Why We Should Value Western Culture—and Stand Up to Those Trying to Tear It Down

By Dr. Tim Orr

On October 7, the world witnessed not only a horrific act of terror but also a stark revelation of two powerful forces working to undermine Western civilization: global Islamism and global progressivism. While Hamas’s attack on Israel was the physical manifestation of an ideology rooted in religious totalitarianism, the reactions on Western college campuses—where students and faculty celebrated or justified the violence—exposed a deeper ideological alignment. Global Islamism, with its rejection of individual freedom, democracy, and human dignity, finds a disturbing ally in global progressivism, a movement that portrays Western civilization as inherently oppressive and corrupt. Together, these forces share a common goal: to dismantle the values of truth, liberty, and human worth that form the bedrock of Western culture. What happened on October 7 was not just a geopolitical event; it was a cultural and ideological turning point that revealed the dangerous convergence of these two movements and the urgent need to defend the foundations of the West.

Western Civilization: A Story Worth Defending

Western civilization is one of humanity's greatest stories—a story of faith, reason, and perseverance coming together to build societies rooted in freedom, human dignity, and progress. At its heart lies a unique foundation: the fusion of the Judeo-Christian worldview, which teaches that every human being possesses inherent worth, and the intellectual legacy of ancient Greece and Rome, which gave us the tools of critical inquiry, the rule of law, and the framework for democracy. These two great streams of thought converged to shape the world as we know it.

Because of this foundation, Western civilization has achieved remarkable milestones. It gave us democracy, where ordinary people have a voice in their governance. It gave us science and technology, lifting billions of poverty, ignorance, and suffering. It gave us art and culture that stir the soul—cathedrals that reach toward heaven, Michelangelo’s masterpieces, Shakespeare’s enduring words, and Bach’s transcendent music. Most profoundly, it gave us the revolutionary belief that every person matters, regardless of race, gender, or social status. This idea—that human beings are created with value and purpose—changed the course of history.

But today, this story is in danger of being forgotten. Western civilization is too often reduced to a punchline or cast as something shameful. Many focus solely on the West’s failures—slavery, colonialism, and inequality—and overlook its unparalleled achievements. These wrongs are real, but what makes the West unique is its capacity to confront its failures and reform itself.

The same principles used to critique the West—freedom, justice, and equality—are products of the very civilization being attacked. Critics rely on tools that the West itself created to address injustice. If we lose sight of this remarkable capacity for self-correction, we will not create a better world. Instead, we risk descending into division, chaos, and stagnation.

The Pursuit of Truth: The Cornerstone of the West

If one value defines Western civilization, it is the pursuit of truth. This journey began with the ancient Greeks, who dared to ask the fundamental questions of life: What is justice? What is the good life? What is reality? Socrates famously declared, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” believing that truth was worth seeking, even at the cost of his comfort, reputation, and, ultimately, his life. Plato and Aristotle carried on this legacy, laying the groundwork for modern science, logic, and philosophy.

The Judeo-Christian tradition added a profound dimension to this quest for truth. It taught that truth is not merely discovered but revealed by a Creator who brought order, purpose, and meaning to the universe. This conviction in a rational, intelligible world laid the foundation for the Scientific Revolution. Men like Galileo, Kepler, and Newton explored the universe because of their faith, not despite it. They believed the natural world could be understood because it was designed by a rational God (Hannam, 2011).

Today, however, the very concept of truth is under siege. Postmodern thought has replaced objective truth with subjective relativism—“my truth” and “your truth”—as though truth can be molded to individual preferences. This shift has consequences: when truth becomes subjective, justice becomes impossible. We cannot build trust, pursue progress, or even have meaningful dialogue without truth. Instead, society fractures into competing tribes driven by power and emotion.

The West gave us a framework for seeking truth through reason, inquiry, and faith. Defending this foundation is vital because, without it, progress grinds to a halt. Truth matters—for science, for politics, and for life itself.

Human Dignity: The Idea That Transformed the World

One of Western civilization’s greatest contributions is the recognition of human dignity. In the ancient world, wealth, power, or utility often determined human worth. Slaves, women, and outsiders were treated as disposable instruments of empire. Then came the radical teaching of the Bible: “God created mankind in His own image” (Genesis 1:27). This idea—the Imago Dei—declared that every human being possesses inherent value, not because of status or ability, but because they are created in the image of God (Keller, 2012).

This moral vision became the foundation for movements that changed history. It inspired William Wilberforce and the fight to abolish the slave trade in Britain. It fueled Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership of the civil rights movement, where he appealed to biblical justice and the equality of all people. It laid the groundwork for human rights, democracy, and equality before the law—principles that we now take for granted but owe to the moral heritage of the West.

Critics of the West point to its failures—and they are right to do so. Racism, oppression, and injustice have marred its history. But here lies the difference: the West’s moral framework allows it to recognize these failures and strive for justice. Societies that reject the belief in individual dignity have often devolved into systems where people are treated as tools of the state, ideology, or religion.

Today, collectivist ideologies threaten to erode this foundation. Whether it’s Marxism, which divides humanity into oppressors and oppressed, or political Islamism, which demands conformity, these worldviews reduce individuals to categories, denying their unique worth. Western civilization’s defense of the individual—of human dignity—is not just a legacy worth celebrating; it is a gift the world desperately needs.

Beauty: A Glimpse of the Divine

Western civilization has long understood something we are in danger of forgetting: beauty matters. Beauty is not mere decoration but a reflection of truth and meaning. It points us toward something greater than ourselves, something transcendent. That’s why the great cathedrals of Europe soar toward the heavens with intricate stained glass and breathtaking architecture. It’s why Michelangelo’s sculptures seem to possess a life of their own. This is why Bach’s music inspired awe centuries later (Scruton, 2009).

These works were not created to impress or entertain. They were born from the belief that life has a purpose and that beauty reflects the divine. For centuries, beauty lifted hearts and minds, reminding humanity of what is good, true, and eternal.

Today, much of modern culture has turned its back on beauty. Art is often replaced with cynicism and shock value. A golden toilet displayed as “art” in a prestigious gallery tells us something disturbing: our culture no longer aspires to inspire. Instead of elevating the soul, modern art too often degrades, mocks, and tears down.

Beauty matters because it connects us to something deeper. It inspires us to hope, believe, and create. A culture that abandons beauty loses part of its soul. If we want to revive our society, we must reclaim beauty—not just in art but in how we live, work, and worship.

Why This Matters Now

Defending Western civilization is not about blind pride or ignoring its flaws. It’s about recognizing its extraordinary contributions and understanding what’s at stake if we let them slip away.

• Without truth, trust and progress collapse.
• Without human dignity, individuals are reduced to tools of power.
• Without beauty, we lose hope, inspiration, and meaning.

Western civilization gave the world a framework for freedom, justice, and human flourishing. These are not merely Western values—they are human values. But they are fragile. They did not emerge by accident and will not survive without effort.

The question is simple: Who will if we don’t stand up for the West? Let us honor its legacy, learn from its failures, and ensure that its story continues—for us and future generations. A world without the values of Western civilization would be a darker, poorer, and less free world.

Let’s defend the West—not as perfect, but as worth preserving. For in its story lies the promise of truth, dignity, and beauty—a promise still worth fighting for.

References

Hannam, J. (2011). The Genesis of Science: How the Christian Middle Ages Launched the Scientific Revolution. Regnery Publishing.

Keller, T. (2012). The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. Riverhead Books.

Scruton, R. (2009). Beauty: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press

Tim Orr is a scholar of Islam, Evangelical minister, conference speaker, and interfaith consultant with over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry. He holds six degrees, including a master’s in Islamic studies from the Islamic College in London. Tim taught Religious Studies for 15 years at Indiana University Columbus and is now a Congregations and Polarization Project research associate at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. He has spoken at universities, including Oxford University, Imperial College London, the University of Tehran, Islamic College London, and mosques throughout the U.K. His research focuses on American Evangelicalism, Islamic antisemitism, and Islamic feminism, and he has published widely, including articles in Islamic peer-reviewed journals and three books.