Christianity has lost a lot of ground over the last few hundred years. It used to be the dominate force in western society but is slowly being replaced by secular thinking and the church is fading into the background.
The big traditional issues like blasphemy and heresy have been legislated away by laws encouraging religious freedom. Adultery and fornication have been reduced to civil issues or even become non issues. As have many of the Ten Commandment issues.
But for Christianity to retain it’s identity it needs causes to rally around.
Contraception, abortion and gay rights are not big Ten Commandment issues. But it’s not the issues themselves that are important. Rather it’s the unity of purpose that it gives the religious organization by pulling for a common cause. That is why we are hearing about them so much lately. Because these relatively minor religious issues are all that Christianity has left. The big issues have long ago been lost to the secular world.
Cultural assimilation and worldly knowledge are still the biggest threats to Christianity. Finding and fighting for a common cause is the best way for Christianity to preserve its identity and rally its followers. This unity is fundamental to it’s survival.
When these causes are eventually lost to the secular world what will the next campaign be? It will be about religious rights. They will be fighting for their very right to exist. We can already see this one coming.