The present secular civilization of western society is disintegrating

Image: Planet of the Apes (1968)

The evolutionary view of society, and the progress of modern science and education, seemed to argue for a growing human enlightenment to the point where war would no longer be possible. This view, however, did not give sufficient consideration to the sinfulness of man and his need of redemption. Furthermore, those modern students of society who are less influenced by the evolutionary idealism of the past century find little evidence in the scientific study of society itself for belief in an approaching warless world. Pitirim A. Sorokin, outstanding sociologist of our day, has shown that the curve of war in the history of the nations is at times upward and again downward, but he finds no evidence of a trend in a direction which points to the end of war. On the contrary, in the early 1920’s he predicted that the twentieth century would be the bloodiest of all centuries in history to date, although believing the upward curve would in future centuries again recede. Sorokin’s prediction was based on his belief that the present secular civilization of western society is disintegrating, and that such a period of disintegration and transition is always accompanied with much warfare.

It is generally agreed that our present civilization is extremely sensate and materialistic, and many believe that for this reason it is in the process of decay. As William Pauck has said, since the Middle Ages a worldly, materialistic spirit has steadily drawn our western civilization away from God until today it “is disintegrating because it does not correspond to the divine . . . order of things.” In the mind of this writer there is no hope for the future until men become willing once more to heed the voice of the living God. With this every Christian lover of peace must agree.

Guy Franklin Hershberger, War, Peace, & Nonresistance (pp. 12-13)