“I believe that the duel between Christianity and atheism is the most important in the world. I further believe that the struggle between individualism and collectivism is the same struggle reproduced on another level.” That quote from the great thinker, debater, political commentator, and writer William F. Buckley encapsulates the battle of our times. Atheistic collectivism is now battling with Judeo-Christian individualism, and the latter is in imminent peril of losing the institutions and government of America altogether.
Buckley was not, of course, opposed to teamwork, community, or unified effort—far from it. He was a devout Catholic, and thus believed in the Church as spiritual authority; and he urged gratitude to and love for one’s benefactors. “We need a rebirth of gratitude for those who have cared for us, living and, mostly, dead. The high moments of our way of life are their gifts to us.”
So Buckley would, I expect, object to the attitude that many conservatives seem to have now, which is that they ought to be able to find a little niche to hide in and avoid the world altogether. Conservatives and moderates lost control of the public square precisely because we wanted to be left alone, while the radical leftists took over the public square because they want to force everyone to assent to their ideology.
What Buckley was objecting to, of course, was group-think. So in the intellectual, educational, or cultural spheres we see the collectivism of ideology, where every kindergartner, every sports coach, every college professor, and every actor is now required to assent to LGBTQ insanity, critical race theory, and the other tenets of leftism. No cake shop may refuse (even respectfully) to bake a homosexual’s wedding cake, no schoolchild may speak out against his school’s Pride event, no worker may decline to call a man “her,” no parent may object to his toddler viewing pornography. Blasphemous drag queen “nuns” are celebrated by Major League Baseball while conservatives who object to mutilating “transgender” children are vilified.
In the political sphere this takes the form of ideologically driven government tyranny. Ironically, though it is a type of collectivism, it is not in fact a tyranny of the majority; for the majority of Americans, to a greater or lesser degree, do not want babies taking money from drag queens’ underwear or young white children being told they are doomed to a life of inherent racism toward their black schoolmates. It is a tyranny of the minority, but a tyranny of the loud, powerful, and aggressive minority, that gives the illusion of almost complete popular support while simultaneously claiming a victim status.
So the FBI and DOJ target pro-lifers, traditional Catholics, and parents concerned about woke curriculum. They expend millions of dollars and thousands of hours on targeting peaceful Jan. 6 protestors and Donald Trump while actively shielding criminals like Hunter Biden. Antifa protestors are allowed to burn, smash, loot, and shoot at will, but MAGA supporters are supposedly dangerous domestic terrorists. The partnership of atheism and collectivism is painfully obvious now in the federal government.
It is no mistake that the same leftists who impose group-think continually attack devout Jews and Christians. They occasionally pretend to be religious, but it is always a veneer—they cite a god in their image only to make a point. No person is allowed to decline using “preferred pronouns” due to religious beliefs, leftists insist. All mentions of our Judeo-Christian heritage are to be wiped out. Every holiday is fully secularized, and men stand beside a Christmas tree with Santa Claus nearby and go to any lengths to avoid saying the word “Christmas.” Atheism has gone mainstream and has joined forces with leftism.
In any sort of struggle, whether physical, political, spiritual, or cultural, the side that refuses to compromise is usually the winner. It is amazing how long good people have fallen for the lie that compromise with evil is necessary in politics or life. The Democrats and leftists always get their way because they will accept no compromise and will make no concession. The devil will have his way. But Jesus did not compromise either. He said (Matt. 12:30), “He that is not with me, is against me.” Neither did the Founding Fathers compromise; they were willing to give even their lives to safeguard liberty.
The time for compromise and concession is past. We are not violent or vengeful, of course, but we must see the struggle in modern America for what it is: a battle for the very survival of America. If collectivism and atheism prevail over individualism and Judeo-Christianity, we will lose our republic and our precious rights and liberties.
