Our Cultural Chimera

Introduction
Depending on your knowledge of Greek Mythology, you may or not be familiar with the Chimaera, a mythical beast with three distinct creature heads coming out from its body. The Chimaera has the head of a lion, the head of a goat, and the head of a serpent. In the Iliad, Homer describes the Chimaera, saying, “she was of divine stock, not of men, in the fore part a lion, in the hinder a serpent, and in the midst a goat, breathing forth in terrible wise the might of blazing fire.” It was a terrifying beast, devouring and destroying all in its path, unique with its 3 distinct creature heads.

You might be asking, “Why on earth is he giving us a lesson on a rather obscure creature in Greek Mythology?” That’s an excellent question.

Recently, my wife and I were discussing events happening in our country. We were considering the past 3 years in Canada, the various laws that have passed, the role of the legacy media, all things COVID, and the rapid acceptance of extreme gender ideology.

She looked at me and asked, “Do you think we can ever go back to normal? Do you think we can go back to the way things were?” I responded, plainly, “No.” I then continued by saying that this cultural behemoth was ravaging our entire world. I told her that this cultural freight train had been moving for so long that the sheer momentum of it means that it won’t be fully stopped for a while yet. I told her that, “this monster that is comprised of Secular Humanism, Postmodern Neo-Marxism, and Statist Scientism – this Cultural Chimaera – has been growing for generations, and it will take a multi-generational battle to slay this beast.”

So, in order to strategize defeating this monster, we must understand its three unique and beastly heads, and how they grew culturally, seemingly under the surface.


The Goat
Of the three animals represented in the Chimaera, the one that seems to be the weakest of the three, or the least dangerous, is the Goat. But rest assured, this stubborn and powerful beast is not misplaced in this creature. I think the Goat in our Cultural Chimaera is Secular Humanism, given how seemingly harmless it is. It might appear to be a benign philosophical worldview, but it is not.

Humanism, as a discipline, is a devotion to the Humanities, or, “the branches of learning (such as philosophy, arts, or languages) that investigate human constructs and concerns.” Studying the Humanities, for example, is why Reformers like Luther and Calvin sought to study the original Greek and Hebrew texts of the Scriptures, engaging in textual criticism and historical context. The danger of Humanism, however, is to deny the supernatural outright, and see man as both the center of reality AND the standard of morality and reason.

Enter Secular Humanism, which gains prominence coming out of the Age of Reason, or the Enlightenment. For Enlightenment thinkers, God was no longer needed to explain reality, be it physical or metaphysical, because scientific endeavours could provide the answers. God was no longer needed to explain morality and truth because reason and rational thinking stemming from humans could explain those too.

Secular Humanism sees no ultimate good or evil. It posits man as the source and standard for right and wrong, and places on humans the responsibility for doing what is best for humanity. It says that God is neither needed nor wanted and that the natural world around us is the be-all and end-all of existence.

This Goat has been growing and spreading in all facets of our world (education, media, economics, just to name a few). Our society has been taught to reject both God’s standards and design, replacing them with whatever is deemed “best” for humanity. Ultimate meaning and purpose have been replaced with self-determined, subjective endeavours. Evolutionary theories have taken humans from being made in God’s image with dignity and value to the products of chance and time, really no different than other beasts.

Is it any wonder that “the common good” can be used as justification to destroy lives and collapse economies, all in the name of “being in this together,” like some amorphous hive-mind humanity? Is it any reason why any and every sexual perversion can be celebrated, and even legislated, because we, and not God, get to determine what is best for our mental health? Bill C-4 and the total separation of God and State are all thanks to the Secular Humanist Goat in our culture.

The Snake
Next, we have the Snake, the second animal represented in the Chimaera. We know the snake is dangerous, but because of its size, sound, and stealth, it can often go unnoticed, until its fatal bite has sunk deep into the flesh. I think the Snake in our Cultural Chimaera is Postmodern Neo-Marxism, and just like a snake, it has sprung from the tall grass, seemingly out of nowhere, and our culture has been thoroughly poisoned.

Marxism, as an economic theory, suggests that all of life and history is to be seen as a struggle between the ruling class and the producing class, the haves and the have-nots. Marx believed that eventually, capitalism would fall under the uprising of the have nots, who would share the wealth and means of production evenly, removing all hierarchies and establishing a utopian existence, Communism.

History did not unfold as Marx predicted, and the industrial Revolution actually meant more wealth and a better standard of living for everyone, lower, middle, and upper class. With his theory deflated, Marx’s disciples took up his mantle and changed Marxism from an economic theory to a social theory, and thus Neo-Marxism (or Cultural Marxism) was born. The ruling class and producer class were replaced with the oppressor and the oppressed, and all of life and history was seen as a struggle between these two classes. The goal is to de-throne the oppressors, elevate the oppressed, and establish an equitable utopia, or yet again, Communism.

Postmodernism is a philosophical system built on a number of principles, most pertinent of which are skepticism and the denial of certainty, rejecting objective truth and facts, moral relativism, and having the individual person as the reference point for truth and good. It rejects the tenets of Modernism, such as authority and hierarchies, grand objective narratives, and objective epistemological truths.

Put together, Postmodern Neo-Marxism sees the individual human experience as being the only standard for truth, reality, and moral rightness, while rejecting the opinions and experiences of those who belong to the oppressor class (the white, heterosexual, Christian men). Though there is no absolute right and wrong, it is definitely evil for oppressors to dominate or rule over the oppressed, whose voices and experiences must be elevated.

This Snake’s poison has infected every facet of culture and society, including the Evangelical church. With the initial intentional infiltration of various Universities in the United States in the sixties and seventies, even our current legal system has been corrupted by Postmodern Neo-Marxism. Children have been taught that whatever they feel they are, totally apart from what might be objectively true, is indeed true because it is for them. And anyone who denies that “truth” is not only an oppressor but is also denying their very existence.

This is why during what was called a “deadly pandemic,” our elected leaders were celebrated for marching during Black Lives Matter protests, which caused billions of dollars in damage and dozens of lives lost in 2020, yet they called a peaceful and joyous Trucker Convoy Protest a white supremacist occupation and siege. It is also why the full force of the law was wielded against the truckers and their supporters. Ontario Bill C-67 and the obscene sexual revolution in full force are the damaging results of the Postmodern Neo-Marxist Snake’s poison in our culture.

The Lion
Last, we have the Lion, the third animal represented in the Chimaera. The Lion is frighteningly large, loud, and able to tear its prey apart limb from limb. The Lion uses its size and strength to keep enemies at bay and deter any weaker creature from daring to oppose it. I think the Lion in our Cultural Chimaera is a Statist Scientism, and just like a lion, it prowls around in its might, threatening to devour any other animals that would stand against it, forcing most to cower in fear before the lion’s fierce power.

Statism has been a false religion for as long as men have ruled over one another. The State, with its power, wealth, and military strength, promise protection and prosperity to all who submit to it. Just one little pinch of incense upon the altar of Caesar, and one little confession that Caesar is Lord, and the citizen would have all of the safety and security promised by the State. Civil governments throughout the ages have promised blessings to everyone who would bow before them, both literally and symbolically, requiring only total obedience and allegiance.

We’ve seen, however, a new form of Statism in our world over the last few generations, especially with advancements in both technology and medicine. It is not only the elected officials that are our rulers, but their appointed scientific bureaucrats – the unelected priests and prophets of this new, but at the same time old, religion. In the name of science, or following the science, the State must be obeyed.

This Scientism stems from the belief that all of the answers to both where we have come from AND where we are going are to be found in scientific endeavours. Science can explain why and how the Universe exists, it can explain how and why we do what we do, and naturally, it can also explain what we should do to have the best life and existence humanly possible. Scientism is also a false religion and one that fits seamlessly with Statism.

This Lion’s kingly fury has driven fear into the hearts of all who look upon its ferocious might. Statist Scientism, made more prominent than ever during the COVID era, has essentially taken rulership over the entire world. A very small group of very powerful, wealthy, and influential people, with the Global scientific community at their disposal, have descended upon countries, like a lion, tearing apart enemies and forcing potential opposition to hide in caves. Citizens have been told, through thunderous roar, that compliance is required, or else death and destruction will be imminent.

This is why pastors were arrested and fined, with their churches locked up, for not obeying the scientific decrees of the State. They faced the full fury of the lion, and as expected, all of the weaker pastors hid away in caves, closing their churches and muzzling their people, all to not face the Lion’s rage. This is why businesses were shut down, people’s livelihoods were ruined, and economies were plunged into recession and inflation because the Lion bore its sharp teeth. Every Covid mandate and restriction, including the War Measures Act, are the gaping wounds inflicted by this Statist Scientism Lion’s sharp claws.

The way forward
A multigenerational, Satanic, and focused Cultural Chimaera has overtaken our society, and both its defeat and the slowing of its momentous effects will be its own multi-generational war, with many battles to be fought. The way forward will not be easy, and I believe the fiercest of the battles will be fought by our children and grandchildren. How are we to think about these things? How do we respond to this Cultural Chimaera, and how do we wage war against this monstrous beast? Well, I believe we need to attack each one of its three heads intentionally and cunningly.

The Goat, Secular Humanism, must be met with the truth that there is a God, and He, and not humans, define truth and reality. We must teach ourselves and our children to understand and apply the Word of God and to engage in a type of apologetics that refuses the myth of neutrality. We must assert that spiritual realities exist, and there is a God who will judge all men someday. The Gospel is our tool, as we train children to fear the Lord and call all men to trust in the Lord.

The Snake, Postmodern Neo-Marxism, must be met with the truth that this is God’s world. He has defined good and evil, right and wrong, and He has prescribed what it means to be human, including what it means to be male and female. We must train our children to know what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman, and that there are unchanging absolutes that govern our world. The Gospel is the antidote to the Snake’s poison, as we establish our children upon the unchanging foundation of creational norms and Biblical truths.

The Lion, Statist Scientism, must be met with the truth that Christ alone is Lord, and that He alone rules and reigns as the sovereign King over kings. His Kingship is over every atom in the Universe, and all men must bow before Him and do what this King requires. We must train our children to fear God rather than men, and that falling into the hands of the living God is a fate worse than falling into the hands of any civil government. The Gospel is the weapon we wield as we dethrone the Lion and disciple the State to bow to Christ, who has died to save men and was raised gloriously with all power and authority, with a name above every other name.

“The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star.” - Revelation 2:26-28