"There's a big difference between influencing culture and reflecting it. In many cases the Church tends to reflect the local prejudices and biases much more than influence and change them."(R.Rohr "Radical Grace" p. 324)
I have encountered folks within faith communities who use this very argument against each other. You can take any issue pretty much and each side will claim it is speaking against culture, while accusing the other of reflecting or accommodating.
I find it to be true that my own biases are what I tend to be more interested in promoting. It is also true that who is defining what the culture is plays a huge role in whether I believe I'm reflecting or challenging the norms.
I do think there are instances where we must adapt to the culture that we find ourselves in. We should take the time to decide whether that new norm is actually healthy and for the greater good, before endorsing it. We may also want to make sure that we don't have to sell out all of our values in order to reflect culture.
There are things going on in our world to which people of faith ought to rise up and challenge. Faith communities at their best have done this. At their worst, they fall into the trap of aiding and abetting some real evil.
As a person of faith, I can't realistically separate that part of my life from the other parts. They operate as a collective whole. Sometimes challenging the status quo, other times fitting in. The really shocking thing is when that faith challenges me and my own biases that have very little to do with my faith.
Blessings,
Ed
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