Marginalizing "Idealism" and the End of the Age

According to author Norman Podhoretz, much of the political landscape in our country these days can be understood in relation to four categories: isolationism, liberal internationalism, realism, and idealism. Only one of the four, idealism, operates out of a sense of moral absolutes. Each of the other three in some fashion are tied to moral relativism, with the policies and practices of "realpolitiks" being the greatest offender.

According to Podhoretz, the current war on Islamofascism has revealed the bankruptcies of isolationism, liberal internationalism, and realpolitiks in comparison with idealism. Of greater interest to me is how the war has brought the three together in opposition to idealism. President Bush has been shamed and lampooned repeatedly, constantly, and with malice, because he dares to espouse policies based on moral absolutes (e.g. freedom, democracy, and the rule of law). You can read a lot more on this in Podhoretz' book, World War IV.

The politics of the war have exposed a moral climate in our country (and in much of the rest of the world as well) that simply cannot tolerate absolute truth or those who believe in absolute truth. The impact this will have on end-time events is not entirely clear; then again, consider this: the Bible indicates that most of the world will be united against Israel at the end of the age. Presently, the strongest support for Israel comes from idealists, many of whom are Christians. They support Israel out of a deep regard for it and for the promises God has made to it as His chosen people. With all this in mind, it is easy to see how the world might end up divided into only two sides. It seems to be dividing in two as I write:

those who are "idealists" vs. those who are moral relativists
those who are for Israel vs. those who are against Israel
those who are Christians vs. those who are something else or nothing at all

The reason I got started writing these things is because of our study in Genesis about the two sides: the side of the serpent vs. the side of the promised seed of the woman. A struggle between the two sides began after the Fall, and it continues to this day. It seems to be manifesting itself in the way the world is lining up on one side or the other in regard to Israel, biblical Christianity, and the existence of moral absolutes. The struggle of Genesis 3:15, in other words, is alive and well. We might even expect it to grow and to further divide people. As this happens, we might also expect those world views that are not Christian to coalesce in their opposition to the moral absolutes of biblical Christianity. Finally, we might also expect the ridicule, vitriol, and marginalizing directed toward someone like President Bush to be headed our way as well.