The Hypocrisy of Cancel Culture Part 2

Welcome back. Last time we looked at where we have found ourselves in the United States and the traps we fall into as we are faced with the culture around us lashing out in hatred. Seeing as this is Part 2 of a conversation, if you have not read that post yet, I’d love it if you would read it first. These are complicated issues. I don’t know that they should be, but with social reaction speed and aggression being what they are, it can get ugly and fast. When we react in this way to an event, we will never accomplish what we are trying to accomplish, we actually end up with the opposite result.

This cancel culture, if that’s what you want to call it, will destroy itself. The very idea of canceling someone makes you just as guilty as the person you are canceling, and therefore, you should be cancelled as well, according to your very own argument.

Undoubtedly, we need to be a culture where women have a voice, they are believed, they are respected, they are seen as equally valuable, as EQUALLY VALUABLE. I know there is still work to be done in some hearts and heads within our culture, still, not all men have biases against women. If we address a cultural event believing that all men treat women equally, then when a woman faces inequality, we will be guilty of adding to the injustice and pushing her through shame, into silence. Conversely, if we lump all men into the group that says they are vulgar and misogynistic then none of them are to be trusted. We stop listening to or believing all men and treating them as less than women in the process. If we fall into that trap as we seek change, then we are no better than the generations before us who lived their lives with hatred and prejudice. We cannot believe or not believe anyone solely based on their gender. That’s sexist.

In the same way, the color of someone’s skin or the nation where they were born, even the nation their ancestors were from, should not determine their worth, trustability, intelligence, kindness or character. I understand that there are still plenty of people and businesses, etc that do not operate this way. You can watch people blame someone’s decisions or actions on the color of their skin everywhere you turn.

Recently, a white man in Georgia, committed several murders at three Asian owned businesses. Murder of ANY and ALL human life is wrong, no matter the age, skin color or financial status. If he is guilty, no matter his reasons, then he is guilty. There is nothing that can justify his actions. As the weeks go on and the investigation continues, we may find out that he was racist, but currently he hasn’t blamed his actions on prejudice. The reason he gave for his actions doesn’t make any sense either but it wasn’t because he hates Asian people. From my experience, when someone lives with that kind of hate toward a people group, they would proudly claim it if that was their motivation behind a successful attack.

I have seen people demanding the media to call this a hate crime by a white terrorist and claiming that the greatest threat to American citizens is white men involved in terrorist organizations. White men in terror organizations are no more dangerous than any other race of men or women in terror organizations. This was clearly exemplified as someone opened fire at a grocery store in Colorado. There were people who jumped on the “all evil men must be white” train again, only to find out that this man was not white.

Any one who is willing to murder, clearly has dehumanized their victim. We must all stand for humanizing each other, seeing each other as simply human beings whose value is the same as everyone else’s. To argue against dehumanizing Asian Americans by claiming that white men in terror organizations are a greater threat than any other group, dehumanizes white men. We SHOULD be standing for the humanization and rights of Asian Americans and Black Americans and Indian Americans and Native Americans but we must do it without dehumanizing White Americans. If at anytime, we treat someone differently based on the color of their skin, no matter what color it is, then that is racist.

If we are really fighting for seeing everyone as equal participants in this culture, then we cannot blame a race or gender for the actions of one person. We can’t fight to see one race as equal humanity while using language that undermines the humanity of a different race. When we experience someone using hateful speech, we cannot turn around and be hateful in return.

As Christians, we cannot expect the world to react in love, or really even to understand the kind of love that would lead someone to be kind to their enemy. So when twitter wars break out over someone’s critique of a musical performance or somebody’s mom starts yelling at another player on a different team, we must recognize it for what it is. We must stop ourselves from adding our voices to this chaos and show some restraint. Even though the world looks to destroy those who oppose them, nevertheless, we must strive to have the kind of love and grace in our lives that seeks out good for our “enemies”.

The country of Myanmar is overcome with violence right now. People are being killed everywhere you turn. The police and the people are at deadly odds with each other. Hopefully you have seen the unforgettable image of a Catholic nun kneeling between police and protestors there. Her name is Sister Ann Roza and she was trying to halt the violence that has consumed Myanmar. You can see her kneeling before five policemen in her white habit, with her arms spread wide. She could have chosen a side and added her voice to anger, but instead she offered peace and kindness and humility. She showed the world a picture of Jesus.

That’s the main point, how do we enter into these conversations and situations like Jesus would. Because, as a culture, we must stop living with so much hatred, but as Christians, we must lead the way through our example of love. We must love everyone. I will say it again, John 3:16, “For God so loved THE WORLD…” Romans 5:8, God loves us while we live in sin and reject Him. Jesus shows us that we must love our enemies by loving us while we were enemies of Him. He also tells us that WE must love OUR enemies. In Chapter 5 of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. As mentioned last time, the bible is full of commands to fight for the marginalized and rejected. So how do we love those who have been hurt while also loving the ones who have done the hurting?

First I believe that we must actually think of every single person as equal. This has to come from not seeing people through the lens of what they have or haven’t done but as a created and loved reflector of the image of God. This doesn’t mean that we ignore their behavior or pretend it didn’t happen or that it doesn’t matter, but we don’t come at them in a spirit of superiority or condemnation. We separate their soul, that needs a Savior, from their actions that come from painful places. Dr. Caroline Leaf has a podcast called Cleaning Up the Mental mess. She recently quoted Nate Postlethwait who said, “Instead of saying they’re an “alcoholic” or “anorexic” or an “addict” or “crazy” we rather say “they’re hurting” and be curious about the pain.” This is just an example of science agreeing with something Jesus did years ago. He didn’t label sinners and treat them as rejects because choices the they were making out of pain, were hurting others. He could see the person stuck in the sin, not just the sin.

Second, I think we truly love those who have been hurt or marginalized by helping them find freedom through forgiveness. This is another place that science is catching up with what Jesus said thousands of years ago. Jesus told us to forgive our enemies. Every psychologist will tell you that holding onto bitterness and refusing to forgive someone, never hurts them or brings justice to an unjust situation. It only hurts you and keeps you in bondage, unable to enjoy your life. We have fallen into the lie that in order to love those we see living through unjust situations, we must support and join in the hate toward the guilty. Forget about the guilty party for a minute, it’s not loving the ones who have been hurt to leave them drowning in hate.

We can’t love the marginalized by saying well, it’s time that the oppressors know what the rest of us feel like. It’s not about taking turns. You can’t fight hate with hate. You can’t fight racism with racism. You can’t fight prejudice with prejudice. I’m not trying to stand up for the oppressors or worry about their feelings. This is about loving the marginalized and helping them find freedom. It is about helping people to not live with rage and bitterness and hatred in their hearts because it only hurts them.

Have you heard of Daryl Davis? According to Wikipedia, “Daryl Davis is an American R&B and blues musician, activist, author, actor and bandleader. His efforts to fight racism, in which as an African-American he engaged with members of the Ku Klux Klan, convinced Klansmen to leave and denounce the KKK.” Don’t get me wrong, there are people who think he is crazy, but this kind of love is what reaches people and changes their minds. No member of the KKK is going to leave because someone is yelling at them about how stupid, evil and wrong they are. Killing someone based on skin color or even just thinking you are superior based on your skin color is evil and wrong, but hate never wins.

This kind of love is radical. People will think you are crazy. Lots will disagree. It’s really hard, to love someone who is calling you wrong or stupid or racist or evil. But its what Jesus did and in loving us and wanting our best, its what He asked us to do also. I saw a GIF the other day that said “The Apostle Paul entered into heaven to the cheers of those he martyred. That’s how the gospel works.”

If we want to make a difference for Jesus in this world, if we want to love people well, especially those who live with injustice, we must refrain from canceling a group of people based on one person’s actions. We must come into the conversation from a place of humility, assessing each situation individually, each person individually. We must fight to look first for the truth, to listen well and not jump to conclusions. We must love everyone well, especially those who don’t deserve it. It is the only way to find true joy for ourselves and offer it to other people.

Your Fellow Traveler

Lacey