SPECIAL SERIES:
Modern Controversies Facing the Believer
By Ney Rieber
Christians are in the middle of a war, a war that has opened up on a new front for us today. We have long recognized Satan as our arch enemy, and accept the warning that he is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Today he has a new tactic, based upon the old principle of peer pressure and our need to be like those around us. Some term the war we are in "Cultural War."
Cultural wars? What are they? Cultural war is a conflict between the former, traditional American value system based upon the Judaeo-Christian ethic and the humanistic "man is the center of all things" ethic. It is the conflict between an objective standard of truth and a subjective standard of truth. This cultural war is the seed bed of Politically Correct thinking.
The Cultural Wars began with the philosophical perception that true enlightenment may be achieved through human reason. However, as soon as one philosopher presented a method to arrive at enlightenment, another came and discredited it. Soon, philosophers decided that there was no "objective" truth, so everything became subjective. What was true for one person may not be true for another. Their conclusion is that there is no universal truth. They contend that there is no objective standard of right and wrong. The wisdom of men of our day declares that each man is his own standard and none should stand in judgment on that standard. This is in marked contrast to the teaching of God. Consider a few passages.
A proclamation banning "inappropriately directed laughter" and "conspicuous exclusion of students from conversations," was issued at the University of Connecticut.
A controversy erupted at Harvard Law School when Ian MacNeil, a visiting professor, quoted Lord Byron: "And whispering, 'I will ne'er consent' -consented." The Harvard Women's Law Association was offended and denounced it as a "sexist insult."
Professor Stephan Thernstrom, a distinguished professor of history at Harvard, was forced to drop an undergraduate course after he was harassed because he used the term "Indian" instead of "Native American."
During the Persian Gulf War, officials at the University of Maryland asked students not to hang American flags and pro-war banners from their dorm windows. "This is a very diverse community, and what may be innocent to one person may be insulting to another," according to Jan Davidson, a University of Maryland Official.
Many perceive the Confederate Battle Flag as an offensive symbol of repression of blacks, so it is being forbidden to be flown in may states.
The "Tomahawk Chop" is an insensitive gesture that is demeaning to "Native Americans."
Using names like Indians, Braves, and Warriors, for athletic teams is insensitive.
The National Council of Churches has recommended that the 500th anniversary of Columbus discovery of America be a time of "repentance" for starting "centuries of genocide."
Freshmen cannot be called freshmen, because that has "gender specific" connotations. Must be called "new students."
The nickname "Ragin' Cajuns" was attacked because it was claimed that "Ragin" spelled backwards was a racial slur.
When the NCAA endeavored to set minimum academic standards for athletes, they were charged with a "covert racist agenda." John Thompson, Georgetown basketball coach walked off court during a game to protest the "racist" policy.
Peter Jones, in his book, THE GNOSTIC EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, (P.#3). states, "America is still number one, but unfortunately she is number one in homosexuality, feminism, divorce, the destruction of family values, abortion, political correctness, and the occult humanistic spirituality of New Age religion."
In THE CULTURAL CHURCH, p.#77 LaGard Smith, says, "'Political correctness' is nothing more than a benign catch phrase for 'the liberal agenda.' In other words, you and I have to toe the liberal line on issues like abortion, gay rights, and radical feminism, or else be reported to the sensitivity police for being intolerant."
Tom Olbricht of Peperdine University, in a personal response to my request for a definition of "political correctness" wrote, "It means to be proactive with the current cutting edge consensus (whatever or whoever that is, perhaps best represented by the left wing media trend setters) in conception and vocabulary in respect to ethnicity, cultural diversity, and gender."
William J. Bennet, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency under President Reagan, in his book, The De-Valuing of America, declared, "Politically Correct" thinking is the term given to the political orthodoxy that is pervasive on many college campuses. It insists that students be "politically correct" -meaning left wing- in speech and opinion, particularly on issues having to do with homosexuality, feminism, race, "Eurocentrism," "colonialism," and the like. In reality, it is an academic thought police, the new McCarthyism of the left."
Just as Rod Serling warned you about entering the Twilight Zone, when you encounter any of the concepts or terms listed below, be aware that you are entering the PC Zone and that reality will not be what it has always been. It will be subtlety distorted so that right is defined as wrong, and wrong is defined as right. Bear in mind God's warning against such people in Isaiah and Malachi.
Isaiah 5:20-21: 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Malachi 2:17: Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? (KJV).
Some of the politically correct terms and buzz words are:
Political Correctness has had such wide-spread and rapid acceptance because of those who promote it. They are the liberal minded who are in positions of influence and power. They are primarily in academia, the news media, Hollywood, and political offices. As such, their voices have access to tools and techniques to promote their agenda. In spite of the massive re-education efforts made by those advocating political correctness, Americans are beginning to see the fallacy of the concepts. William Bennet, in The De-Valuing of America, page 174, said "Left-wing academics have so publicly offended common sense that the American people now react to them not only with outrage, but also with ridicule."
Here are some of the problems political correctness has in convincing thinking people of its validity.
 | Standardized educational testing has been challenged as being "culturally biased" toward the white middle class so that black students do not have a fair chance. There is a significant problem with that analysis. Non-white, Asian students do better than white middle class Americans. |
| Political correctness challenges anyone who says "I am right." or who takes a position that is in any way critical of others as being the only sin. Politically correct thinking is tolerant of every one and every thing, with the exception of the traditional standards and practices that made this country great. |
| Microsoft has been reported to have developed a "political correctness" grammar checker that will enable you to purge all incorrect language from a document. Again, there are some dilemmas they face. |
| In India, the multiculturists have a huge dilemma. Someone from one culture cannot judge someone from another culture. Black, Native American, Oriental, all cultural perspectives are valid and true for that culture. The pro-abortionists applaud the right women have for abortion. The use of high tech to determine the sex of the child in the womb has led to massive abortion of "girl" fetuses because of the "cultural" bias for male children. The "feminists" deplore this situation. Their culture is OK. Abortion is OK. A cultural bias for the abortion of girl babies is...... They have a dilemma! |
"For supposedly noble reasons - including the wish to instill ethnic and racial pride - universities are drawing more and more attention to race. Increasingly we've gone from putting a premium on being color-blind to putting a premium on being color conscious." William Bennet, The De-Valuing of America, p 184
Blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities, under the guise of cultural heritage and racial pride are being encouraged to seek "separate but equal" facilities in all walks of life. Literature is now judged on the race and gender of its author rather than the quality of writing. History is being re written with and Afro-centrism bias, that everything good originates out of Africa and is "black." Abraham, Isaac, and Jesus were black. The reason Joseph and Mary were turned away from the inn was that they were black. Eli Whitney was black. Beethoven was black. Robert Browning was black. This is not a joke, but what many are advocating.
History is being placed under the rule of subjectivism, so that some are now are advocating that the "Holocaust" never occurred, and want to re-write the history books to reflect this opinion.
Everyone is either the descendant of a victim or the descendant of an oppressor. As such, the descendants of victims are due some recompense, and the descendants of the oppressors are to be held liable.
Political Correctness has become a bastion for ignorance and misinformation.
It is important for those who would serve God to respect who and what is deserving of respect for the reason they are due the respect. Romans 13:7 tells us: "Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Compare the different responses of Bork and Clarence Thomas to the challenges made to them as to their worthiness to sit on the Supreme Court. The outcomes were extremely different. Clarence Thomas challenged the politically correct challenges openly and publicly. He won! There may be a lesson there for how to deal with politically correct challenges.
Expose the arguments to public examination. Do not flee. In fact, do just the opposite. James writes, in James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." One of the best ways to resist sin is to correctly label it. Issues such as Pro-choice are in reality, Pro-Abortion. Focus the thought on the real issue, not the straw-man erected by the politically correct faction.
Apply the Biblical response to issues such as political correctness.
Proverbs 24:24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: 25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
Malachi 2:17 Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?
Neither favor nor slight anyone because of race, color, national origin, religion, or gender.
Proverbs 22:2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.
James 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Acts 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
DON'T EVER FORGET THAT THERE IS AN OBJECTIVE STANDARD OF TRUTH. THAT STANDARD IS THE BIBLE, GOD'S WORD.
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