Modern Progressivism

We hear the word progressive often these days. At first, I am attracted to it. I want to be a man, a leader, an evangelist who thinks progressively. The antithesis of a progressive digresses or becomes labeled as a “backwards thinker.” I certainly don’t want that label. However, when you do a deep dive into the mindset of a progressive, you realize it really isn’t all that progressive a way of thinking. In fact, modern-day progressives are nothing more than yesterday’s socialist or humanist. How has that worked out in Cuba and North Korea?

The word progressive originated from a movement that aimed to improve society through government regulation. The government was seen as the great elixir to humanity’s growing problems, such as social injustice, women’s suffrage, labor protections, and public health.

At first glance, this ideology seems somewhat attractive. After all, doesn’t everyone want justice, freedom, and the ability to express themselves in a way that is not hampered by laws and overarching guidelines? Modern-day progressives received their marching orders from men like John Dewey, who is often credited with being the father of modern-day public education and one of the architects of the Humanist Manifesto.

We ask, “What is so wrong with the progressive movement in America today? Is it dangerous? Is it, at the very core, destructive towards genuine democracy, and could it become the enemy of freedom?”

Recently, Justice Clearance Thomas aimed at the modern-day progressive movement in America by identifying it as dangerous and destructive to our “God-given liberties.” In April 2026, he addressed the University of Texas/Austin School of Law and stated, “Progressivism is a threat to America.” He went on to state that this way of thinking replaces the intent of the Declaration of Independence’s core principles with what he called “government-derived rights.” Furthermore, Thomas warned that this ideology is incompatible with a constitutional structure based on transcendent, God-given rights.

In my opinion, this progressive way of thinking is at the very core of the crisis we are facing in contemporary America. There are some in our country who feel the government is responsible for providing rights, liberties, and a guarantee for one’s happiness. Our Founding Fathers knew our rights and freedoms must be sanctioned by God. In fact, the framers of our Constitution recognized that government is ineffective if it is not sanctioned by God. We do not derive our rights from the government. The very words of the Declaration of Independence remind us all, “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights that among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

According to Justice Thomas, progressives believe all rights and privileges are derived from government. The more progressive a nation becomes, the less tolerant that nation becomes of God and the church, because society looks to government, not God, to address the many challenges and crises that arise. Thomas later said that “Progressivism holds that rights and our dignities come not from God but from government, requiring a subservience incompatible with a Constitution premised on the transcendent origin of our rights.” Finally, Thomas warned that this movement is a retrogressive force that, at its core, is an existential threat to America’s founding principles.

I’m aware that this column may offend some of our readers. However, those on the left are constantly promoting a government and a civilization based on government intrusion in the affairs of everyday life. Unfortunately, many in the Democrat party have convinced themselves and their constituents that the more intrusive government immerses itself into the affairs of the citizenry, the healthier the country will be. How healthy can a nation be when many legislators, judges, and governors have zero respect for God and His authority?

In Genesis 11:3-4, Moses records that the people said, “Come let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name” (emphasis added). Tony Evans, in his book Kingdom Citizen, states, “In doing so, they wanted to remove the divine oversight of national identity, a mandate that had been established, and enact their own rules for how civilization, culture, and government would operate. God judged their attempt at globalization independent of Him.”

Evans goes on to remind us, “Every human law is to be a manifestation and reflection of divine law. Our laws established by our government ought to seek to mirror God’s laws to the highest degree possible.” Modern-day Progressivism is nothing short of Communism with a little makeup. It refuses to acknowledge a transcendent God and, therefore, abhors the idea of a hierarchy of truth that comes from our Creator, which we know as Scripture. Keep in mind, as Evans states, “the role of government is to maintain a safe, just, righteous, and compassionately responsible environment for freedom to flourish.” That simply cannot happen if the progressives continue to push for bigger government while at the same time minimizing the role of God and His role in providing direction for the governed.

James C. Book is the Associate Director of the CRA and serves on the board of directors for the Advance Center for Ministry Training. He is a former minister with Kissimmee Christian Church, Kissimmee, FL. Contact him at jim@thecra.org.