Postmodernism: I ts Effects on the Family - Chalcedon Presbyterian ...

<strong>Postmodernism</strong>:
I <strong>ts</strong> Effec<strong>ts</strong> on the
Family
Zemmie Fleck
The Christian family has been, since the beginning of
time, the basic institution of human society. Genesis
1:27 gives us the account of the creation of man
and woman and immediately follows with the next
verse saying, "Then God blessed them and God
said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, ... " The first
recorded command that man receives from God is
the institution of the family. This should indicate the
importance that God has placed on the family.
The use of the word "Christian" to describe the
family is significant and should be well understood.
Throughout the Bible, God pronounces the blessings
and curses that will befall the family - but He makes
a precise distinction between those who are His
and those who are not His. First, and foremost,
the individual must be dedicated to God and His
commands; but following a close second is the entire
familY which should be an example and a light to those
who are lost.
The Christian family should be the model to which all
others will look and desire to imitate. In the Word of
God there is no question as to what is expected of the
Christian as an individual and as part of the family in
which he has been placed.
The Crisis in the Family
Sadly and conversely, unregenerate society has now
become the influence upon families and many factors
continue to exert pressure on the family, causing it
to disintegrate. Throughout the past few centuries
and more profoundly within the last century, the
family has fallen victim to a gradual digression that
has continued to chip away at i<strong>ts</strong> foundation. Among
the major societal influences are: religion, education,
family values, occupational interes<strong>ts</strong>, and the civil and
federal governmen<strong>ts</strong>. " ... [P]ostmodern worldviews
and postmodern culture surround us. Ordinary
Americans cannot avoid these. <strong>Postmodernism</strong>
shapes our lifestyles, the way we make a living, how
we educate our children, and how we approach our
personal problems and those of society.
"With no absolute canons of objective truth, the
rational is replaced by the aesthetic. We believe in
what we like. Those unused to thinking in terms
of absolute, objective truth still have opinions and
strongly held beliefs. In fact, their beliefs may
even be more difficult to dislodge, since they admit
no external criteria by which these can be judged
and shown to be wrong. Since their beliefs are a
function of the will, they cling to them willfully.
Since their beliefs will tend to have no foundation
other than their preferences and personality, they will
interpret any criticism of their beliefs as a personal
attack ... Persuasion becomes impossible if everyone
exis<strong>ts</strong> in a self-contained world, speaking a language
incomprehensible to ou<strong>ts</strong>iders. 'That may be true for
you, but it isn't true for me."'i
Redefining Christianity
Religion, to some degree, is still a vital factor in
considering the familial foundation of our present
society. The majority of people still find religion
to hold a degree of comfort for them; even if their
religion is a misrepresentation of truth, or merely an
"ideal." However, there is a redefining of Christianity
taking place today. Ask anyone of a number of
people in the neighborhood and you will generally
find that the majority of them will say that they
are "Christians." By their definition, they are not
indicating that they abide by Biblically based laws;
or that they serve God with all of their heart, soul,
and mind; or even that they acknowledge God to be
the supreme, eternal God. The majority of them
would say that they are "Christians" because they are
"morally and ethically good" and because they do
not subscribe to any lifestyle of unlawful conduct (in
their interpretation).
This is indication that our society has succumbed to
the "postmodernist illusion" and in so doing they are
redefining the root meaning of Christianity, thereby
placing themselves comfortably in the category
of "good" persons. Christianity has become a
weak, watered-down concept, whereas it should be
defended with the utmost tenacity and conviction.
True Christianity does not accept less than what God
demands - whether it is in the home and family, the
civil government, or education. The Bible applies to
all aspec<strong>ts</strong> and areas of life.
However, over the course of time, man has
introduced many untruths into his reasoning and
interpretations of the Bible. Even now with new
versions of the Bible, we see the bent toward
contemporary language and the progressive removal
from the original language of the Bible. Tex<strong>ts</strong>
which were emphatically written or which used par<strong>ts</strong>
of speech within a certain context have had their
meanings changed due to a more vague interpretation
of the tex<strong>ts</strong> or a misconstruction of the scholars who
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 27

:
i
write the newer versions. This brings about a great division
within the Christian church because of the errant teachings
derived from incorrect interpretation.
The Christian faith, which many have devoted their lives
to and died for, lacks i<strong>ts</strong> propensity to prick the reader's
conscience because it is now written in words that give
way to the nuances of a lackadaisical society. The Word
of God has been reduced to a lovely guide for moralis<strong>ts</strong>
and an interesting interpretation of stories, which some
choose to believe and others relate to as fairy tales. Religious
leaders have stripped the Bible of i<strong>ts</strong> claims of inspiration
and inerrancy and have caused many to stray in the faith
because of their misguided theological presuppositions.
Postrnodernism with i<strong>ts</strong> anti-foundational approach has
reduced the church to a point of a "like" or "dislike"
mentality. People will choose a church because of i<strong>ts</strong>
appeal, not from the spiritual standpoint, but from an
emotional and physical fulfillment. They can choose
whether or not they wish to accept all or part of the Bible;
whether they agree with the tene<strong>ts</strong> of faith; whether they
want to believe that a place called Hell exist. All of these
are acceptable behaviors and choices for the person in the
postmodern church. The person who desires not to accept
reality and the truths of the Bible, has the choice to deny
that it even exis<strong>ts</strong>.
Rethinking Education
Along with the gradual process of governmental
interference in the raising of children has come the
deviation of children's educational means. In the 1800s and
early 1900s, much of a child's education and development
were monitored through the father and mother. Children
who had the luxury of attending school, did so for shorter
periods of time during the day due the necessity of
work in the home and on the farms. Even the society's
elite would hire tutors and children were more privately
educated. Enter the government ... "Every government,
regardless of i<strong>ts</strong> political bent, understands that the means
to controlling i<strong>ts</strong> population is through the education
of i<strong>ts</strong>' youth, regardless of whether the stated desired
outcome is peace, happiness, and equality, or domination,
subjugation, and filial obedience." (Osberg) Taking his
cue from the likes of Marx and Hitler, John Dewey, whom
many view as the father of the American "progressive"
educational system, said that public schools should "take
an active part in determining the social order of the future
as the teachers align themselves with the forces making for
social control of economic forces ... " This statement is in
alignment with one issued by the United States Commission
of Mental Health and Children, which said "the school
as the major socializing agency in the community must
assume a direct responsibility for the attitudes and values
of child development." Bringing us up to current day policy
in Washington state, the brochure entitled Improving Stlldent
Peiformallce: A Comprehellsive, It/tegrated Proposal Issl/ed by the
Governor} Cotlnseloll Edllcational Reform clearly states:
28 the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON
Postmodemislll: I<strong>ts</strong> Effec<strong>ts</strong> 011 the Family
The mission of Washington's K-12 education system
is to enable people to be responsible citizens, to
contribute to their own economic well-being, and to
that of their families and communities and to enjoy
productive lives. To these ends, schools, together
with paren<strong>ts</strong> and communities will ensure that all
studen<strong>ts</strong> develop the knowledge, skills and attributes
essential to function effectively, and lead successful
lives. (GCERFF1992)2
Public education, funded by taxpayers through the federal
government, has taken i<strong>ts</strong> limi<strong>ts</strong> to the extreme. Due
to other areas of tlle family which have been adversely
effected by the postmodern culture, millions of American
children are forced into the public education system at
an early age (some children as young as 6 months old)
i.e. HeadStart Program. This and other programs are
operated by federal and state authorities and are positively
described to the unsuspecting citizen as a way to curb the
malnourished and poverty-stricken child who would not
otherwise have a chance, save the one that the government
is handing to them. In the name of the child, government
has found a foothold in the family structure that has led to
the destruction and compromise of thf! family as God has
intended it to be. State after state have adopted laws and
measures to aggressively pursue the children of our nation
determining it to be in the best interest of the child if
agencies invade the family through home-based visi<strong>ts</strong> and
services for families they believe to be "at risk of abuse
or neglect." The problem is: "There is no legal statutory
definition of 'at risk.' Use of the term 'at risk' amoun<strong>ts</strong> to a
blank check for intervention in the home by the therapeutic
state," says Roy M. Hanson of the California Child and
Family Protection Association. 3
This and other issues arise from those who would oppose
such interaction between government and family; however,
the Laws continually weigh in favor of the state, leaving
less authority to a child's paren<strong>ts</strong>. Thus these children as
they mature continue to look to the government as their
source of aid not only for their academic needs, but also
to educate them in family planning (planned Parenthood),
determining sexual orientation (support groups and
various agencies across the US), economic and financial
responsibility (Welfare), etc. There has hardly been a missed
opportunity for the state to transmit the fact that it-not
paren<strong>ts</strong>-should be seen as the provider. The role of the
school has been expanded accordingly through such ploys
as school-based clinics, more sex education taught ou<strong>ts</strong>ide
the home, school breakfas<strong>ts</strong>, a push for longer hours and
more days in school, extra activities in school buildings, etc.
National service, a state version of which is mandatory for
graduation from public high school in Maryland, falls into
this framework as well. Again, there is little new under the
sun. Here was an analogous law in Nazi Germany:

'.:,'.
National Labor Service is a service of honor to the
German Reich. All young people of both sexes are
obliged to serve their country in the National Labor
Service. The function of the Service is to inculcate
in the German youth a community spirit and a true
concept of the dignity of work, and above all, a proper
respect for manual labor. To the National Labor
Service is allotted the task of carrying out work for the
good of the whole community."4
Devaluing Tradition
Until the mid-1900s, it was an unlikely notion to find a
mother working ou<strong>ts</strong>ide of the family home. Traditionally,
women were left to work in the home tending to the
multitude of tasks that were necessary to keep the home
in working order and organized. The tasks involved were
neither demeaning to the intelligence of the woman nor
was the work regarded as menial responsibilities. Women
were vital to the homelife in their organization, accounting,
nursing, educational and epicurean expertise, etc. The
family structure was passed from generation to generation
as skills and workmanship were taught to the young boys
and girls of the family. Mothers and fathers
trained their daughters and sons respectively,
so that one day the children would be
capable of handling the affairs of their own
homes.
Society has weakened the woman's ability
to influence her children to such an extent.
The pressures of living the American
dream have driven families to choose for
the mother to seek employment ou<strong>ts</strong>ide of
the home. The heavy economic burden of
providing for the ever-increasing demands
of a gluttonous society has continued to
stress to day's households. Family life has been altered as a
whole; daycare and pre-school classes take the place of the
early childhood development that once took place in the
home. Government stepped in to encourage the working
mother by providing various programs, while other families
opted for the "latch-key" child who came home to an
empty house. The 1980s and 90s brought about an air of
condemnation and revile for the woman who chose to be
a stay-at-home mom, because she was not working her way
up the corporate ladder. Little did the opposition realize
that the mom who stayed at home was already a CEO of
her "corporation"!
The family has received another blow due to the
opportunities that the workplace holds for the woman who
is ambitious, competitive, and who seeks to be on even
playing ground with men. Women's righ<strong>ts</strong> movemen<strong>ts</strong>
have sought to disintegrate the home further through
activism and role-reversal. "House husbands" have become
increasingly acceptable in our society. If women have the
right to work ou<strong>ts</strong>ide of the home, so men have the right to
Postmodemism: I<strong>ts</strong> Effec<strong>ts</strong> 011 the FamilY
Along with
the unfavorable
personal effec<strong>ts</strong> on
the working mother
comes the unravel-
ing of the threads of
family life.
play "mom" and stay at home with the children while mom
figh<strong>ts</strong> the morning traffic, reads the Wall Street fotlma!, and
competes in the board room. The appeal of the battle and
the thrill of victory drive women to seek prestige and fame
in the Fort/me 500 company.
Along with the unfavorable personal effec<strong>ts</strong> on the
working mother (stress, fatigue, health problems) comes
the unraveling of the threads of family life. Many children
do not experience having a mother who is available to
prepare home cooked meals, or who can take the time to
teach their daughters to sew; or who can play ball with
their sons. Society has replaced these relics with the new,
ever-increasing speed of the "have it NOW" generation.
The family evening is now described as: dinnertime is the
three-minute visit to the McDonald's drive-thru; on to take
Johnny to the Little League baseball game, or whichever
sport is in season; on to take Susie to the piano lesson, or
whichever particular instrument she is learning this year;
on to the school paren<strong>ts</strong> association meeting; and then the
circular drive to gather the children up and take them home.
Where, upon arrival, there is homework to be completed;
the bills to be prepared for mailing; the dog
to be walked; and the favorite late night
TV show to be watched before everyone
collapses in exhaustion. This description
is not far from the truth for the majority
of homes. In the current days of the
perpetual demands for entertainment and
instant gratification, children are learning
to manipulate their paren<strong>ts</strong>' schedule
and persist in doing every activity that is
imaginable. Paren<strong>ts</strong> oblige themselves
out of guilt that their children may suffer
some mental defect if they don't "keep
up with the Jones's." Paren<strong>ts</strong> and children
only communicate in the car on the way to whatever
activity is demanding their attention at that particular time.
Additionally, the concep<strong>ts</strong> of the cellular phone, the laptop
computer, the perpetually intrusive TV installed in presentday
vehicles to allow for the paren<strong>ts</strong> solitude, and the CD
player complete with headphones so everyone can have
their choice of entertainment without invading others' ears,
have wreaked havoc on parent-child communication even
during commute time.
Deconstructing Marriage
With the ever-increasing ease of obtaining divorces through
any American court system, marriage has become as
disposable as refuse. Divorce has run rampant in a society
that chooses at will to interrupt the Biblical design of the
family. Why should a couple worry if ten years after they
have taken their marriage vows they decide they do not wish
to continue facing each other every morning? Divorce has
become the answer for too many couples in the postmodern
culture who decide that they want something new. There is
nothing to stop them from filing papers with a court officer,
the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON 29

paying exorbitant lawyers fees, arguing over who ge<strong>ts</strong>
what possessions and children, and shredding every piece
of stability that their children have ever known. Divorce
has fragmented family ties, bringing with it bitterness,
resentment, and unhappiness to many children who are
i<strong>ts</strong> victims. Psychiatris<strong>ts</strong>' and psychologis<strong>ts</strong>' offices are
full of children who have been ordered by the cour<strong>ts</strong> to
undergo treatment for the depression, anger, and hostility
that raves within them due to the detrimental effec<strong>ts</strong> of
losing their paren<strong>ts</strong> in this legal war. Children are forced
to become adul<strong>ts</strong> before their time due to the continual
decisions that they are faced with as a result of parental
divorces. They lose their innocence and their childhood,
as they become locked into a life of living with one parent,
while occasionally visiting the other on special days set-up
by a godless court system. They are no longer free to be
children but they have become an emotional tidal wave,
going from one parent to the other, receiving the mental
burden that each parent chooses to release upon them.
Divorce destroys the power of the father-mother-child
relationship. Because of the absence of both paren<strong>ts</strong> in a
home setting, one parent may discipline the
child using one method, while the parent
living ou<strong>ts</strong>ide of the home chooses a less
aggressive method of discipline. Enter
another area of confusion for the child.
Children must have a continually structured
path of correction. Variance of any kind
in this area leads not only to confusion, but
also to hostility and frustration for both the
child and parent.
Marriage was designed by God to be
the foundation of the home. When the
foundation is not solidly built upon faith and trust in God
and one another, the walls will not withstand the blows that
forcefully beat against them.
Society continually bea<strong>ts</strong> against the original structure
of marriage. Contemporary definitions of the family
have been created by a government which hastens the
destruction of the family through social re-definition.
"Every successful society has been predicated upon the
conventional "nuclear" family, which is organized around
a man and a woman who are joined in legal wedlock.
However, powerful interes<strong>ts</strong> seek to institutionalize
"alternative" models of the family ... [The Clevelandbased
Federation for Community Planning] recognizes
the definition prepared by Family Service America:
'A familY consis<strong>ts</strong> 0/ two people, Ivhether living together or
apart, related f?y blood, marriage, or commitment to care for one
another' ... By this definition, a "family" might consist of
nearly any imaginable combination of people." 5
The Christian's Response
The previous examples are a mere smattering of the
30 the COUNSEL of CHALCEDON
Post modernism: I<strong>ts</strong> Effec<strong>ts</strong> on the FamilY
Marriage was
designed by God
to be the
foundation
of the home.
overwhelming barrage of attacks made against the family
in postmodern society. Almost daily the government at
federal and local levels is finding new ways of instilling i<strong>ts</strong>
postmodern agenda in the heart of society, causing further
demise to the home.
"Christianity has been excommunicated from the culture
at large - systematically excluded from the schools,
the intellectual establishment, and the media. The
establishment of Christian schools, publishers, ar<strong>ts</strong> groups,
broadcasters, businesses, and so on may be one of the
great achievemen<strong>ts</strong> of the twentieth-century church.
As postmodernist pressures intensify, having counter
institutions already in place may prove invaluable for
Christians to stage an effective resistance."6
There is a story that the legendary Sherlock Holmes and his
sidekick, Dr. Wa<strong>ts</strong>on, went camping one night to get away
from it all after solving a particularly difficult case. In the
middle of the night, Holmes shook Dr. Wa<strong>ts</strong>on awake.
"Look up at the sky, Dr. Wa<strong>ts</strong>on. Tell me, what do you
see?" he asked.
Looking up briefly, Dr. Wa<strong>ts</strong>on groggily
answered, "I see the stars and the moon."
As Wa<strong>ts</strong>on started to lie back down, an
agitated Holmes demanded, ''And, my dear
man, what does that mean?"
A now equally agitated Dr. Wa<strong>ts</strong>on
replied, "I suppose it means that this is an
exceptionally clear night."
"No, no, no," exclaimed Holmes
impatiently, "It means that someone has stolen our tent!"7
What, then, should be the response of those who see this
calamity and who accept the truths of the Bible to be their
only guide? Unequivocally, the Christian reaction should
be one of resolve; resolve to seek to live a life of example,
one of uncompromising principles and unaltered Biblical
standard. God's Word has clearly established the role of
parent-child relationships and how He will prosper and
protect those who live within His plan (psalm 127 & 128).
It is imperative for the Christian man and woman who are
joined in marriage to agree that they will bring up their
children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
As R.J. Rushdoony noted in his Institutes 0/ Biblical Lmv:
The family is not only the first environment of the
child, it is also his first school, where he receives his
basic education; his first church, where he is taught his
first and foundational lessons concerning God and life;
his first state, where he learns the elemen<strong>ts</strong> of law and
order and obeys them; and his first vocation where the

child is given work to do, and responsibilities in terms
of it. The essential world for a small child is the family,
his father and mother in particular. (192)
When Christ came to earth, He set up His kingdom which
gave Him the right to dominion. The Christian lives
with the knowledge that Christ has come to overthrow all
corrupt government and rule. The kingdoms of the earth
have become the kingdom of our Lord! The Christian has
confidence that the Lord reigns triumphantly and that any
government and authority, set up for the glory of man, will
be brought to nothing.
With this knowledge, the Christian has the obligation then
to fulfill the commands of the Lord given in Genesis 1 to
"be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" with the seed of
righteousness. Never should the Christian back down when
confronted with the corrupt laws brought upon him by a
crooked state. On the contrary, he should rest on the faith
that he has in Christ and the promise that "righteousness
exal<strong>ts</strong> a nation ... "(proverbs 14:34). The tent, Detective
Holmes, is still in place! It is the duty of Christian men and
women to see that Biblical rule exis<strong>ts</strong> in their homes and
families.
As Gene Veith pu<strong>ts</strong> it:
Certainly, the turmoil of the present time is characteristic
of a transition from one epoch [modernism] to the next
[postmodernism]. Whether Christianity will once again
exert i<strong>ts</strong> influence on the culture, or whether Christianity
will become further marginalized in the twenty-first
century, Christians must pay close attention to the signs
of the times.
In doing so, they will see that Biblical faith has survived
every assault, even persecution, and has proven relevant
to every age despite attemp<strong>ts</strong> to silence or to change i<strong>ts</strong>
message. Conversely, each humanly devised worldview
has proven inadequate and has been replaced by yet
another set of assumptions. As modernism gives way to
postrnodernism, and as the twentieth century gives way
to the twenty-first century (if Christ delays His coming),
Christians will discover even more reasons to hold fast
to the Word of God. 8
Author: Zemmie Fleck is a member and secretary of
Chalcedon Presbyterian Church, Cumming, Ga.
Footnotes
1 Veith, Gene "Postrnodern Times: A Christian Guide
To Contemporary Though and Culture"; 1994. Crossway
Books, Wheaton, IL. p. 175,176.
Post modernism: I<strong>ts</strong> Effec<strong>ts</strong> 011 the FamilY
2 These quotes were cited by Kimberly Osberg, in her thesis
"Rethinking Educational Technology: A Post Modern View,
Section III (politics and Power) found on the Internet site:
http://www.imprintit.com/kmo/PostMod/ edtech3.html.
3 For further reading on the subject of government
intervention throughout the United States and a look at
the legislation set forth in proceedings, please see http:/ /
www.thenewamerican.com/tna/1994/vol0no16.htm.
4 Hoar, William P. Stpp/alliing Mom and Dad, http:/ /
www.thenewamerican.com/tna/vol0no16.htm.
5 Grigg, William Norman; In Loco Parentis, New American
Vol.10, No. 16. August 8, 1994.
6 Veith, "Postrnodern Times: A Christian Guide to
Contemporary Thought and Culture. p. 210.
7 Crouse, Janice Shaw, PhD.; Marliage: Tf7i/! it Shelter the 21"
Celltmy FamilY?
8 Veith; Postrnodern Times. p. 24
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