Reject Modernity. Embrace Tradition.

What do you get when you combine the moral relativism of modern liberalism with the stripped-down theology of mainline Protestantism? You get progressive Christianity—a vague, catch-all ideology that keeps the aesthetic of the Cross while tossing out everything uncomfortable it might actually demand.

In a world starved for structure, tradition, and truth, it’s no wonder that apostolic Christianity—rooted in ancient liturgy, hierarchy, and moral clarity—is quietly surging. This isn't a cultural flashpoint—it's a spiritual migration.

Let’s begin with the obvious: progressive Christianity, preaches ideas like sexual morality being a fluid construct, women being able to become priests, and that all religions are different manifestations of the same God.

You don’t need to dig too deep to find this: just remember the Episcopalian "bishop" at Trump’s inauguration. The vague invocation of a "higher love," and the absence of anything resembling doctrinal substance was obvious. This is causing droves of people, especially the younger generations, to yearn for something deeper.

But to understand the decline of progressive Christianity and why people are leaving it behind, we have to understand what it's rooted in: liberalism. Not just MSNBC liberalism, but Enlightenment liberalism—the belief system that emerged in 18th-century Europe and the Americas, preaching individualism, anti-authoritarianism, and "natural rights" as a kind of secular gospel.

On paper, it sounds almost Christian. "Freedom for all," "human dignity," and "justice" feel like biblical slogans. But don’t be fooled: the foundation is not divine. It's legalistic, individualistic, and aggressively anti-traditional.
Christian society, by contrast, has always been built around the family—not the atomized individual. The Christian worldview insists that authority is not inherently bad, that submission can be a virtue, and that rights are gifts from God, not the State.

The liberalism of 1789, the ideology born of the French Revolution, sought to abolish any political authority derived from God. It made religious indifference the default mode of government and paved the way for a public square sterilized of faith.

Pope Pius IX saw it clearly in 1864 when he issued the "Syllabus of Errors," condemning liberalism for its religious indifference and for dismantling Catholic institutions. Both he and Pope Leo XIII warned of moral decay, with the latter proclaiming:

Fast forward: that rejection of religion now saturates modern Western life, leading to the Church suffering from both internal and external attacks.
Inside the Church, progressive voices argue that moral authority is oppressive, that doctrine is optional, and that tradition is merely historical color.

Outside, Catholic hospitals are sued for refusing to offer gender transitions. Adoption centers are shut down for declining to place children with same-sex couples. Bakers like Jack Phillips are dragged through endless lawsuits for holding fast to conscience.

Meanwhile, progressive Christian denominations continue to fold. The United Methodist Church, in 2024, officially removed its rule stating that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. It wasn't the first to do so, and it won't be the last. This isn't development of doctrine—it's doctrinal surrender. Catholicism, by contrast, remains consistent:

This isn't just about homosexuality. It's about chastity. It's about rejecting abortion, no-fault divorce, pornography, and birth control—all of which progressive Christianity now accommodates or ignores entirely. It insists that Christianity should adapt to culture, not challenge it.

But the culture is empty. And people are waking up.

We see it in the Stoicism revival—Marcus Aurelius' Meditations saw a 28% sales jump in 2020 alone. Jordan Peterson's biblical lectures pack out auditoriums and garner millions of views.

Why? Because Stoicism and ancient Christianity both speak to suffering. They both offer structure, order, and purpose in a disordered world. Stoicism teaches: develop virtue, master the passions, live in harmony with nature. Christianity goes further: your suffering has redemptive value. You're not just here to endure—you're here to be transformed.

Men in particular are rejecting the lies. They’re exiting hookup culture and rediscovering fatherhood. They want women who aren’t corrupted by modern societal norms. They’re realizing that masculinity is not toxic, that promiscuity is not freedom, and that discipline is not repression—it’s power.

Culture pushes overstimulation, reversed gender roles, and self-worship. But it eventually collapses under its own weight. The solution is ancient.

It’s marriage.

It’s fidelity.

It’s fatherhood.

It’s tradition.

This is why apostolic Christianity—Catholicism and Orthodoxy—is rising. Because people are done with superficiality.

They're done with pastors in skinny jeans who teach that sin is subjective. They're tired of being told that Jesus was a progressive social activist. They want something deeper, older, and more demanding. They want a faith that spans continents and centuries. They want incense, hierarchy, sacraments, saints, and structure.

You cannot be both Catholic and socially progressive without contradiction. The Church speaks clearly. If you want to invent your own faith, Protestantism is more accommodating—"Well, Jesus never explicitly said this or that" becomes the theology. But if you want something solid, apostolic Christianity doesn’t negotiate with modernity. It outlasts it.

The future of the faith won’t be found in compromise. It will be found in clarity, continuity, and courage. The progressive project—in Church and in State—has led us here. But people are turning back. Not in fear. In hope.

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