10 Reasons our Cultural Landscape is in Crisis

by CAPP-USA

A Culture in Crisis

Our cultural landscape is in crisis because it is drifting away from the values and principles essential for human flourishing.

Leading causes include:

1. Moral Relativism: This is the idea that truth and morality are subjective and can vary from person to person. Moral relativism undermines moral truths, such as the sanctity of life and human dignity, leading to confusion about what is right and wrong in society.
2. Secularization and Decline of Faith: As individuals become less religious or spiritual, they lose the moral compass that helps guide decisions in areas like family life, politics, and education, etc.
3. Erosion of the Family: The family—based on a lifelong marriage between a man and a woman—is the cornerstone of society. Rising divorce rates, the normalization of cohabitation, and advocacy for same-sex marriages erode the family structure, leading to social instability and a weakening of the values that foster the common good.
4. Threats to the Sanctity of Life: Abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide are part of a “culture of death” – and are spreading and undermining the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. Any legal or cultural acceptance of practices that end life prematurely, are signs of a profound crisis.
5. Materialism and Consumerism: The prioritization of material wealth and consumerism over spiritual well-being is endemic in modern society. In a highly consumer-driven culture, where success is often measured by wealth and possessions, we experience a crisis of values—where people become less attuned to compassion, charity, and a sense of solidarity with their neighbors, especially the poor and vulnerable.
6. Loss of Human Dignity: Every person has inherent dignity because we are made in the image of God. Any societal forces that devalue or degrade human beings – such as rampant pornography, human trafficking, racial injustice, exploitation of workers – create a crisis which dehumanizes the culture.
   
7. The Breakdown of Moral Education: Moral education and formation are crucial for the development of individuals and society. With the Church’s diminished influence in educational systems and popular media often promoting values contrary to Christian teaching, children and young adults are growing up without clear moral guidance, leading to societal disorientation.
8. Gender Ideology and Identity: Modern ideas surrounding gender identity and sexuality, especially when it comes to gender fluidity and transgender rights, are corrosive. Human sexuality is binary, rooted in God’s creation of male and female. Any deviation causes confusion and contradicts natural law and the divine order.
9. Environmental Crisis: Although Pope Francis has emphasized the need for ecological responsibility (especially in his encyclical Laudato Si’), the Church frames the environmental crisis as more than just a technical issue— it is a moral and spiritual crisis. The exploitation of natural resources without regard for sustainability or care for future generations is a symptom of deeper moral failings, including greed and disregard for the common good.
10. Crisis of Community and Solidarity: The Church values solidarity while modern society’s increasing individualism and the breakdown of communal bonds leads to a fragmented culture, where people are more isolated, selfish, and less inclined to support each other.

In summary, contemporary culture is in crisis because of its drift from faith, the erosion of traditional moral values, and growing disregard for human dignity. This is more than a societal issue – it represents a spiritual and moral crisis that affects the core of human existence.