The God Who is There, Section 1

Well, I have just finished Section 1 (of 6) of The God Who is There by Francis Schaeffer. So, far this book is by far the most thought-provoking book I've read in a really long time. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to minister to real people in a real way. It deals with our current culture from root causes to major manifestations.
  Schaeffer deals with the despair that has gripped our culture in every facet. And while he is philosophical and traces the roots of the "new" mindset back to Hegel, Schaeffer manages to be quite readable. While being a philosopher, he never loses the pastor's heart of compassion; indeed, he is continually calling out to the believer to see and respond to the desperation which drives the modern man.
  One of the most fascinating aspects of this in my mind is the fact that the Hegelian thought which is the basis of "postmodernism" is quite similar to the dualism that is inherent in Islam. I posted a link to an article back in February which spoke of this Islamic dualism. And I think that this is particularly relevant to what Schaeffer says.
   The world we live in lacks absolutes (or as Schaeffer calls it "antithesis"). And so, I'll end with a this thought, "To the extent that anyone gives up the mentality of antithesis, he has moved over to the other side, even if he still tries to defend orthodoxy or evangelicalism." (pg. 47)
  When we give up the MENTALITY of absolutes, we have given up real Christianity!