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According to a recent survey by the Cultural Research Center, at Arizona Christian University: “More than two-thirds of Americans say they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today.” The rampant social problems and divisiveness plaguing our country is a troubling trend, one that weighs on the hearts and minds of our citizens.
Who is praying on the wall?
Some will point a finger at systemic “racism,” the alleged oppression of women and ethnic minorities, or the inequities of society. But few realize that there is a transformational shift occurring, and that this is affecting every aspect of American life. The shift is being driven by an ancient belief system commonly known as paganism, which of course stands in direct opposition to Christianity.
What Is Paganism?
In biblical times, the word pagan was a way of referring to the gentile nations that did not acknowledge or follow the God of the Bible. They bowed to many other gods, in the idolatrous worship of which they engaged in such abominable practices as cult prostitution and child sacrifice. Over time, the meaning of the word has changed, often referring now to those who follow a nature-based, polytheistic path of personal devotion. Pagan followers maintain that “there’s no right or wrong way to be a pagan.” But perhaps the most defining features of paganism are that it considers truth to be relative and insists that morality is in the eye of the beholder.
John Daniel Davidson, author of Pagan America: The Decline of Christianity and the Dark Age To Come, warns of a spirit of paganism that has taken root in America. “There is only one alternative to Christianity and that is paganism,” said in an interview with Tucker Carlson. “When we say paganism, I don’t mean there is going to be a sudden resurgence of the worship of Zeus. …What I mean is a return of the pagan ethos … a rejection of transcendent or objective truth.”
Davidson says that in the ancient world, pagans were free to assign divine status to anything they chose: material objects, natural phenomena, ideas, or people. He suggests that the U.S. has become enchanted by “radical moral subjectivity,” which can be seen in the support of the various LGBTQ movements; critical race theory; the Black Lives Matter movement; and abortion. As society continues aligning itself with these pagan agendas, the fundamentally correct Christian claims about humanity, our relationships to one another, and our relationship to God are all rejected.
Abortion Is a Pagan Practice
One common practice in the ancient pagan world was human sacrifice. Christianity, however, firmly rejects this idea. Scripture says: “You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:21 ESV).
Abortion is widely embraced in today’s pagan culture. Before the advent of sophisticated medical technology, this form of child sacrifice was justified by saying: “No life is being taken; a clump of cells is not a human being.” That argument soon lost ground as science proved beyond a shadow of doubt that an unborn baby is in fact a viable human person.
The response to revelation of this undeniable truth was no much needed about face, but rather the unleashing of an even more dogmatic form of paganism. These emboldened ones shouted: “My abortion is normal! My abortion is a moral good; you must celebrate my decision!” Yet as they shouted about the deaths of their innocent babies, most failed to understand that their celebration was a pagan ideal. Moreover, that derives from a concept deeply rooted in this unbiblical faith in which the mere will of the mother determines the humanity of the child. Says Davidson: “The only thing that determines the humanity of a person is the desire of the mother to have the child, or not have the child — that is quintessentially pagan because in a pagan society, what determines right, what is morally correct, is based on a power dynamic. Those who have power do what they want to those who have no power.” Essentially, the mother’s decision to destroy the child is a pagan-given right.
Paganism Leads to Enslavement
In pagan cultures, where objective truth is ignored, those with power have the right to enslave, kill, rape, or abuse anyone over whom they hold that power. Davidson further shares that when a nation replaces Christian morality with pagan morality, that nation will undergo transformation from a republic of self-governing citizens into a slave empire in which those with power will rule over an underclass. “Individual rights, rule of law, consent of the governed — these aren’t things that just exist in a secular, liberal utopia. They depend on an actual Christian society to sustain them,” says Davidson.
America’s Founding Fathers believed that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were important enough to include in the Declaration of Independence. But they did not see happiness as a license to do anything and everything making any particular individual “happy.” Rather, they saw happiness as being the freedom to live virtuously — more specifically, the freedom to be good. Postmodern pagans define happiness and goodness in an altogether different way. In their world, abortion, fetishes, sex changes, and unfettered sex can all be called “good.”
There’s No ‘Tolerance’ in Paganism
And there’s more to consider. According to Davidson, the COVID pandemic demonstrates some important things about America’s beliefs regarding faith and reason. In Christianity, these two concepts are complementary, working hand in hand to produce the very best outcome. During the pandemic, however, we saw a pagan tenet flourishing: the disfigurement of reason. Time and time again, reason was abused as authorities invoked irrational rules and protocols they labeled “science.” The pagan notion of “force and will” was exploited to make the public comply, rather than allowing open medical dialogue to produce solutions that worked. This is very revealing when one understands that pagan societies compel compliance, whereas Christianity tolerates other views.
The idea of tolerance applies to many arenas, but especially to religious tolerance. This particular principle is unique in that it exists specifically within the Christian worldview. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are integral to American culture. Says Davidson: “These are luxury goods only a Christian society can afford.”
If our society continues to embrace the pagan worldview, we will begin seeing less tolerance and more force and coercion. Paganism makes claims to liberate humanity, but instead it puts chains on both mind and body. The website Shoutyourabortion.com displays graphics that boast: “We will save us.” The site even sell T-shirts that say: “God’s plan includes abortion.” The founder of the movement, Amelia Bonow, insists that she is inspiring and supporting women. Of course, this is the devastating lie of paganism: the idea that humans can save themselves, and that they can do this by sacrificing the lives of other humans.
This we cannot tolerate. Intercessors, we are at a critical time in history — we must drive out the spirit of paganism that has infiltrated our nation.
Break the Chains of Paganism
Pray for the chains of paganism to be broken and for the spirit of truth to permeate America. Tear down the altars of child sacrifice, gender confusion, and identity distortion — and every other high thing that seeks to displace Jesus Christ. Instead of shouting the praises of abortion, we pray for women to shout the praises of God.
Lord Jesus, You are the one and only true God of this world. Unlike the gods of paganism, which are mere powerless idols, You can bring the true transformation: one that truly sustains human life, liberty, and happiness.
How have you seen paganism infiltrating American life? What can we do about it?
Angela Rodriguez is an author, blogger, and homeschooling mom who studies the historical and biblical connections between Israel and the U.S. Visit her blogs at 67owls.com and 100trumpets.com. She is also the author of Psalm 91: Under the Wings of Jesus, and her first children’s book, Hallelujah’s Great Ride, was released in September 2023. Photo Credit: Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash.