PART I:
Foundation of Everything

Getting the Most Out of Life

The Illusion of Success

Western society promised us everything. Find the right person, and you’ll be happy. Build a successful career, and you’ll find fulfillment. Buy the dream house, car, vacation, lifestyle—and you’ll finally arrive.

But it’s a lie.

A healthy marriage is a tremendous blessing, but no spouse can guarantee fulfillment and happiness. Placing that on their shoulders results in an unhealthy marriage every time. A rewarding career or personal achievements can bring happiness and satisfaction; however, success alone doesn’t fully satisfy our deeper desires for long and can even cause misery. Having a lovely home and car is good, but many studies show that once our basic needs are met, accumulating more wealth and possessions doesn’t improve our well-being. These things have value, but overestimating their importance and making them the main goal of our lives is a mistake.

We always believe that this or that will finally make us happy. We chase after it desperately. When we finally get it, we’re so disappointed.

Haven’t you felt it? That emptiness, even after you’ve achieved what you thought would finally make you happy?

Do we even know what makes us happy anymore?

If even success leaves us empty, what will truly fill us?

The Collapse of Meaning

Worse still, our society feeds us contradictions. One moment, they say we don’t need anyone—that we can do everything on our own—that we can create our own reality. Then, the next moment, they claim none of our problems are our fault—that it’s all out of our control—that it’s someone else’s fault. The post-Christian West constantly promotes contradictory and self-defeating “truths,” while at the same time claiming that truth doesn’t even exist! Western society offers nothing but contradiction and confusion.

No wonder we’re so confused.

Indeed, as people in Western society pick and choose from different and often conflicting belief systems, contradiction and confusion remain the two constants we can rely on. The Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University found that “[t]he overwhelming majority of American adults—92%—embrace a worldview known as syncretism—a fusion of disparate ideologies, beliefs, behaviors, and principles culled from a variety of competing worldviews into a customized blend.” Many of these individuals consume large amounts of secular humanism and postmodernism with a hint of Christianity. And even that hint of Christianity is usually in the watered-down form of moralistic therapeutic deism. Furthermore, given the prevalence of relativism in this mix, the most foolish ideas are accorded the same credibility as the most profound and time-honored.

As a society, we can hardly say we believe in anything at this point. In fact, we should probably question whether we even qualify as a society. Dominant cultural expectations usually influence societies; however, these do not influence us. We completely lack them!

It’s clear why life feels broken now—why we no longer understand what life is about. Our cultural values have been discarded, leaving us spiritually impoverished. Indeed, this affects you and me as well.

If modern life is so confused, where can we find clarity?   

The Return to Tradition

Young adults are waking up to this chaos! Many are actively seeking answers! However, they are not adopting new philosophies or the latest trends; instead, they are turning back to traditional religions (Pew Research Center).

Why? Because they recognize that modern life doesn’t work.

Young adults, like all of us, need meaning and stability in their lives. There is nothing for them to hold on to in a society hemorrhaging political, cultural, and economic chaos. Truth is hard to find, and many say it doesn’t exist. Virtue is even harder to find, and the very idea repulses many. The big questions of life are ignored or dismissed. Traditional religion provides time-tested answers, absolute truth, and clear moral teachings that secular ideologies cannot. It answers the big questions of life.

Young people also see that many of their peers are so individualistic that they focus only on their own achievements and interests. Similarly, they are so self-reliant that they refuse help or advice from anyone. They increasingly isolate themselves, even as they fill their social calendars with endless and questionable activities. Traditional religion emphasizes sacrifice, transcendence, and a shared purpose beyond oneself. It introduces them to a life much bigger than themselves.

Connected to this hyper-individualism is a deep desire for community and belonging. Modern relationships are often superficial and unhealthy, leaving people longing for authentic connection. Traditional religious communities provide genuine fellowship, support across generations, and meaningful in-person gatherings.

Globalization and secular culture have also alienated young adults from their local traditions and national identity. These forces disparage everything passed down from previous generations, sowing confusion and division. Secular education and media indoctrinate young people in a worldview that vehemently rejects everything Western society was founded on. Traditional religion restores cultural pride, provides stability, and even counters relativism, consumerism, and many modern social ills.

Additionally, traditional religions are entering the digital world. Faith leaders are connecting with young audiences through podcasts, YouTube, and social media, bringing age-old teachings to life in new and relatable ways. They’re sharing rituals, sacred music, and timeless messages that help young adults deepen their spiritual experience.

These young people aren’t just looking to the past because they’re feeling nostalgic; they’re on a quest to find wisdom that seems to have been lost in today’s society. This generation understands that tradition may provide the solid guide needed to move confidently into the future.

Can’t you identify with these young people? Aren’t you and I on the same journey?

Which Tradition?

We can now see that traditional religion serves as an antidote to modern secularism and the syncretism it has spurred. However, a big question remains:

Which traditional religion should one choose?

Before our current dilemma, most of the world saw Western society as a beacon of hope for others. Leaders in developing countries often aspired to the rights, freedoms, and prosperity associated with Western nations.

The preamble to the United States Declaration of Independence offers clear insight into this: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” In human history, none of these truths had been self-evident before Jesus Christ. Indeed, Christianity instilled these revolutionary values in humanity, and only Christianity could preserve them. It is precisely the great turning away from Christianity in the West that has made these foundational declarations seem absurd to many modern Westerners!

Secularism quietly waged war on Christianity and now stands at the precipice of total victory. Enjoying an overwhelming influence, it has rewritten history—exaggerating and even fabricating the evils committed by Christianity while downplaying the problems caused by secularism. Secularism used the education system to indoctrinate new generations into its worldview—college graduates are often the most indoctrinated and intolerant. Christianity allowed this assault in the name of the very tolerance and freedom it had championed. Secularism advanced while many Christians remained silent, unsure how to respond. Now dominating the West, secularism denies Christianity the very freedoms it once used to overpower it. We have all witnessed this. It cannot be denied.

Now it’s time to recognize what has happened and join the many young adults fighting the counterrevolution. And once we understand what Christianity has done for the world and what it can do again, it becomes clear that Christianity is the traditional religion Western society needs to embrace once more.

Which Christianity?

Christianity is as fragmented and compromised as the rest of Western society. How can it present a united front against this modern crisis? And exactly which “flavor” of Christianity can rise to the challenge?

Much of Christianity has increasingly fallen victim to the relentless pressure of secularism. Protestantism has often surrendered to secular demands, adopting the syncretism discussed earlier. Evangelical Protestants claim to be faithful and often distinguish themselves from mainstream Protestants; however, many evangelicals eventually give in to syncretism as well. According to research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, only about one-third of evangelicals have a biblical worldview. The study found that many evangelicals struggle to apply core biblical principles to daily life and are more influenced by culture than by biblical teachings.

The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches resist doctrinal corruption much better than Protestants. Both cherish a teaching authority handed down by the apostles, which they believe is unchangeable. In contrast, Protestantism has no solid claim to apostolic teaching authority or tradition. It is not the faith of the early church. While we certainly recognize that Protestantism does form living, growing disciples of Jesus Christ, we assert that Christianity needs a unified and authoritative church to effectively safeguard Christ’s truth and counter the onslaught of secularism and its offspring, syncretism. 

Of course, we are not suggesting that members of these more traditional churches are immune to all this social chaos. These secular and globalist forces have also influenced members of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches in the West. Some Catholics even claim they will eventually change what the Church has consistently declared to be unchangeable. Nevertheless, this has not happened and will not occur.

At this point, we must recognize that the radical traditionalists (“rad trads”) are often just as problematic for church unity and faithfulness as the “progressive” secularists—both the far right and the far left encounter significant challenges in honestly professing and living the Gospel.

 Let us not digress any further. The point is that only the two ancient churches have the tradition and authority to withstand the social upheaval we are facing. Indeed, few Protestant denominations would even claim to be “traditional religion,” and those that do have failed to safeguard the unchangeable tenets of Christianity. While many groups within Protestantism have remained more faithful to Christ than many within Catholicism and Orthodoxy, this does not alter the overall unreliability and precariousness of Protestantism as a whole.

While many Protestants deeply love Christ and live faithful lives, their communities lack the unity and unbroken teaching required. All those tens of thousands of Protestant camps may effectively win battles here and there; however, they lack the consolidated troops and clear objectives necessary to win the war.

So, we see that the two ancient churches represent our best hope, but how should we choose between them? Well, we must look for the ancient marks of the true church.

                                 The Four Marks

The Nicene Creed professes the Church as One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic—the four essential marks of Christ’s true Church. These marks received their doctrinal form in 381 A.D. at the First Council of Constantinople. The ideas behind these marks originated in 2nd-century writings by Ignatius of Antioch and were developed in response to heresies. Both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches claim to embody these marks. However, only the Roman Catholic Church fully and visibly fulfills them.

One: Catholicism is unified under the authority of the Pope, the successor of Peter. It maintains visible and doctrinal unity across nations, cultures, and centuries.

Orthodoxy comprises self-governing national churches such as the Greek, Russian, and Serbian Orthodox Churches. There is no central authority; instead, there is only a loose cooperation. Its unity is fractured. Moreover, political and cultural conflicts, such as the Russian-Ukrainian schism, further exacerbate divisions.

Holy: Catholicism is holy. Holiness flows from Christ Himself, through the sacraments and the teaching authority safeguarded by the Magisterium. Saints and martyrs across centuries testify to her sanctity. Even with sinful members, the Church’s doctrine remains uncorrupted.

While Orthodoxy preserves much of the same sacramental life and holiness as Catholicism, it lacks a unified authority to safeguard doctrine consistently across all jurisdictions. This disunity weakens its witness of holiness in the world.

Catholic (Universal): Catholicism, present in every nation, culture, and language, is truly universal—truly catholic. It is missionary by nature, transcending ethnicity and nationality. It welcomes all people as one family under God.

Orthodoxy is primarily organized along ethnic and national lines—Greek, Russian, Serbian, and others. It has strong local traditions but a limited worldwide presence. It is more regional than universal, often bound by culture rather than transcending it.

Apostolic: Catholicism has a clear line of apostolic succession through the bishops in communion with the Pope. The Magisterium safeguards and interprets the Deposit of Faith without error, and it defines doctrine when needed, such as through councils or papal declarations.

While Orthodoxy maintains apostolic succession in bishops and sacraments, it lacks a universal teaching authority to settle disputes. Doctrinal clarity is weakened without a final arbiter.

Okay, we’ve covered all four marks of the true church.

While the Orthodox Church preserves much of the ancient Christian faith, it falls short of the Four Marks due to its many divisions and lack of universal authority. The Roman Catholic Church alone is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic in its fullest sense. The evidence for the true Church founded by Christ unmistakably points to Rome.

Certainly, as with our Protestant brothers, we acknowledge that the Eastern Orthodox Church produces living, growing disciples of Christ. We also admit that the Eastern churches have often suffered less from secularism and other issues affecting the West.

Naturally, this is another reason Catholicism is better suited to handle this conflict: it is much more established in the West and better positioned to lead it. 

Syncretism vs Catholicism 

OK, the battle lines are drawn. Are you ready to examine how the dominant worldview of the West stacks up against Roman Catholicism?

Me too!

But first, we need to clarify a few points.

Modern secularism has many labels and forms; however, we will focus on the syncretism discussed earlier, which is currently the dominant viewpoint in the West.

Additionally, we must recognize that this comparison has a few limitations. First, syncretism naturally resists broad generalizations, yet we need to make generalizations to compare the two worldviews. These generalizations of syncretism will inevitably favor secularism over any diluted form of Christianity. Second, even the clearly defined Catholic worldview is complicated by the fact that many practicing Catholics share much of the syncretic worldview we aim to contrast with Catholicism. Therefore, for clarity, we will compare secular-leaning generalizations of syncretism with the ideal and pure worldview of Catholicism. We also acknowledge that Eastern Orthodoxy and much of Protestantism can similarly be compared to syncretism. Indeed, all Christians need to join forces in our efforts to win the world for Christ.

Sorry for the digression. We’re aiming for fairness. Now, let us move on to compare syncretism with the Roman Catholic worldview.  

• God: Syncretism generally implies that God either does not exist or is irrelevant to our personal lives, even if He does exist. Catholicism affirms that God exists, that He knows and loves us, and that He desires us to know and love Him.
• Truth: Syncretism often claims that there is no truth or purpose beyond what we choose to believe. Catholicism asserts that absolute truth exists and that Jesus revealed it to us. Jesus taught that we were created to know and love God above all else and to love others as we love ourselves.
• Community: Syncretism often implies that the state will provide what we need, leading us to believe that community or even family is not genuinely necessary. Catholicism teaches that God provides what we need and that community and family are crucial not only for being human but also for being raised and nurtured as children of God.
• Freedom: Syncretism claims to varying degrees that we have license to do anything we want, regardless of how self-destructive it may be or who it harms indirectly. Catholicism teaches that true freedom is freedom from vice and addiction, freedom from sin and unhealthy attachments; that we are free to do good, and free to know and love God.
• Grand Narrative: Syncretism often views tolerance as the only grand narrative, implying that faith and value systems are, by definition, intolerant. Catholicism states that God provides the grand narrative that makes sense of everything; central to this narrative is the belief that our designer knows what’s best for us—His ways are what’s best for us.
• Hope: Syncretism offers little hope, only indulgence. The well-being of people in the West is declining in real time; our over-indulgence only accelerates the decline. Catholicism offers the ultimate hope—hope in a divine relationship that can be largely realized in this life if we are willing to sacrifice our indulgences and seek it.
• Love: Syncretism often avoids sacrificial love and sometimes even denies its existence; it encourages us to take what we want and do what benefits us. Catholicism affirms that genuine love exists and is the very essence of God. It understands that true love involves sacrificing for the beloved, and that this sacrificial love is at the heart of everything.
• Beauty, Peace, and Joy: Syncretism struggles to understand these concepts—focusing instead on pleasure. Catholicism teaches that all beauty reflects our Creator and points to Him, that peace comes only through trusting in Him, and that joy arises from knowing Him and doing His will.

And there you have it.

The Catholic worldview is clearly more attractive to people of goodwill. It provides genuine hope and the real path to happiness and fulfillment. More importantly, it is the true way to peace, joy, and love. It has worked for billions of people for over two thousand years. Catholicism is the remedy for what ails the West.

Avoiding Counterfeits

But let’s be clear: being baptized Catholic and attending Sunday Mass doesn’t mean you’ve embraced this worldview. Many Catholics have slipped into “Catholic Lite”—a cultural heritage with little influence on their daily lives. Cafeteria Catholicism, moralistic therapeutic deism, and other watered-down versions are counterfeit forms. Yes, they are those syncretic Catholics that we keep alluding to! They lack the power, truth, and hope of authentic Catholicism.

So, if you want to get the most out of life, you need to rediscover—not a new religion or a custom-made belief system, but the full, untainted Catholic worldview that has withstood the test of time.

That’s where we’re heading next.

To Getting The Most Out of Catholicism →

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Questions to Contemplate

1. The False Promises of Modern Life – What promises does Western culture make about happiness, and why do they fail to satisfy? How does the confusion of contradictory worldviews and syncretism contribute to this emptiness? Have you personally experienced the letdown of chasing something the world promised would fulfill you? What happened?
2. The Search for Meaning Among the Young – Why are many young adults turning to traditional religion rather than new philosophies or trends? How does traditional religion offer meaning, community, and stability that secular culture cannot? In your experience, what are young people around you really longing for? Where do you see them searching for it?
3. Christianity as the Answer – What role did Christianity play in shaping the values of freedom, equality, and dignity in Western society? Why does the chapter argue that secularism has undermined Christianity’s influence and distorted its contributions? Do you think Christianity is still needed as the foundation of society today? Why or why not?
4. The Church That Can Withstand Secularism – Why does Protestantism mightily struggle with division and secularism, while Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy resist these more effectively? How do the Four Marks of the Church—One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic—point specifically to the Catholic Church as the true Church? Which of the Four Marks speaks most strongly to you, and how does it shape your understanding of your own faith?
5. Catholicism vs Syncretism – What are the key differences between Catholicism and syncretism in how they view God, truth, freedom, and community? Why does Catholicism offer hope, love, and joy where syncretism only offers indulgence and confusion? Which of these contrasts feels most relevant to your own life or to people you know, and why?