Once again France is reeling from terrorist attacks and the tragic loss of yet more lives. And once again President Macron has asserted that the values of the Republic, including the right to free speech will never be surrendered. He’s a fierce proponent of the idea that religions should be allowed to co-exist under the protective umbrella of a secular state.
But hang on a minute, where did the secular state get its values from? Did they just magically appear in society after the Enlightenment? And if they’re so natural then why do nations have to keep passing laws to make us adhere to them?
The reason we value and celebrate human equality, human rights and freedom of speech is because, as the Bible teaches, we are all made in the image of God. That’s what gives us equal worth and the right to equal respect. The ‘Enlightenment’ stole this Biblical ‘cart’ (God always bringing light out of darkness) but cut it loose from the Gospel ‘horse’ (we fall short of God’s standards and need Jesus to redeem us). And, sadly, like any cart without a horse a secular society may run on for a while but in the end will inevitably grind to halt.
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