Against the Flow: The Inspiration of Daniel in an Age of Relativism Daniel’s story is one of extraordinary faith in God lived out at the pinnacle of executive power. Daniel and his friends did not simply maintain their private devotion to God; they maintained a high-profile witness in a pluralistic society antagonistic to their faith. That is why their story has such a powerful message for us. Society tolerates the practice of Christianity in private and in church services, but it increasingly deprecates public witness. What was it that gave Daniel and his three friends the strength and conviction to be prepared, often at great risk, to swim against the flow?