Today’s culture war is a direct response to the church’s waning influence
As Easter approaches, we find ourselves not only in a season of reflection and renewal but also in the midst of an ongoing cultural and spiritual conflict — a battle between good and evil that has intensified in recent years. Yet, amid this moral turbulence, the church, once the cornerstone of our communities and the moral compass of our nation, appears silent and complacent.
Scripture reminds us that when Christ returns, judgment begins with the house of God. And yet, too many churches, particularly in the Black community, have abdicated their role as moral leaders. I recall when former Delegate Don Dwyer boldly championed traditional marriage and held the Black church accountable for failing to defend values we have long professed to uphold. Historically, the Black church, second only to the Catholic Church, stood firm for traditional values but today that boldness is waning.
While the Catholic Church continues to stand for the unborn and against abortion, many Black churches have grown silent not just on that issue, but on a host of cultural battles that disproportionately affect our communities. This silence is not neutrality; it is complicity.
Consider recent legislative proposals in the Maryland General Assembly: one bill seeks to install contraception vending machines in elementary schools; another, HB822, would remove all references to God from the state constitution altogether. Where is the outcry from the church? Where is the spiritual leadership that should be guiding not just believers, but our society at large?
This silence stems from a dangerous tolerance of sin, a fear of alienating members or going against the grain. As a result, churches have become reactive rather than proactive, following the culture instead of shaping it. Membership is declining, influence is fading, and many congregations have lost their prophetic voice.
Much of today’s culture war is, in fact, a direct response to the church’s waning influence. Gender ideology, moral relativism, and the redefinition of family all aim to undermine biblical principles. Children, even those in kindergarten, are being targeted before families have a chance to instill traditional, faith-based values in the home. And once again, the church remains quiet.
If we do not find our voice and speak out against these trends — lovingly, but firmly — we risk becoming irrelevant. The church must remember that conservative values are rooted in biblical truth. What we are witnessing today is not just a political shift, but a spiritual battle, and only a remnant remains committed to discerning truth from deception.
The church must wake up to the times we are living in. We cannot afford to be willfully ignorant of biblical teachings or indifferent to the moral issues shaping our communities. When the church follows the congregation instead of leading it, we lose our purpose. If we don’t reclaim our prophetic mandate and offer a Christ-like response to the cultural chaos before us, we may one day find that the doors of the church have been closed — not by the world, but by our own silence.
Christopher Anderson is a third-generation Baltimorean, a father of three, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, and a lifelong community advocate. He is currently a member of the Baltimore City Republican Central Committee. He has run for Congress and the Baltimore City Council.
There are two ways to get folks to church. You threaten them with total damnation so that they go only to save themselves, while pretending they do so for God, or they go because they want to. Oh, Jesus was not liberal or conservative. He fought for change, so much so that he was killed for it. Trump’s influence grew out of hatred that a Black man lived in the White House for 8 years with a Black family. As the January 6th “heroes” chanted, “This is our house.” The Catholic Church covered up rampant child sexual abuse for decades. Republicans allowed cuts in aid that are putting millions of children on death’s door, while many Maryland families lose their livelihoods due to the viciousness of the administration that targets them with doing nothing. Are these the conservative values you speak of? Is the man you support that allowed another man to call his daughter a “piece of ass” (Howard Stern) the kind of dad you want other men to emulate? Is such TRUTH or alternative truth?
Happy Good Friday Chris Anderson – TRUTH!
Zulieka Baysmore one word comment after reading and reflecting.