Monday, March 9, 2020

When truth becomes an insult ...

“The truth has become an insult.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This is strictly politics; however, politics need not be bad. I think that in a democracy we as Christians should be involved. To what extent and how is up for grabs, and I don’t pretend to have all the answers. The principle of purpose, however, is the Golden Rule with love as foundational in all things political.  Not just any love, but the love of Christ. Do I hear an amen?


Racism is absolutely an anathema for any sensible Christian. The highly controversial border wall may be practical, but practical is not what we are called to be. We are called to be Christians, that is followers of Christ, who said,
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these(Matt. 19:14).”

Now, that being the case, can we say any less? James also reminds us that
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27 NJKV).”

A heart of love does not stop at the border, it penetrates such barriers. As Christians we are not called to be pragmatists, we are called to be disciples, wall or no wall.

On another matter altogether. Have you noticed that Russia is the new convenient boogey-man? Poor old Devil seems to have been robbed of his power to influence elections. May I remind us that it has not been Russia that convinced a predominantly depraved majority in congress to sit sidesaddle on antiabortion legislation, or compassionate health care for all, or the means to afford a college education without having to hock the family farm, and a host of other issues. These are the issues that are driving the political process, and, may I say, selfishness underlines most of the decisions. Now, mind you, I am aware that there are grey areas there, but we are also called to deal with grey areas as Christians.

As for me, I am a conservative, that is, Jesus is always, hopefully, my default position. Not so with the politically correct crowd. The default position there is, “I decide what is right and wrong, and if we disagree, I will do my best to expose you for the hypocrite that you are!” The problem is the ways of men and God are not always the same. Besides that, there are times (since they have highjacked the English language) that I am so confused that I am at odds with what to say, and how to say it without offending one of them. Words like: race, gender, marriage, truth, and a host of others have been so morphed by the politically correct crowd that I had just as soon not talk to most of them, particularly when they get up on their high and mighty soapbox. Now, granted I don’t have a hold on the way words are used, but neither do they.

Furthermore, to take a good honest jab at these purveyors of insanity I don’t see any Godly value it surgically mutilating a male into a female, particularly when they haven’t even reached puberty yet. Nor do I feel comfortable with calling she, he or he, she just because they loath their birth gender. Makes about as much sense as one young college student that insisted that her classmates address her as “Hippo” since that is the species with which she had a kindred spirit. No, she wasn’t overweight, just felt that she was meant to be a hippopotamus, and somehow nature got things all mixed up and put her in the wrong body.  Now, mind you she was dead serious, so much so, that college administration had to call a high-level staff meeting and consult with the ethics committed to determine whether the law or moral ethics was broken if they choose not to honor her kookiness. Sympathy, yes, or perhaps pity, but as far as I am concerned, this is carrying things a bit too far. The girl needs help, not validation.

So, much for commonsense. By-the-way, were is Isaiah when we need him? He hit the politically correct response right on the head when he wrote:
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter (Isaiah 5:20).”

Shame on us, if we don’t shout a loud amen in response to the words of this ancient prophet, who was truly a friend of God. Now, as far as I am concerned political correctness is much more harmful to our society than haggling over banning assault rifles before even deciding what an assault rifle is. Now, mind you, I am not an NRA guy, nor do I own a gun—never have, and suppose that I never will. But I do have a tongue and I reserve the right to use it as an expression of love as long as I live. Otherwise, to pot with the politically correct crowd.

As with the Apostle Peter and those early apostles,
“We (too) must obey God rather than men (Acts 5;29)."

 JimR_/

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