Xin followed up with a question. “Professor Daniels, isn’t it true that developments in cosmology had made the evolution of the whole universe apparent long before the turn of the century?”

“Good point. But whereas evolution played a critical role in the demise of Christianity, the big bang theory did not. Any ideas why not?”

Blank stares greeted me. It was, admittedly, a difficult question. Answering it required the students to think momentarily from a Christian worldview, which was utterly foreign to them. I answered the question myself. “It was because the big bang theory corresponded closely with the biblical account of creation. The Bible says that God created the universe at a specific point in time, starting with light itself. That parallels what the big bang postulates. In fact, its primary opponents were astronomers who disliked the theory’s religious implications. They kept trying to prove that the universe itself had no beginning, which eliminated the need for a creator. Of course, we no longer think in those terms.”

I glanced at my visiscreen. “Let’s get back to the causes of Christianity’s decline in twenty-first-century America. Point one was scientific progress. What was the second cause we discussed?”

Xin raised her hand. “The flame-out of the culture war.”

I nodded. “Starting in the 1980s, conservative religionists began forcing their own moral agenda upon the rest of the country. This encompassed a wide variety of issues ranging from pregnancy removal to homosexuality to freedom of visual sexual stimulation. Religionists insisted that their views, drawn from the Bible, be the legislative norm for society. This movement reached its zenith politically with the election of a conservative religionist to the presidency. Who was that?”

“George W. Bush,” answered Philip.

“Yes. Society grew more secular, however. That affected the culture war in what two ways?”

Sven responded from the back of the room. “Religionists no longer had enough numbers on their side to sway public policy.”

“Right. And do you remember the other?”

“The more strident that religionists became in their attempt to control government, the less others were attracted to Christianity. It was seen more as a political movement than a spiritual option.”

“Exactly. Jesus was a figure who existed at the political whim of conservative religionists, which of course held no appeal to the secular majority. In their political stridency, religionists ended up shooting themselves in the foot.”

I finally looked over at Abby, but I couldn’t read her. I forced her out of my mind and glanced at my visiscreen again. “All of this coincided with the third cause of Christianity’s decline, which was…”

Theresa raised her hand. “The backlash against religion in general due to Islamic fundamentalism.”