The Problem of Happy Pagans

Throughout the Western world, Christians concerned with evangelism have increasingly encountered 'happy pagans.' 'Happy pagans' are those folks who believe themselves to be perfectly happy in their pursuits for success, wealth and the perfect family, while excluding God.

I am concerned that as Christians have engaged Western culture and sought to compete with it that they have diminished the transcendent truth that the Christian message uniquely contains. The Christian message has been relegated to one choice on the smorgasbord of happiness. For instance, as our churches have become "culturally relevant" they have essentially allowed the world to set the terms of the debate. Today's mega-churches primarily observe popular culture, see what seems to attract people, and imitate that strategy extracting the secular message and replacing it with a Christian one.

This method indeed succeeds in attracting people, but it also detracts from the wholly other nature of Christian faith. Because the Christian faith has employed secular methods to convey its message, many folks (the 'happy pagans') miss the authentic profundity of truth. Its value has become indistinguishable from its secular competitors and has created a simple choice amongst equal options. The Christian Church has become a Mac competing against a PC, while it should be the wind competing against a particle of dust.