt. 26:52). Not only in the church I find an opposition to death penalty or to war, but in Spanish society in general; both Spains embrace the opposition to death penalty, and the care about climatic change, but they are divided about abortion and euthanasia, being the Catholic part who opposes and the atheist the one who has approved it in parliament. For us it is difficult to embrace death penalty from the perspective of Dr. Núñez, because in our country it does not exist, and civil war remains as to close in time in the minds of half of the society, the older, and despite internal terrorism that Spain suffered, our society remains very hurt and the stripe has not healed, this from the brethren, but the atheists are very fast in supporting it, as well as abortion or euthanasia. If we see the matter through cultural anthropology, from Greek antrophos (man) and, logos (knowledge), the control of the government can implement death penalty, but it does not reduce crime, rape or terrorist attacks, it has been proven that it is not a dissuasive factor, as proven by statistics and through knowledge of man since his origin, essence, behaviour, social evolution according to history. From the Biblical Christian focus we have reply under the tradition of the just war, because activism depends on the government, and pacifism depends on if there is peace, but the debate about war and death penalty fights Biblically with the influence of culture and tradition of everyone’s country.

Work, Race, Arts and Christian Entertainment and the Postmodern Influence

Is work a blessing or a curse? This debate in the church needs a good Biblical support and of Protestant ethics, and once exposed they accept it is a blessing for man to glorify God, but the conditions of many works are tough and make life bitter. A change in focus helps, as well as to talk with the employers. It was ordered by God (Gn. 1-2). It has a physical dimension as well as a spiritual one. Retirement should be gradual, that the person can feel useful to his rhythm. It is not the result of the fall (Gn. 3:17-19) this is a bad interpretation, but the results are indeed hard to achieve. We also work for a quality of life, but the postmodern influence has converted it in work to achieve money to spend in pleasures of the flesh, for personal success and ego, and if not achieved, the cost of those unnecessary and show offs are financed. Work has three basic purposes: to provide money, our daily bread (Mt. 6:11), a prayer that receives blessing through work, the mentioned quality of life, gives satisfaction and purpose, and physiological and mental health through giving meaning to life. But the final purpose is to serve and glorify God (Col. 3:22). Three ethical principles: obedience, perseverance and sincerity; we work for God.

Race is the final excuse to abuse of some, make them slaves or consider them inferior. Afro Americans suffered in the US specially, but Martin Luther King and his dream set the foundation of the civil rights (1964 and 1985). In Spain there is still racism, but our brothers are from all places so here it is difficult to be racist because we are in a touristic area, but inland it is still alive, and it is a shame. There are only those who are in Christ and those who are not, no matter their skin or ethics (1 Co. 1:18).

Arts have been seen as something secular, but this is not Biblical. Brothers here love art, classic music and others, in special those best ones of worship and theatre or cinema, through culture and way of life, but the evangelical world does not promote it. Our brothers perform theatre for children and others have a ministry to win families through this media. Yes it is true that we must influence more our society and show excellence in all that we do for the glory of God who is creative and has given us that gift (Gn. 1:26). As far as there are values, the image of God is reflected, all have access and it is in every activity, it will provide that we become complete as people, curious, with courage and brave but humble. God is the greatest artist, He creates, and we must create for His glory. The problem come when entertainment is used for the flesh without values, the abuse of TV and others, which makes man a consumer, not a creator. We shall use the principia of stewardship of time (Ga. 5:15), of control, of moral purity (Phil. 4:8), personal growth, the glory of God (1 Co. 10:13) and this way to make a selection that God likes. Postmodernism on the contrary has corrupted entertainment, but this already existed in the times of the Roman circus. With the brothers we discuss and pray so that our children and new brothers, are influenced to a healthy entertainment, and that separates from the lost world, like for the young, to separate them from alcohol and drugs, from pornography, and guide them to participate in sports, classical music, or modern music, activities outside, in nature, mountain or sea that we have here, and all the activities follow a path to a healthy life, as well as holy, as we read in the letter of the apostle Paul to the Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things”.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion to which we immediately get to when we analyze the bases that postmodernism tried to impose, is that once we analyze its arguments, fall short by themselves. Christianity has the more solid foundations of truth, the cosmological argument vs the objection of naturalism, the argument of design vs the objection of atheism and agnosticism, the argument of moral and ethics vs relativism and nihilism. I believe that it is evident that we can demonstrate that absolute truth exists in Christ, and that only in Him is redemption and salvation, that these are true and that the hope of eternal life after resurrection or the rapture are a Biblical hope with thousands of years, and that this Gospel is available for all those who believe, who study it and receive it, and that change their lives through the metanoia, that repentance or change of mind towards God, who loves us. The theological matters are based in the Bible as the Word of God inspired and prophetical, which implies that has demonstrated fulfilment, and therefore, the possibility to know God is real. It also includes that redemption for salvation, God’s justice, the ethics of the Creator, the love that holiness provides to love God and our neighbour, to most of which we come through faith, but also through experience that we share with millions of souls in history. Also, the Kingdom of God amongst us and to come, in the hope of resurrection and the second coming of Christ, provide a far greater degree of meaning to our lives that the one provided by postmodernism and its atheism, without knowing the truth, or nothing solid, but a great uncertainty that drive many to losing the hope of living to which the same system offers euthanasia and abortion, all an evil plan that despises human life, to finish with man and his hope of eternal life. “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day,” John 6:40.

Read part I: Postmodernism and Christianism