This conflict
is nothing new. In the Old Testament the
children of Israel demanded from the Prophet Samuel that he find them a king to
rule them. Samuel tried to dissuade them,
but to no avail. The reason they so
wanted a king is telling. I Samuel 5:8
says, “…Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.". They wanted to be like everybody else. In the New Testament Jesus encountered
Political Correctness in the form of the religious leaders of the day. Several time in the Sermon on the Mount we
read Jesus’ words, “You have heard that it was said”. He is dealing with the political correctness
demanded from the people, by the religious leaders, that they comply with the
various opinions and interpretations forced on them..
The main
problem I see with political correctness is its tendency to change almost
daily. It is a perfect example of the
lack of wisdom expressed by James. In
James 1:5-8, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all
liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting,
for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For
let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a
double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (NKJV). Biblical Correctness represents “Wisdom”,
where Political Correctness represents “Doubt”.
The first is rock solid, the second is unstable, wavering, wind-blown.
Consider
the example of civil rights in the United States. In 1760 it was PC for primarily white people
to OWN black human beings as they would cattle and horses. By 1860, the PC winds were shifting, and the
Union would soon be divided and at war over this very idea of human ownership. Move up to 1960 and blacks were more than
welcome to walk into Woolworths and spend their hard earned money on what they
could purchase at such an establishment
- Just don’t try and buy something
to eat or drink at the lunch counter of one of these stores.
Biblical
Correctness is rock solid. Psalm 119:89
says, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” (NKJV). Also consider I Peter 1:22 to 25, “Since you
have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere
love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been
born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God
which lives and abides forever, because "All flesh is as grass, and all
the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower
falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.'' (NKJV).
Political
Correctness is front page news. Consider
the question of homosexuality and same sex marriage. Both are currently accepted and defended as
simply an alternate life style choice.
Several states have already, or are considering, codifying the defense
of these into law. Many business owners,
against their own moral standards, have been legally forced to serve same sex
couples with such things as wedding preparations. However, as late as 1973 homosexuality was
recognized as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders produced by the American Psychiatric Association, and used
by mental health professionals as their primary criteria in diagnosis and
treatment. In 1975 the first homosexual
couple was featured on national television in a weekly series.
The BC
response to this is found in Romans 1: 18 to 27, “For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because
what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because,
although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but
became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and
changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible
man and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to
uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among
themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and
served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile
passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against
nature. Likewise also the men, leaving
the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with
men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of
their error which was due.”(NKJV)
The
Bible also gives the answer to homosexuality, and all sexual immorality. I Corinthians 7, verses 1 to 3 says, “Now
concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to
touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of
sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her
own husband. Let the husband render to
his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.”
(NKJV). Sexual Immorality includes any
sexual activity outside the bonds of holy matrimony, both homosexual and
heterosexual. The answer to the problem
is marriage between a man and a woman, pure and simple.
Consider
the ongoing debate on abortion, or a woman’s right to choose. Prior to 1973 abortion was legal in many
states, many of which set limits on the reasons for the abortion. In 1973 the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v.
Wade gave the right to all women to decide to terminate their pregnancy. From then on a woman was given the right to
choose any course of action. She could
have the baby. She could have the unborn
baby torn limb from limb. She could
choose to have the baby poisoned, virtually burned alive, by having saline
solution introduced into the womb. In a
worse-case scenario, she could give birth to the baby’s body, but while the
head was still in the womb have a sharp instrument rammed into the brain
cavity. The result has been 55 million
abortions in the USA since 1973. The
possible impact of this staggers the imagination.
The BC
point of view says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you
were born I sanctified you;…”(Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV). Psalm 139:13-16 expands on this, “For You
have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was
made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your
eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were
written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”(NKJV).
A third
PC subject is religious liberty in the United States. Our constitution says, “Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof;”. In some Florida
public schools Muhammed is taught to be God’s Messenger - my
question is Where Is Jesus? In Indiana
Muslims are allowed to evangelize and proselytize in the schools -
Where Is The Gospel? In Maryland
special accommodations are made for the Muslim Prayer time - When
Can Christian Kids Pray? In Tennessee
children, not just Muslim children, are taught the five pillars of Islam -
Where Is The Ten Commandments?
Frankly, we have to defend the rights of Muslims, and other religions,
to practice and promote their faith. But
shouldn’t we be afforded the same rights?
The BC
point of view is simple. John 14:6 says,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me.” (NKJV). In the Old
Testament the shrines and idols of other religions were torn down and
destroyed. Paul offers us this advice, “…whatever
you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to
the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all
things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be
saved.” (I Corinthians 10:31ff
NKJV). In other words, we don’t
have to participate in or condone these other religions, but we should not go
out of our way to offend those who do.
We are called to share the gospel of Jesus Christ; to plant the word and
trust the Father for its coming to fruition.
Ezekiel 33:8 and 9 say, “When I say to the wicked, `O wicked man, you
shall surely die!' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that
wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your
hand. Nevertheless if you warn the
wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in
his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.” (NKJV).
I would
be remiss if I did not offer some reminders to those who consider themselves to
be Biblically Correct already. First of
all, Paul reminds us of a couple Biblical truths in the book of Romans. Romans 3:23 says bluntly, “…for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” NKJV). He also tells us in Romans 6:23, “For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.”(NKJV). We are NO BETTER than the
homosexual, the abortion provider, the one who chose abortion, or anyone from
any other faith. They have the same
opportunity to be saved that we have already taken advantage of. Ephesians 2:1-8 tells us, “And you He made
alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all
once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the
others. But God, who is rich in mercy,
because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in
trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and
raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in
Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of
His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”(NKJV). God offers to ALL that gift of grace, and our
responsibility is to pass on that invitation as witnesses to the miracle of
salvation in our own lives. We have to
get our own hose in order by believing, confessing, repenting, and obeying in
baptism.
Dr. O
