Our Western culture has been slipping deeper and deeper into secularism (the absence of God) for a long time. We see this first and foremost on display in movies, television, music, theatre, etc. Celebrities and storytellers continue to showcase the “excitement” of a secular lifestyle. Secularism is an attempt to achieve happiness apart from God. Those who are entrenched in secularism chase wealth, pleasure, power, and honor. Secular people who chase these four things will stop at nothing to achieve them, and since God has been removed from the equation completely, there’s no true moral compass that will lead to the Truth (found only in and through God).
 
For example, it was the pursuit of freedom and happiness that led our nation’s founders to this land from their original countries. It was their chasing after wealth, pleasure, power, and honor that made them steal land and murder the natives; it made them enslave other human beings; it made them persecute those who didn’t agree, and the list goes on. We see more recent examples of secularism from those who violently riot in our communities; the blatant disregard for human life; silencing (via un-friending/following or defaming publicly another person) and persecuting those who disagree with us, and the list goes on. 
 
Secularism is at the root of these awful actions that we witness too many people making. By removing God from their life and the lives of others, it takes the focus off the human family and places sole focus on one human person or one specific group of human persons. Nothing exclusive is rooted in love, who is God. Love creates and evil destroys. Love unites and evil divides. Secularism is evil, which means it will divide and destroy. When Love, who is God, is at the center of our lives and our main focus, there will never be division. All will be one as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one.
 
The great Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said: “ Deprived of their reference to God, humans cannot respond to the fundamental questions that trouble and will always trouble their heart concerning the end of their life. Human destiny without reference to God cannot but be the desolation of anguish, which leads to desperation. Only in reference to God’s Love which is revealed in Jesus Christ can humans find the meaning of their existence and live in hope, even if we must face evils that injure our personal existence and the society in which we live.”  (Visit to Pontifical Gregorian University, November 3, 2006)
 
No one will deny that our culture, specifically American culture, has flaws and our systems we created have injustices that need reform. Secularism is the reason for our cultural flaws and broken systems. Sure, our money may say “In God We Trust” and our founding documents have God’s name all over them; but our nation has been perusing great ideals in an age of secularism for a long time. It must stop! 
 
In this series of articles, I will be focusing on the lives of the Saints and how their pursuit of truth, justice, and freedom was achieved victoriously because they avoided a secular mentality and focused solely on Jesus Christ and proclaiming the Gospel: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! These are saints who never divided or destroyed, they only created unity and peace. Their ministries were grounded in Love, who is God. If we don’t start doing the same, then we’re doomed to fail. Without God, there will never be true justice, peace, unity, or truth.