As Dennis Prager has noted, Judaism is a religion of distinctions. I would suggest the same could well be said of Christianity or, for that matter, the United States as a nation. These distinctions have served us well over time, but they are now rapidly being eviscerated in favor of the new One True God, Tolerance.

Mr. Prager listed five key distinctions, which I will list here. If we are honest, we will have to admit that all five are under attack and weakened. In two or three of these cases, I would argue that the definitions of the terms that comprise these binary concepts and entities, and/or the way we recognize them, have been reversed. The primary distinctions are between: A) God and man. B) Good and evil. C) Man and woman. D) Holy and profane. E) Life and death. I will address them in that order.

God used to be feared and worshipped, considered omnipotent and ever-present. Humans were to be humble and reverential, as well as appreciative of their blessings. The Lord’s name wasn’t to be taken in vain, and Sundays were for rest, contemplation and worship. Today, many openly scoff at the idea of “some guy in the sky,” while they worship certain Hollywood stars and athletes. “G*d D**n” and “Jesus Christ” are used almost as often as the word “the” in movies, television shows and some popular music. Progressive politicians and bureaucrats deliberately dispense with God so that they can replace Him with government, i.e. themselves. “Send your tithes to us,” they say, “And we will bless you and keep you.” Especially keep you.

Good and evil are also now reversed. In fact, “bad” means “good,” to many folks. “That’s one bad ass car,” is a high compliment. Exercising judgment and expecting excellence or even decency is now bad…as in bad. Christianity is mocked, Jews are attacked, the Ten Commandments have been removed from public spaces, but membership in The Church of Satan and The Satanic Temple is growing by leaps and bounds. Rioters burn and loot our cities with impunity, cheered on by certain government officials. In some states, petty theft is being completely excused while calling a transgendered person by their biologically correct pronoun is considered a crime. There is a growing movement in academia to characterize competence, civil behavior and punctuality as damning relics of a white, patriarchal hegemony.

The distinction between man and woman has been all but obliterated, as has the very concept of binary sexes. Tragically, this has damaged—and is threatening to destroy-- one of the greatest joys of human existence. It also demeans how humans come to be and attempts to negate the Book of Genesis, which does not say, “male and female…and pangender, nanogender and at least threescore other genders He created them.”

As with good and evil, we have essentially flipped what is considered holy and what is considered profane. It is now considered profane to state that marriage should be between one man and one woman or that only women can give birth. The concept of “Love is Love,” regardless of the sex/gender, age, species, or number of beings involved, is now considered holy by “progressives.” As is belief in man-caused “climate change.” And unfettered abortion.

Life is so undervalued that “assisted suicide’ laws are popping up around the country, as are laws allowing abortion of a baby up to the moment of birth—and until just a little while after. Many believe it is immoral to put a single terrorist or mass-murderer to death but are super stoked about the slaughter of tens of millions of innocent babies world-wide every year in the guise of women’s “choice.”

God and man, good and evil and holy and profane are, obviously, closely related. As are man and woman and life and death. But, in truth, all of these are now part and parcel of two distinct worldviews. That’s right, binary outlooks. One recognizes the idolatry of man, evil, the profane, gender irrelevance, and death as the primary virtues to be enshrined and worshipped. The other considers God, good, the holy, complimentary sexes, and life as sacred.

The former belief system has destroyed every single society in which it has taken hold. The latter ushered in The Enlightenment, the United States of America, and unparalleled prosperity.

Is one better than the other? Who among us will dare to make that distinction?

Image credit: Gage Skidmore, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0