Rediscovering Faith in a Culture of Chaos

Many of the modern ideas hopefully bankrupt the gospel is not only good news is best use of a culture we live in can be so divisive and contentious that sometimes it's hard to know which way is up. But in Christ there is hope, and on today's Focus on the Family Dr. Oz Guinness shares his observations of what's going on culturally and offers some encouragement as well. Your hostess focus president Dr. Jim Daly and I'm John Fuller, John we are at a critical moment in American history and it can be unsettling, to say the least.

But in the darkest of night.

God's light often shines the brightest and this is a real opportunity for us as Christians to be salt and light in the culture.

A lot of people are looking for solutions in politics.

But even though we have a civic duty to vote and involvement in government can be one part of influencing the culture for Christ. Our citizenship is first in God's kingdom. Dr. Oz Guinness is a brilliant scholar and social critic, and he's devoted a lot of thought and study to the cultural chaos running rampant in America right now.

I sat down with Oz for a great visit and he provided an important history lesson and expose the origins of critical theory and cultural Marxism, which explains much of what's happening in the country right and Jim the context for the conversation is a book by Dr. Oz.

Guinness called the Magna Carta of humanity Sinai's revolutionary faith in the future of freedom. We recorded your conversation in Washington DC in front of a small group of folks friends and I with that backdrop. Here's Jim with Dr. Oz Guinness on Focus on the Family. Let's get into it Oz when you look at the culture today. There's much turbulent. You spent the early years. Your early years in China and working to get into that, but how would you describe what's going on in the American culture today as an observer, you're not a citizen but you certainly have lived here many years and you know American culture better than many Americans on a great admirer of this country in a bubble. The distinctive view of freedom. Jim I think if he took in a big framework where it was called a civilizational moment, no was the Western world is at a crucial moment, but so also is America you have a deeper division here than it any time since just before the Civil War. The difference is you had a link and then who address the evils of slavery in the light of what he called a better angel of the American nature and his great conviction about the declaration you don't have any lead is talking not that today so one president talks that restore the soul of America. Another talks about making America great again, but neither of them address what made America great in the first place. That's a good follow-up question I don't want to miss the opportunity from your observation. What is it that made America great. My books about the clash between the ideas coming from the American Revolution, which through the Reformation is rooted in the Torah. The 17th century was cold. The biblical century and people were fascinated with what they called the Hebrew Republic was when the church became the official faith of the Roman Empire 3C under the Emperor Theodosius the church made a bad mistake.

It copied Roman structures, Roman structures were hierarchical based on power and is a Catholic layman who made the famous remark you know all power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But there are fullness limited to some extent, that much will Calvin the singly bubbling up Knox. They went back to the Torah Nicholas in the Torah, the heart of freedom is covenant and that became the American Constitution, so America notice and much much more to the first five books of the Bible than many Americans have a clue about that. You need to unpack that in detail.

For example, many don't know that Constitution came from continent, but equally the consent of the government. Exodus the Lord puts out the covenant three times.

It says the people reply all of the Lord says we will do that is the origin historically of the consent of the government. And that's just the beginning.

The best of the American experiment comes from that the tragedy today this week. People talking about democracy.

The frame is went that instant democracy that will shock and they called it the Republic right which didn't just mean you had no king you in a covenantal view of freedom and who defends that today right. Let me ask you some of the things that are taking place today when you look at the Marxism you know that something that I think in the United States. Historically we've always been mindful of you go back to McCarthyism and maybe an overzealous reaction at that time. I do know but what's happening with communism and Marxism. Specifically, today and is it present in the US yes but not the way many Americans fear okay and I was the ideas that come from the French Revolution, the French Revolution only lasted 10 years. Then came Napoleon's over. He said he was a dictator but like a huge volcanic explosion. The lava flow has gone on ever since the main one.

Everybody knows switches revolutionary socialism in one word communism.

Another was the Russian revolution the Chinese revolution what's happening here is actually the third lava flow which is not classical Marxism, but cultural Marxism and that goes back to the 1920s. Gentlemen: Antonio Gramsci sat in a jail under Celine eight he was jailed for being a Marxist 30 trying to figure out why Marx wasn't right there hadn't been a revolution is Marx predicted he shifted it from the proletariat and industrial strikes in the list of what he called the cultural gatekeepers and that dominant and saw his word hegemony.

He was picked up by the Frankfurt school for 30 is the important being that in the 60s. The leader of the Frankfurt school in America was her but my Cusa at the University of San Diego. He was the godfather of the religious right left on the religious type that radical left in 1960s that that might be good mistake religious left as described. There is a really talented has different he was the godfather radical left. The new left is 6867 68. He and the gentleman radical call for a long march through the institutions. In other words, you remember I first came as a tourist and 68, then you will remember it somewhat hundred American cities were ablaze far more than happen to his Martin Luther King assassinated Bobby Kennedy killed, but they still knew they wouldn't win in the streets. So the long march was a detour. The school psychologist universities, the press, the media, what they call the entertainment industry, Hollywood, and so on. The culture industry and then sweep around and when the culture now 50 years later, we can see they done it absolute. So for me it was amazing almonds last year you take on the young king greatly helped by CRT critical race theory in Loudoun County and mama bears many people had no idea where that came from right. They blamed it on the Harvard Law school in 1970 and Derek Bell goes right back to the 1920s and it is just critical race is critical, women's studies, critical fields of queer studies, critical fat studies is behind occupy Wall Street as well as NT 4.0 and black lives matter. There is a morphing swarming sorrows found a group of people who adjust part of the radical left yet. Let me ask you this is because it's critically important. I think you you grew up in China as a little boy.

I can remember you mentioned Bobby Kennedy. I remember I was seven years old when he was shot. I was watching the television. I can remember that so clearly my mama just left the room and I'm watching him go back to the kitchen and it's all on television and I saw Sir hands her hand chewed. It was part of that experience those even as a seven-year-old that was burned into my mind trying to comprehend what my actually singing you had that same experience or similar experience in China with Matt what what took place when you are 70 years old I was born there during the wall and you know the Japanese killed 17 million and the invasion and we lived in the city of Nanking managing today which is suffer the brutal rape of Nanking, the most brutal massacre in the 20th century, but I remember the day I begin the book when January, 49, my dad said to be sent were in trouble. Chang Kai-shek just abandon the city and were at the mercy of the red Army and three months later they cross the river and in they came in the reign of terror up again and they festoon the town. The city and the reign of terror was palpable.

My father was tried publicly and in all the evidence just fell apart.

But you can see me. We met Christian friends and other friends in the street they look right by you. It was more than their lives were with us to acknowledge that you a Westerner if we went out doesn't instant crowd tested the blue-eyed foreign devils and someone that's really important because many years later when I was in Oxford as a graduate student.

My cue to was at all souls, the cream of the cream of Oxford life.

No students and I would dine with son Isaiah Berlin, the great Jewish philosopher of freedom and this he told the first time at dinner turned out he'd been a seven-year-old in the Russian revolution and I was a seven-year-old, nearly 8-year-old in the Chinese revolution and then that the two is NS. We swap notes we both because it will thank the Lord that the English-speaking people stood against totalitarianism, but in discussion nobody would've dreamed this is the mid-1970s. Nobody would've dreamed that America would be affected by cultural Marxism ready Marxism because Americanism the American dream was always considered the substitute. The surrogate America didn't need anything like that. And yet you see the inroads today for the folks that may not spend much time thinking about this one of those telltale signs that there is a socialistic communist vibe running through the country. Now what is it where you can see this a lot of radio programs and television programs, and keep you up-to-date with the latest scandal relates to rage. I would encourage Christians to think deeper because the difference between the biblical revolution, the American one.

Sadly wasn't fully consistent take slavery and racism, but the difference tween the Exodus of Sinai revolution and the French Revolution's ideas is night and day, and we as followers of Jesus need to be defenders of the real thing. So they had different sources on the Bible, the other in the Enlightenment that different views of humanity. The biblical view is very realistic. That's why you have separation of powers because of the potential of the abuse of power was the French Revolution utopian, but noticing the big difference this year is justice right as I is a foreign looking America now what you're seeing is America's greatest evil slavery and racism meeting the establishments greatest blind spot that in a clue how to deal with this meeting.

The radical left's greatest fraud and disaster beating the gospel's greatest glory, but we've got to make that case in public well and the difficulty hearing. That is, it sounds discouraging, no, no, I think, as followers of Jesus hundred percent realistic relook reality in the white of the eye. What you think. Jeremiah thought of his day, but we always come out with hope.

Put another way, she will make it more hopeful or to be real. Your realist. Many of the modern ideas such totally bankrupt and very evidently bankrupt. So if you look to the future that Will Way, China looks threatening with singularities coming huge questions for humanity. The gospel is not only good news. It's the best views and the with the whole truths of Scripture and the wonder of the gospel of Jesus.

We should be off the back foot off out of a state of siege and being the champions of justice, freedom, human dignity, all wrapped up in the good news of Jesus. This is an incredible moment for you to look at evil in the white of the eye. Let me touch on perhaps you know one of the most tender areas in the culture right now, especially over the last couple years with black lives matters and some of the grievances that they've expressed etc. in some point of the fact that this to the BLM movement to a degree is rooted in that identity politics and destruction. Those kinds of things.

This is very tender for people. I had the Shelby Steele on the program and he said some things that I even knew he's an African-American from Stanford University. I was a little uncomfortable and he is saying if you look at it. He said you know the white community.

From 1965 forward. We should be thinking about a metal because they have made such advancement in quality and opportunity etc. across the board. You don't hear that. And he also talked about you know the writers of the Constitution.

Although they didn't accomplish it when they wrote the Constitution. Slavery had Artie been a 3000-year-old industry and that they provided the pathway for a 90 year solution that ended with Abraham Lincoln you don't hear that perspective, that although they didn't do away with that at the moment and they get highly criticized for that and you know slavery.

We know in this era is horribly wrong. We get that they did set up the runway for slavery to come to an end. Heavy square. All these things and how do we mean is being listen to anything today.

How do we deal with this.

I I've never been part of that. I was born in Southern California by that same time. Somehow I'm very guilty of being white or not I'm Anglo-Irish gin family. As I said with friends and supporters of William overflows Lord Shaftesbury was a great friend, the second greatest reformer in English history.

He was a great friend. My great-grandfathers in England.

The evangelicals know they were on the side of appellation and 100 other reforms.

We are proud and grateful to be on the side of her full we have no bad guilt of any of that. Thank God for the local forces have got his autograph by me when I write here because of the unaddressed residual guilt from the South in a young couple caught the Swiss historian. He said what the radicals do is exploit what he called unaddressed explosive materials was when injustice is lying around and you don't address it someone can exploited notice go back to the difference between the radical left and the gospel. We both agree that injustice is appalling, evil agree just vile. The killing of George Floyd. The difference comes in how you address it the radical left. As you know, you analyze the discourse of the society to see whose majority was a minority who is the oppressor was the victim so you find your victim and then you weapon I sent you not interested in the victim as an individual, but as a group in order to subvert the status quote not remember the radical left. God is dead. And truth is dead. This is postmodernism, so all you have is power. So what you're sitting up as a conflict of powers and is always two things.

One, a lack of messy. The radical left is Mrs. and to drive towards authoritarianism. The Romans called it the piece of despotism was the only piece you can hope to have is when the power is so unrivaled a can put down all of the pallets that is totalitarianism. Now compare that with the Christian onset and all you single words and I know you can impact each of them in and out truth address to power prophetic truth and we have standards people and made in the image of God. Truth is the reality of reality words, a precious not to be used this on truth addressed about. Secondly, confession admission and confession. Thirdly, forgiveness. Forgiveness frees the past and present future 43 reconciliation rest unpack this Christian woods, the tragedy for me and I done at this make sense. I go around the country now Exodus, the day of atonement and of course for us.

The cross Calvary has become spiritual and personal all about me, but if you read Exodus, the day of atonement, Yom Kippur is national.

It was a response to the golden cuff this nation and send to the individuals and the nation needed atonement. Now how does that apply to America. You remember renewal in Scripture as a kindness or Nehemiah.

Many others that: the nation back to its covenant commitments so you have a rededication.

I wonder, could you have a Lincoln -like president today who knew enough about what America should be. It was good: nation back as Lincoln did. Frederick Douglass did Martin Luther King did and: nation back to his first principles. The American experiment rooted in the biblical Republic and then as part of that nationally confess the sins that are wrong and then make a commitment to tackle any and every racism or whatever. Today you need to do something like that. The cross and the day of atonement made more than just individual and spiritual eyes at it and that is the right hope at the same time. Where's that leader right well and I you are Lita Valley go that way and I mean I got on my way to try make these talking I'm lost you to a table room of Congressman, eight of us a table and I've telling about Lincoln us in the in which you view your level will be the Lincoln did anybody put their handout has for that group. They all looked at each other.

Now I in this part of it and I'm thinking specifically in her Focus on the Family were about moms and dads raising kids and helping them stay together so that question is when the Lord brings that person. Hallelujah. What we do in the meantime but as you know, just leadership biblically is not just the people at the top or out in front.

Leadership is the person who will take responsibility initiative. One of us right in front of them an opportunity or crisis takes on the need Gerald Ananias is the only reference we have to. Ananias won a pot he had to play with Paul.

Will the Jews loved someone that I never heard of till I had them talk about it give the hood of nosh on the known nosh on in Jewish tradition and they praise him was the gentleman at the Red Sea who put his foot in it first. Good hello as Moses held outlawed the Lord of the wind and all that but it runs on the linemate nosh on strode out and everyone followed him and I was leadership. Is everyone you mentioned moms and dads thing with Loudoun County did everyone in their level this via standing up speaking out.

If all of us do that together. The scandal of the American church comparison Britain or France or Sweden, where a huge majority here. Maybe not what we were still a huge majority take our Jewish friends that 2% of America and yet they punch well above their weight, where huge majority, and with call to be salt and light so he got encourage of every Christian in the spheres in which they live in neighborhoods and so on. Workplaces stood up, spoke of the country can be turned around in 10 years calling is causing strategic employment of his people.

So, in a practical way. If I were to say to Jean, my wife, in turn, Troy, my two sons here two or three things that I think we should be doing as a practice within our family, what would you suggest I had to sit down with your family and elements just as our Lord sister, Peter, don't you worry about John. You follow me and I was every family every individuals different in eyes I think I think that's what I'm trying to get at it were the practical things that you can do within your home to you and encourage yourself and your spouse to be thinking of these things to impact the culture around you to encourage your children to do the same. You know some kids go to school and their little warriors. Spiritually, others pull back because it's difficult in this culture, especially public school where you don't talk about same-sex issues and you don't talk about life and abortion. You just keep your head down and again that's because the pressure that the culture puts on you to shaming people here with you have been at UVA and my son was UVA double graduate that is telling me that sometimes you Christians who are faithful and then going say to the anthropology class and in the very first class. Tell the professor will I am a born again believer. I don't believe in evolution apologetically.

That's not the way to do it. If you're up against it, technically you listen and love to discover a people and raise question followed was a brilliant question.

Oscar said as we got a quick people to know how to do it is not just standing up and letting it out all the time such great wisdom from Dr. Oz Guinness today on Focus on the Family.

That was a recorded visit in Washington DC we had a few focus friends there and Jim.

I so appreciate hearing Oz's confidence and hope in the Lord. Despite these troubling times were experiencing that John we need to be reminded every day that God's got this and as Christians need to be in prayer for revival in America which begins in our own hearts, and it also begins with a recommitment to studying God's word, allowing the Holy Spirit to inspire us in our interactions with others as we share God's truth and love. Those interactions may be in your own family or neighborhood, local school board meeting or city Council meeting or in your church as you help to restore freedom and peace where you live that we are ambassadors for Christ, and if were going to see the culture impacted for him. We need to be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in us and we have some great follow-up resources to help you become equipped we've only heard a small portion of the recorded conversation that Jim had with us you can get the extended version on CD or as a download and be sure to get the excellent book that Oz wrote called the Magna Carta of humanity Sinai's revolutionary faith in the future of freedom and let me say if you can help us with the monthly pledge of any amount we'd like to send you the book as our way of saying thank you and if you're unable to make a monthly pledge at this time Wilson the book for a one-time gift of any amount.

The point is join us in ministry and will send you the book as our way of saying thanks when you request the book from focus you're pouring back into ministry to reach people for Christ and help us impact the culture in exactly the way we talked about today so thank you in advance for doing it. Donate. As you can get a copy of that book or the CD when you call 800 K in the word family 800-232-6459 or look for the links in the episode notes and have helpful articles and follow-up materials there for you as well to keep you informed on issues affecting your family on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team. Thanks for joining us today for Focus on the Family I'm John Fuller inviting you back. As we once again help you and your family.

Thriving Christ in light of the Supreme Court's recent decision on abortion are you ready for what comes next and how should we respond as emotions run high as Christians we need to be ready. Focus on the Family can help you prepare. Join us every Monday to hear inspiring stories from people who their own pro-life moments and experience God's love to learn more, go to focusonthefamily.com/seizure moment that's focusonthefamily.com/seizure moment