The United States of Narcissism???

No, I'm not trying to be disrespectful to our great nation by saying this. I am simply picking up on an idea that was expressed by Michael Horton in his book Made in America (pp. 78-80), an idea which is certainly not new but is one that we all should be aware of. In evaluating the condition of our country, Horton says:

"The term narcissism is derived from the ancient story of Narcissus, a young Greek athlete who used to go to a pond to admire his reflection. Today, we have mirrors.

"It is remarkable how closely America (and the West in general) resembles the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations in their decline. Hedonism (the pleasure cult of Epicureanism) was softening the people into effete consumers who spent more than they produced and who sold the future good of the civilization for immediate comfort and self-gratification. Their pools, baths, and spas fed their craving to be pampered. In fact, some years ago I visited Pompeii, the city preserved by the ash from a volcanic eruption. From the richly ornamented frescoes covering the walls to the spacious spas, Pompeii is a testimony to self-indulgence.

"And just as today's crowds huddle in the theater to see heads blown off in increasingly realistic ways, so the Greeks and Romans had their bloody arenas in which cruel spectacles (including, on occasion, the feeding of Christians to lions) entertained the crowds. Alcoholism, homosexuality, and the ethics of self-interest ruled social relations.

"When it comes to narcissism [in the U.S.], perhaps no generation has been more intoxicated with it than our own. Popular magazines such as Harper's published 'The New Narcissism' (by Peter Marin); a New Yorker article by Tom Wolfe pronounced the seventies the 'Me Decade.' [Christopher] Lasch wrote a best-seller describing The Culture of Narcissism as 'the culture of competitive individualism, which in its decadence has carried the logic of individualism to the extreme of a war of all against all, the pursuit of happiness to the dead end of a narcissistic preoccupation with the self.' Ironically, the most insightful critiques of this disturbing vice have come from secular rather than evangelical publishing houses.

"In a television commercial typical of may, an actress concedes, 'Sure it costs more, but I'm worth it.' America's famous opinion researcher, Louis Harris, notes, 'It is not overstating to report that a solid majority of the American people are close to being obsessed with their personal appearance.' So what do we [in the church] do? Why, we write Christian personal appearance books, of course! [Insert tongue in cheek here!] These volumes provide noncontextual endorsements from Scripture to show us how we need to believe in ourselves, love ourselves, rely on ourselves to a greater degree. From the pagans, it's self-centeredness, but from our own brethren it's simply 'being everything God meant us to be.' After all, we're 'King's kids'!"

The church needs to stand against the tide of our culture and hold fast to Truth and to Christian principles and morality. What an opportunity to be different! And isn't that what "holiness" means--being different? Our culture gives us a great chance to be just that! Are we up for it?

Thoughts?