Babel
and Globalism
There may not seem to be a logical connection between the Biblical account of the Tower of Babel and modern progressivism but let's take a closer look.
Part of the progressive agenda is Globalism. Maybe this partly originates in the Communist “Internationalism” partly perhaps in a utopian dream of a “world government” bringing peace and prosperity to all. We certainly see this globalism in the veneration of the United Nations and projects such as the European Union. It is also notable that progressives are strongly supportive of both these institutions and that both of these are dominated by non-elected bureaucracies!
It is also notable that conservatives are more sceptical of these projects – witness the “Brexit” vote to take Britain out of the EU and Donald Trump on the UN. To my mind the fact that the UN Human Rights Commission was at one time chaired by the brutal dictator Colonel Gaddafi says it all!
The other significant commonality in Progressives' thinking is the passionate desire to exclude God. In the West this has two particular symptoms.
First the pulling down and forcefully expunging the “old” Christian morality, and most particularly those elements more closely linked to God's character. For instance the “sexual revolution” promoting adultery: God used adultery this as an analogy for societies forsaking him. And the otherwise illogical push for not just recognition but sacred cow status for same sex marriage. Paul said marriage between a man and a woman was a metaphor for Christ's relationship to the Church. (“the Church” meaning all God's people collectively not any institution!) Or again the fostering of the cult of “self” when God's character translates into human as love and consideration for others.
Second, an atheism with all the passion of a religious zealotry. To treat religious people as harmless eccentrics would be the logical choice for a mere atheist. But that is not what we see in progressives, they are so fanatical in their opposition to Christianity and in their efforts to expunge it from society that they must really believe in, but be trying to sideline, God! One worldwide progressive streak is their partiality for Islam. Terror attacks are carried out by Islamic State sympathisers, but progressives, particularly those in authority deny any connection to Islam. Feminists who vehemently decry misogyny they identify in Christianity wilfully turn a blind eye to the really serious mistreatment of women in Muslim culture! Then in immigration, progressives readily allow Muslim immigration into the “Christian” West whilst opposing taking persecuted Christians from these same Muslim trouble spots. It seems that anything goes in their desire to stamp out Christianity in the West.
In short Progressive ideology wants to build a worldwide utopia not just pushing God aside, but actually in human defiance against God.
Go back to the story of Babel. Post flood, humans decided to band together to “make a name for themselves” and build a huge watchtower to keep an eye on God! (I know some think of their tower as a Babylonian ziggurat – but as my Old Testament professor Bill Dumbrell pointed out, not only was this a long time before Babylon and its religious practices, but the word used is that for a watchtower, and moreover this fits the context beautifully: where did they see danger coming from? Heaven.)
So modern progressives are not so modern after all! They are infected with just the same madness as those ancients. They think: “Let us get rid of God and show what pride in human power can do!” I really do hope God brings their enterprise tumbling down!
