The Western Nations’ Rapid Rejection of Biblical Laws and Values

If you look at our society, there is no denying that we are seeing dramatic changes. One of the greatest changes is the decline of mainstream Christianity. 

The West used to be referred to as “the Christian world.” But can that be said today? 

Laws used to be based on the Bible

In years past, principles from the Bible were used to help maintain a decent and orderly society. Many laws in Western nations were based, either directly or indirectly, on biblical laws and Judeo-Christian principles. 

Take, for instance, the biblical commandment “You shall not kill.” The Bible distinguishes a difference between a life taken by an intentional, premeditated act and a life taken by negligence or an accident (see Deuteronomy 19:3-6; 11-13; Exodus 21:12-14; Numbers 35:11). 

This is reflected in our laws, which classify the taking of life as first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter. While these categories remain, punishments have become more lenient over time.

Execution, once a common punishment for murder and also based on the civil law given to Israel, was abolished in places like New Zealand and the United Kingdom in the 1960s and replaced by imprisonment. Sometimes these sentences are reduced and a criminal is given parole for good behavior. 

Sentences for other crimes have also been reduced. In California, stealing goods under $950 is now considered only a misdemeanor. Thieves calculate their thefts to stay under this amount, knowing that overburdened police will rarely investigate, and even if they’re caught, prosecutors will likely let them off with a slap on the wrist. 

California introduced no-fault divorce in 1969, and many other states followed. In New Zealand, the Family Proceedings Act 1980 permitted no-fault divorce, allowing separation for any reason, diverging from biblical teachings that permit divorce only for specific reasons like unfaithfulness (Matthew 19:8-9). 

No-fault divorce caused a surge in divorce rates, which later stabilized mainly because marriage rates significantly declined. This trend is seen in Australia, Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. Instead of marrying, many now opt to live together, or cohabit, and adultery has become more common, made easier by websites and apps that facilitate meeting other married people for affairs. 

Another trend is the shift in our speech.

The New Zealand Crimes Act 1961 made it an offense to blaspheme or show irreverence toward God or take God’s name in vain. It was also illegal to profane Christianity or Christ, with punishments of up to one year in prison. But the law was rarely enforced and only resulted in one trial, which ended in acquittal. In 2019 lawmakers removed it from the books, calling it “archaic” and an “obsolete provision” that “has no place in a modern society.”

Today, taking God’s name in vain, along with profanity and lewdness, is widely accepted as normal. 

These are just a few examples of the major shifts in Western laws.  

The law as a restraint

We live in a society that has little regard for God’s Word and the standards it upholds. The pressure to engage in sinful practices is greater than ever before, and our society is continuing to cast off all moral restraints. 

Law, however, was given as a form of restraint, as people would be clueless without it (Proverbs 29:18). God’s law establishes boundaries that act as guardrails. Adhering to these boundaries leads to happiness and safety. Law outlines a way of life rooted in God’s love and teaches us how to care for others. It is designed to restrain the baser parts of our human nature. 

Many of the 10 Commandments are framed in the negative. You shall not murder, not commit adultery, not steal, not lie, not covet.

The 10 Commandments are written to set boundaries. Crossing these boundaries is called “sin” (1 John 3:4; compare James 2:11) and results in curses, suffering and death (Romans 6:23).

God said of His people, “They have loved to wander” and “not restrained” themselves. Their disregard for God’s law led God to reject them (Jeremiah 14:10). 

The prophet Hosea describes Israel breaking “all restraint” by violating God’s law, which led to bloodshed (Hosea 4:2). God identified rejection of the law as the root cause: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge . . . Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (verse 6). 

God will reject those who reject and disregard His laws. God, who has given the Western nations so many blessings, will turn away and withdraw His blessings on those who continue to openly ignore and reject His law. 

Evil is getting worse

When biblical laws and principles no longer guide us, nothing can restrain evil. Paul warns that the last days will be “perilous times” (2 Timothy 3:1), because people will cast off all restraints and become selfish, “lovers of themselves” (verse 2). 

As we continue to reject and openly defy biblical principles in our laws and morals, our society will continue to grow more and more depraved and morally corrupt.  Paul continues, “Evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (verse 13). Evil knows no bounds and escalates from bad to worse, becoming the new norm. Evil never says, “I have gone too far.” 

This condition will continue to intensify, becoming more and more like the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37), when the “wickedness of man was great in the earth, and . . . every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). 

As we continue to reject and openly defy biblical principles in our laws and morals, our society will continue to grow more and more depraved and morally corrupt. 

Laws in opposition to the Bible

Our laws should be designed to protect the righteous against the unrighteous. But today, they are increasingly being repurposed to persecute people upholding biblical principles. 

Today’s values are often referred to as supporting tolerance—but it is tolerance of everything except God and the Bible. For example, God defines the genders as male and female (Genesis 1:27). But now human laws increasingly protect the supposed right to identify as and participate in activities of the opposite gender. 

Laws no longer protect the vulnerable: the unborn, the sick, the disabled, the poor and the elderly. 

In the past, abortion laws were strict, but now, in some countries, access to abortion has become significantly more widespread and less restricted. 

Euthanasia is slowly morphing into a form of killing those seen as burdens of society. Prematurely ending life has become available through euthanasia or “assisted suicide.” First legalized in the Netherlands in 2002 under strict conditions, it has gradually been expanded to include mental illness.  

Canada’s euthanasia program, MAiD, began in 2016 and is now the fastest-growing euthanasia program in the world. By 2022, it was the fifth-leading cause of death in the country, with some instances potentially underreported. Euthanasia is now a standard part of Canadian health care, even being offered to those who are poor or disabled. 

A 2022 Spectator article states: “Since last year, Canadian law, in all its majesty, has allowed both the rich as well as the poor to kill themselves if they are too poor to continue living with dignity. In fact, the ever-generous Canadian state will even pay for their deaths. What it will not do is spend money to allow them to live instead of killing themselves.” 

Euthanasia is slowly morphing into a form of killing those seen as burdens of society.

The West, once a moral force against such practices, now promotes the evils it once fought to end in Nazi Germany. 

The time to act is now

When evil becomes too great, God intervenes and punishes people for their sins. A great punishment is coming to our world, particularly the Western nations who used to hold God and the Bible in high regard.  

How can you escape this coming punishment? 

Jesus Christ said that humanity should live by “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). This leads to living a different way of life. 

Right now, hearing God’s Word and living His way is still possible. But there is coming a time when “they shall go to seek the LORD, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself” (Hosea 5:6). 

Now is the time to heed the prophet Isaiah’s admonition to “seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). 

Don’t put it off until it’s too late.

Photo credits:
iStock.com/studiocasper
iStock.com/Rawf8

Date Posted: December 2, 2024