Dr. R. Albert Mohler - Culture Shift: The Battle for the Moral Heart of America

From grade inflation to global calamities, Albert Mohler is a steady guide. From the psychological coddling of the American ego to the hollowing of the American conscience, Mohler is unremittingly clear-headed. From Nineveh to New Orleans, Mohler holds the mirror at a blazing forty-five-degree angle between heaven and earth. The burning light of divine wisdom illumines a hundred shadows of our human folly. And at the center of the blaze is the mighty cross of Jesus Christ defining the final meaning of everything. I thank God for Albert Mohler.

J OHN P IPER , pastor for preaching, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN

Al Mohler is a unique gift to the church. His writing combines penetrating theological discernment and insightful cultural analysis with a passion to faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Im delighted that Als wisdom is now available in this book.

C. J. M AHANEY , Sovereign Grace Ministries

We all know, as Dorothy said to Toto, that we are not in Kansas anymore. But how to apply the deep truths of our Christian faith to a culture that seems to be transmogrifying before our very eyes, well, thats perhaps the most difficult question facing the church today. In this well-written book, Al Mohler surveys the landscape and offers insight and wisdom that helps us do just this. A manifesto for responsible Christian engagement!

T IMOTHY G EORGE , founding dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and senior editor of Christianity Today

Thoughtful Christians seeking to engage the culture from a well-informed and thoroughly bibilical perspective will find an impressive resource in this work by R. Albert Mohler. Culture Shift is an outstanding contribution, which I heartily recommend.

D AVID S. D OCKERY , president, Union University

Dr. Albert Mohler brings his intellectual brilliance, moral wisdom, and theological insight together in a book that belongs on the shelf of anyone who is interested in both understanding the shifting sands of morality in our culture and how to deal with them. If you are in that category this is a must read.

J AMES M ERRITT , senior pastor of Cross Pointe Church, Duluth, GA, and host of Touching Lives media ministry

Understanding our culture is a matter of Christian responsibility. Culture Shift helps us to do that and do it well.

D ANIEL L. A KIN , president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC

C ULTURE S HIFT
P UBLISHED BY M ULTNOMAH B OOKS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org). Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

eISBN: 978-1-60142-414-3

Copyright 2008, 2011 by R. Albert Mohler

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

M ULTNOMAH and its mountain colophon are registered trademarks of Random House Inc.

The Library of Congress cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Mohler Jr., R. Albert, 1959
Culture shift / R. Albert Mohler.
p. cm.
1. United StatesChurch history. 2. Christianity and cultureUnited States.
3. Christianity and politicsUnited States. I. Title.
BR515.M56 2008
261.0973dc22

2007031614

v3.1

1 Engaging the City of Man
Christian Faith and Politics

2 Christian Morality and Public Law
Three Secular Arguments

3 Christian Morality and Public Law
Three Secular Myths

4 Christian Morality and Public Law
Five Theses

5 The Culture of Offendedness
A Christian Challenge

6 A Growing Cloud of Confusion
The Supreme Court on Religion

7 All That Terror Teaches
Have We Learned Anything?

8 Needed: An Exit Strategy from Public Schools
The Crisis Christian Parents Face

9 The God Gene
Bad Science Meets Bad Theology

10 Are We Raising a Nation of Wimps?
A Coddled Generation Cannot Cope

11 Hard America, Soft America
The Battle for Americas Future

12 The Post-Truth Era
Welcome to the Age of Dishonesty

13 Is Abortion a Moral Issue?
A Fascinating Debate on the Left

14 Whos Afraid of the Fetus?
How Americas Abortion Debate Is Changing

15 God and the Tsunami
Theology in the Headlines

16 God and the Tsunami
A Christian Response

17 Nineveh, New Orleans, and the City of Man
An Eternal Perspective

18 Hiroshima and the Burden of History
A Transforming Event

19 The Content of Our Character
Kings Dream and Ours

20 The Challenge of Islam
A Christian Perspective

21 The New Atheism
Darwinism Makes Disbelief Work

22 A Black Cat in a Dark Room
Are Theologians Really Saying Anything?

23 The New American Family
Digitally Deluged

24 Where Did I Come From?
The New World of Reproductive Technology

25 Redefining Retirement
For the Good of the Kingdom

To Mary,
Who has added beyond measure to every dimension of my life,
and whose love and dedication inspires my every thought.

I want to thank all those who have given such great assistance to me in this process. First, I thank my familymy wonderful wife, Mary, and our children, Katie and Christopher. They love and support a husband and dad who is preoccupied with these issues and brings them home for dinner. Their constant love and encouragement is a precious gift.

I also want to thank my research assistant, Greg Gilbert, and the faithful and helpful staff of my office at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and The Albert Mohler Program.

A ristotle once described our challenge as the problem of a fish in water. Knowing nothing but life in the water, the fish never even realizes it is wet. This describes the situation of many Christians in Americathey do not even know that they are wet.