While the title may seem to convey that I will be delving into the realm of racism, and also while I would love to relay my thoughts on the fact that in my not terribly short life I have known many racists and most of them have been people claiming to be victims of it. While peddlers of passionate movements are on my hit list for keeping hate alive in the claim of supposedly trying to end it… that is not what this will be about. Well, mostly.
This article is about manipulators of morality. In their own right they are peddlers of passion. Much like some of our current leaders in the US who scream racism at every opportunity, who remind everyone daily of the crimes our great, great, great, grandparents may have committed against their great, great, great grandparents. Usually all for the sake of the almighty dollar. Even after the U.S. elects its first black president, these peddlers continue to stoke the fires to keep their trade profitable.
As promised though, this is not about racism. It’s about morality in general. It’s about the practice of identifying niches, especially in religious circles, and stoking fires of passion. Of convincing people that this thing or that thing is a more abhorring sin or crime or evil. This is about the anti-christ.
Any of you who follow my other writings may have seen a recent rebuttal I published concerning using the term anti-christ lightly. The author, who happens to have lived a lifestyle for years doing some blatantly immoral things by Christian standards, and then, by claiming to be a Christian, also immoral by many other standards… this person attempted to write off any critic of their past behavior as the anti-christ. They were plainly and obviously just spewing in self-defense and trying to drag a bunch of sheep into their misery loving & misguided passions. Their claims simply went too far, but they were not entirely baseless. While recognizing sin as sin, and even saying it is so, is clearly not anti-christ, they got it half right.
The aforementioned author seems to be continuing to prepare her new niche field. The niche where he can claim that her lifestyle wasn’t all that bad and anyone who says it was is the anti-christ. Perhaps she will be successful in cultivating a crop in that field. Sheep have that habit of flocking together and going where they’re told, especially if they like the sounds of the person luring them. There’s a big market for this among those who have cheated on their spouse and want justification without repentance, or those who love the uninhibited sex encounter possibilities in the homosexual community more than they love Jesus, but they still want the promise of eternal life and heaven and angels that Jesus talked about. It may even resonate among some other more criminally and less generally acceptable versions of morality (or lack thereof in general of course). However, I hope to make a bit of an example of this author. Not in harsh judgment, but just leading to a larger picture. The world as we know it.
You see, there are a plethora of reports on the news every day. From Immigration laws in Arizona, to software copyright laws, to whether a veteran can put a flag in their window on veteran’s day. The US government will extradite Kenneth Schneider for paying a Russian dancer (in Russia) for sex, but will not clamp down on illegal pornography or immigration, or corruption… The list will make your head spin! There are more different opinions of ethics on this planet than there are people. Seriously…. many folks have multiple opinions on the same subject, which is evidenced by their inability to get their story straight & also their willingness to follow any pied piper playing a tune they like, wearing clothes they like, or that is just plain “cute”.
Have you seen the recent story from Malawi about the gay couple in prison? This is one to watch. Will giving an inch result in a mile? I don’t condone the legislated morality of a Muslim president, I also don’t accept the liberal “live-and-let-live” to the extent that causes politicians in charge of a city in California to legislate boycotts of Arizona to force their own ethic. Is that live-and-let-live? However, giving an inch of forgiveness, without repentance, turns into a mile of immorality in a way that our founders could never have imagined, and in the future even that we could not have. Malawi is quite intolerant, so what will be the consequence of the inch? Very curious.
This is the human condition. Since Cain killed Able, whether you believe that happened or not, mankind has searched for rock to build their houses on. Moral foundations that would hold up to any eventuality. Then came Jesus. Then came the Christ. Christ, who very plainly insisted that the woman caught in adultery (John chapter eight) should go and sin no more, but also who very plainly insisted that she was forgiven. Her repentance & His love was sufficient. That is the message of Christ.
So while there is a niche to be found among people who prefer John chapter 8, or many of the other examples where repentance and forgiveness are inseparable, to say “live and let live”. I will say plainly that skipping either would be just as anti-christ as ignoring them altogether. I will draw my line in the sand, those who believe Jesus, should do what He says. Whether non-believers like it or not the Bible is the record of what He says.
As for all of the other profitable niches among all of the other passionate opinions of all the other people on this planet, morality will continue to be a moving target. Even for the Christian. Where does it say in the Bible, “though shalt not violate US copyright terms when living in another Country.”? or how about: “Thou shalt allow crazy tyrant leaders to sink your friend’s ships and kill their families but live-and-let-live.”? … It’s not there, and the peddlers on each side of those and many other controversial moral topics will continue to have a job for years to come. Just how moral it is to do that job for the notoriety and profit is yet another niche which may not be lucrative, but may just be right. Since Christ is my model I will end with this for the individual, because while I believe in the national context this does not apply, I am convinced that as an individual (IMO the context, the individual, which is where some of my beloved Mennonite friends would disagree) I must strive for this standard:
Matthew 5:38:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”