"Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age" (Rosaria Butterfield)

TITLE: Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age
AUTHOR: Rosaria Butterfield
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023, (368 pages).
 

In a post-Christian world, speaking out against mainstream societal beliefs is becoming harder. In some cases, it is virtually impossible to speak out without becoming ostracized or persecuted for asserting biblical truth. Politicians wanting to be elected or re-elected often have to mirror the mainstream opinions about some of the most divisive issues of this age. Ongoing divisive issues include Abortion, liberal views on Sexuality,  Gender Bias, Women's roles, etc. Before anyone starts labeling the author with nasty labels, note that author Rosaria Butterfield writes with a specific audience in mind: "This book is for Christians not embarrassed by the Bible and its teaching on women’s roles and callings." She writes with conviction on what the Bible teaches. Her targets are not fellow humans per se but on how the devil is poisoning society with lies, in particular, lies that accelerate the anti-Christian mindset. Such mindset has emboldened extremists to threaten anyone holding on to a biblical standpoint with increasing hate, verbal abuse, and even violence. Instead of obeying the laws of God, humans are increasingly building a modern tower of Babel, one that defies biblical wisdom and challenges God's authority. Highlighting five lies in such an anti-Christian era, Butterfield boldly challenges the status quo that claims the following:

1. "Homosexuality is normal"
2. "Being a spiritual person is kinder than being a biblical person"
3. "Feminism is good for the world and the Church"
4. "Transgenderism is normal"
5. "Modesty Is an Outdated Burden That Serves Male Dominance and Holds Women Back."
   

Before dealing with these, the author lays down some foundational premises. Beginning with the creation ordinance in Genesis, she shows us that there is an authoritative order for the world; men and women are relational; God has established gender binary; and the roles and rules pertaining to Adam and Eve. All the lies mentioned in the book challenges one or more of these ordinances. Simply put, the mainstream acceptance of these lies are challenging biblical Truth. Sometimes, they even try to silence God's Word with human sense of entitlement.

The first lie is the hot issue of homosexuality. In many countries, it has become an accepted practice so much so that in some places, the teaching of homosexuality as a norm has become part of the school curriculum. Butterfield writes that this teaching of homosexual norm is to say God's Word does not apply to sexual orientation. The second lie of presuming "spiritual persons" are kinder than biblical ones is based on an erroneous philosophy that is self-promoting and narcissistic. The third lie that espouses feminism as good for all has less to do with the Truth of God's Word but more to do with a self-proclaimed form of defending against any kind of abuse by males. The fourth lie has somewhat displaced feminism because it affirms "gender fluidity" to the point that one can determine one's own gender to the point that some even claim that gender is no longer some biological fact but personal choice. The fifth lie looks at the place of modesty as outdated, serving only male dominance and holding women back.

My Thoughts
When I read the title of this book, my first thought was "Wow! What a courageous lady." In our modern climate, speaking biblical truth is becoming an increasingly uphill task. People would quickly shut down any challenges to their rights, whatever their rights may be. Just the mention of words like "homosexuality," "transgenderism," "feminism," and "biblical" would quickly produce a defensiveness that amount to an atmosphere of hostility that utters "bigot," "intolerance," "gay-haters," etc. I caution anyone from jumping into that state of mind, especially in a TLDR era. Our society is breeding a generation of people who are quick to fire accusations and slow to listen to the actual contexts.  So one of the contexts to remember is that the author is writing to "Christians, especially Christian women who aren't ashamed of the Bible and its teachings." It is like a society giving a specific seminar to interested members who want to honour the principles of that society. There will be people who will criticize Butterfield for her views but let those be the people she is addressing in the first place: Christians, especially Christian women who are not ashamed of biblical teachings.

Secondly, this book will offend some people. Some might even start condemning the author even before reading the book. We need to be careful not to put words into the author's mouth. Even though her views might be unpopular, there is always room for constructive criticism. Dissent is ok but let that be done with civility and mutual respect. When she writes that the statement "Homosexuality is normal" is a lie, she is not attacking gay rights. Neither is she saying that one cannot legally be gay or lesbian in society. She is criticizing those who might be teaching homosexuality as some divine gift from God. She is not attacking homosexual persons or transgenderism, but an uncritical spread of a false teaching that contradicts biblical teaching. If left unchecked, God's order will be disrupted with increasing recklessness. Imagine a road system where there are multiple junctions without working traffic lights or orderly rules of the road. If every driver sets their own right of way rules, it would lead to many dangerous situations and fatal accidents. Likewise, in the philosophical and theological traffic system, if anybody decides for themselves their own gender, sexual orientation, and their self-entitled right to write their own biological make-up, it would cause confusion and disorder, especially among younger minds who might not even be aware of what is male or female in the first place!

Finally, I appreciate where Butterfield is coming from and her courage to speak biblical truth in the way she has done. The Bible teaches us to speak the Truth in love as well as to expect persecutions in an increasingly ungodly world. By writing specifically to Christians, and not just any Christian, but those who want to be unashamed of biblical teaching, she is equipping Christians to defend the faith as per biblical principles and teachings. She is concerned about people who have been silenced by mainstream opinions that are deceptively right on the outside but erroneous on the inside. Christians have a duty to speak up in the Name of Truth. Godless society is deceiving ordinary Christians in a big and insidious way. By letting biblical truth shine the path for us, Christians can learn to be sober minded and watchful of the lions waiting for any chance to devour them. Kudos to the author for a courageous pushback against a world that is not only deceiving others but also itself.

Rosaria Butterfield (PhD, Ohio State University) is an author, pastor’s wife, homeschool mom, and former professor of English and women’s studies at Syracuse University. She is the author of The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert; Openness Unhindered; and The Gospel Comes with a House Key.

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.