Torch, Summer 1998

allow any view to be heard, justified, acknowledged, or accepted, occur in various arenas of life. On moral grounds, alternative lifestyles are accepted and even lauded by many. Our contemporary culture can be described in various ways, including postmodern, relativistic, and secularized. In this culture, truth is no longer based on absolutes, whether they be biblical or not. Truth is individualized and deeply personal. Francis Schaeffer, in his book The Great Evangelical Disaster, noted, "It is impossible to turn on the TV or read the newspaper or leaf through a popular magazine without being bombarded with the philosophy of moral relativism, subjective experience, and the denial of objective truth." Compartmentalization is also prevalent in our society. Many desire a demarcation between the sacred and secular aspects of life. Moreover, moral or ethical issues are viewed as less important than economic and traditionally political ones. A strong sense of fragmented thinking arises, in which it can be difficult to find or understand a central, fundamental ethical system. The following are a few instances of such a mindset: • Members of the public sector, especially governmental officials, are praised for their economic policies, even though they are living suspect private lives. Ultimately, they are viewed as effective leaders and "good people" by many despite the inability to restrain their moral failings. Shockingly, Ann Richards, former governor of Texas, stated recently on "Larry King Live" that the private lives of governmental officials should have no bearing on our evaluation of these people. • Sports figures are lauded for excellent play on the field or court, despite lifestyles that are at least offensive and perhaps even criminal. Even so, many sports fans view these men and women in a positive light. • John Fischer, in his book What in the World are We Doing?, relates the following story of a swimsuit model on a recent video. "The narrator commented that this model was a deeply religious girl who reads her Bible and prays every day. A clip was then inserted where she shared a brief insight from her latest Bible study. And then, suddenly, she was laying her Bible down and posing on the beach as the photographer snapped away and the video camera zoomed in on her ent1c1ng moves." Compartmentalization in her thinking permitted this young lady to claim religious principles while behaving in a sexually provocative manner. Our culture's willingness to accommodate and compartmentalize has infected the church. Schaeffer used very strong language concerning this mindset: "Here is the great evangelical disaster-the failure of the evangelical world to stand for truth as truth. There is only one word for this- accommodation: the evangelical church has Torch 7