According to Ken Ham's new book, "Divided Nation: A Culture in Chaos and a Conflicted Church," Western civilization is losing its religious freedom at an alarming rate, and he offers suggestions on what God's people can do to combat this trend.
The world, Ham argued, is brainwashing and enslaving the younger generations in large numbers.
This is evidenced by the fact that many young people are abandoning their churches, with a rising percentage desiring to be free of all religious affiliations.
"Western cultures used to be permeated by the Judeo-Christian ethic but today are permeated by a secular worldview and moral relativism," Ham explained via Answers in Genesis on Saturday.
In his book, he laid out four areas where he believed Christians were blindsided or have simply been lacking in training. They are as follows:
- "There is no neutral position."
- "There is no nonreligious position."
- "We need to teach apologetics."
- "We need to teach foundationally so that Christians have a truly Christian (not simply a "Christianized") worldview."
In line with this, Ham encourages pastors, schools, parents, and others to utilize his illustrated lectures on the topic of preparing the next generation of Christians, arguing that only God's Word can provide a correct worldview. These were made available for download on the Answer in Genesis website.
Ham talked extensively on the importance of foundations in the illustrations provided. He explained that a struggle between two faiths started about 6,000 years ago, pitting man's word against God's Word.
He said the Bible is more than just a collection of stories; it is also a historical record. Given the way the secular world treats biblical narratives, Ham recommended that Christian parents and educators refrain from using the term "story" and instead use the terms "the account" or "the record."
From that premise, he asserted that the "walls" and "roof" of the metaphorical house on the rock represented Christian beliefs that must be firmly founded on God's word.
He has also stressed the importance of training young people in the art of apologetics citing 1 Peter 3:15 which states, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
In part, this is due to what is currently being taught in educational systems and in the media about topics such as how the earth came into being and numerous talks about gender reassignment.
As an example, Ham cited his father, who, according to him, would study what liberal theologians were teaching and then give them the correct answers so that they would not be led away by erroneous teachings.
"Are you doing that for our kids, for our churches, for young people? We need to start thinking foundational with apologetics," he reasoned.
Overall, a Christian worldview based on the Bible, according to Ham, must comprehend the 7Cs of history, which are as follows: creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, Christ, cross, and consummation.
He believes that if children are educated to base their thinking on these principles, they will be better equipped to cope with a wide range of issues such as gender, abortion, and racism.
"I believe the message of Divided Nation can revolutionize how churches and families teach the coming generations," he said.
