Terrorist Attacks Cause Us to Search for Answers for Truth
Dr. Rex M. Rogers On Sept. 11, 2001, the nation suffered an unspeakable terrorist tragedy. The toll is still mounting: Four aircraft filled with innocent passengers, two modern era symbols of financial might in the World Trade Center, several associated buildings, a damaged Pentagon, and an as yet untold numbers of American citizens, including rescue workers. The ripple effects of this heinous crime against humanity are at the moment unfathomable.
How do you deal with this? Does this make any kind of sense? How do you respond? So far, media outlets have tried to answer these questions with at least three very different "worldviews," which is fairly typical of postmodern American culture.
We'll call the first worldview answer to these questions the "politically correct" response. This is the religious leader that was featured Tuesday evening on CNN. He said that Americans should seek solace in God, "whatever their faith," and should "read the Bible, the Koran or whatever Scriptures they follow." He went on to say that we could help our children understand this tragedy by lighting a candle. Our families will be able to "find hope in the light of that candle."
This is the politically correct response because it is designed to offend no one. It's also a worldview that offers no object for our faith and nothing substantial upon which we can build our hope. While lighting a candle may be a legitimate and helpful way for Americans to collectively symbolize our spirit and mutual commitment, there is nothing in candlelight that can answer our questions, quell our anxieties, or provide us with anything but a warm feeling. This is postmodern religiosity without Deity.
The second worldview response being solemnly marketed to the American public is the "psychological" response. This is the mental health specialist who warns of increased "mental health problems" and advises a great deal more "mental health counseling" as a remediation for our soul-searching apprehensions.
Clearly there are individuals with mental health problems, and there are many excellent and needed mental health professionals who stand ready to help them. This is not a denigration of legitimate health care. But "mental health problems" has become a media euphemism for a host of formerly recognized human spiritual needs. For example, individual responsibility, shame, guilt, repentance, forgiveness are no longer part of an acceptable media lexicon. (Although we revived some of these terms in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing as well as during the Clinton scandals when commentators dusted off words like "moral," "lies," and even "sin.")
The "mental health" euphemism grows directly out of the moral relativism that dominates postmodern culture, looking for answers to life's questions not in religion but in psychotherapy. It is spirituality without the Spirit.
The third worldview that has periodically been represented in major media coverage is the "Christian" worldview. We saw this when Billy Graham was interviewed by Katie Couric after JFK Jr. went down. We saw a Christian worldview when Franklin Graham preached on international television following the Littleton, Colo., high school killings …when golfing professionals Tom Lehman and Paul Azinger spoke at telecast memorials for Payne Stewart …or when Mike Singletary shared his faith in Christ on Monday Night Football's halftime after Walter "Sweetness" Payton died of liver disease.
We witnessed a Christian worldview again Tuesday evening in President George W. Bush's address to the nation when he quoted part of Psalm 23:4, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." Packed into the student union lounge Tuesday evening, our students at Cornerstone University were so encouraged by this direct reference to biblical Christian faith that many of them cheered.
A Christian worldview is not often evident on national media. But death is the "Great Equalizer," and the public and media elite alike search for truth in times of tragedy. Postmodern culture offers vague spiritualism, but a biblically Christian worldview is the only understanding of life that provides answers for why evil exists.
