To Be PC or Not To Be

Political correctness has made monkeys of us all; a sort of reverse Darwinism (which I refute) where increasingly we are losing our ability to think for ourselves.  It permeates everything: our schools, our news, our politics and sadly, even our churches. I must confess, in some ways, it has even seeped into my thinking. And that’s the area I’d like to address, because I know other Christians have been affect, too, and that includes many pastors. In some ways, the Church has come to believe that the “unpardonable sin” mentioned in the Bible is “offending someone.” And because of this we hesitate to speak out.  We don’t talk about sin or God’s viewpoint of the world—that it’s fallen and needs a savior.  In fact, sin is often dismissed as a lack of self-esteem rather than a violation of God’s law. In this politically correct world, where we are so concerned about offending someone, it seems the only one we don’t mind offending is God Himself.

It’s hard to image anyone more politically incorrect than Jesus who called the religious leaders of His day “vipers” (Matthew 12:334) and “whitewashed sepulchers full of dead men’s bones.” (Matthew 23:27) And Christians are to emulate Christ.  But are we not to walk in love, one might ask?  Yes, we are commanded to do so.  Indeed, God is love.  It is the one characteristic that perhaps describes Him best.  But He is also Truth.  Thus, love and truth must, of necessity, go hand and hand. Love without truth becomes sloppy sentimentality. And truth without love is rigid legalism.

We all have an idea of what love is.  But what is truth, exactly?  Simple. It is what God says it is. It is what He has laid out in His Word.  In essence, it is Jesus Himself, the Word made flesh. And Jesus confirms it in His statement, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) On the other hand, truth is not what prevailing “political correctness” dictates. For today, those things the thought police deem correct, may very well be incorrect tomorrow. Jesus, on the other hand, never changes. He “is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Based on this it is easy to see that most times political correctness is neither love nor truth. Because it often borders the extreme and ridiculous, and flies in the face of common sense, it is incapable of offering us a true compass to which we can set our lives. Nor can it give us peace of mind or heart.

The Bible offers a stern caution.  It says, “Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil.” (Isaiah 5:20).  It also says that “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8)  We are called to have the mind of Christ. Not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12: 2)  I know I could use a little renewing right about now.

When the apostle Peter was told by the religious leaders not to speak in the name of Jesus, (Acts 4: 1-24) he asked them what is better, to obey man or God? And what were they ordering Peter to do, exactly?  Well, they were saying stop telling everyone who Jesus is, and what He did.  In short, stop proclaiming the message of salvation.

As more churches concentrate on entertainment and mocha lattes and watered down feel-good messages, we Christians must answer this same question for ourselves: Is it better to obey man or God?

Until next week,

Sylvia