The world has been a constant evolving paradigm with shifting perspectives and mystified debating grounds on contemporary values, beliefs, and ideology. The institution of these changes has brought great turbulence, which shakes the very foundation of churches, belief systems, and, by extension, the religious society. With this in mind, the question may be asked: Can the Church as an entity navigate and remain relevant amidst the adverse attacks on its spiritual, social and ethical will?

In a research conducted by Peter Bocchino (1994), which dissected a cover story focused on America’s moral decline, a Newsweek poll was referenced indicating that “76 per cent of adults agree that the Americans are experiencing moral and spiritual decline”. In addition, the Pew Forum United States Religious Landscape Survey of 2009 outlined that Christian growth has declined in the last 30 years — regressing from 90 per cent in the 1990s to almost 80 per cent to date. The survey stated that a large proportion of the decline is as a result of different world views that distort the principles of Christian faith and beliefs.

The invasion of belief has come to its pinnacle, as the attack on fundamental truth is philosophised through the capsule of relativity and various world views such as of theism, atheism, pantheism, deism, etc. Upon this premise, truth no longer stands immune, since new lens are galvanised to see life through the context of an individual’s ideals and reality. This new school of thought evades the principle of absoluteness and divinity, making it difficult to define what constitutes right and wrong. Consequently, man refuses to acknowledge his true maker, his boundaries, and limitations, resulting in social degradation, loss of identity, morality and values within families and societies.

What then is the role of the Church in this growing phenomenon, where man seeks to redefine its environment on a basis that flows only from inside-out and not from outside-in? Business executive, author, and chemical engineer Jack Welch stated, “If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.” It is therefore the purpose of the Church to be cognisant of the mortars geared towards the principles of the faith and be prepared to uphold the very essence of its foundations.

The apostle Paul, in II Timothy chapters 3 and 4, wrote an extensive warning to the Church in Ephesus, pointing to a messianic era where the Church must be aware of the time. Paul further tells the Church that, “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine; instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (II Timothy 4: 3)

In context, individuals desire a message that condones their own lifestyle, as opposed to teachings that challenge, disrupt or refute their present lifestyle. Today’s Church era is fused with people who desire ‘massages’, rather than messages; entertainment rather than edification. In reality, truth no longer conveys meaning, but is bombarded by individualised messages titillating to the ears. Is it that in our rationale for family life, spiritual growth and social moral fibre are no longer relevant? Or are we more concerned about nominal indicators, such as attendance, economic stability, popularity, favour, and political will as a church society. Seemingly, the fundamental precepts that defined the Christian faith have been overturned by individualised agendas and targets. Status quo shows that churches have become more instantaneous, prosperity-focused and specious. Consequently, there is no significance for faith, sacrifice, patience and tolerance.

According to Charles Swindoll (2002), sound doctrine gives true meaning to a world that is drowning in falsehood. It is the navigator between our sensations and perceptions, the secular and divine. Essentially, belief impacts action; therefore, behaviour is an extension of theology.

In my opinion, a contemporary view is an act of removing sound doctrine in the name of ‘political correctness’. This sense of wisdom and appropriateness ratifies man with the will to disguise and obliterate the truth. By this notion, the conception social dominance, prosperity, and happiness are the only gospel preached in many pulpits. Sager (2018) denoted, for decades, political correctness being offended or not offended has eroded the fundamentals of civility; robbing truth of its glory, objectivity of its lustre, and the Church of its viability.

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