As I write this particular monthly edition, the waters off the coast of east Africa have become a breeding ground for piracy. Just recently, the American Navy rescued a U.S registered vessel and captain from the hands of pirates. There was much rejoicing at their salvation. Their families were greatly relieved to have their loved ones home safe and sound after the harrowing experience. And, yet, the piracy continues unabated, having a rippling effect on the economies around the globe.
We sometimes have this romantic notion of pirates, borne out of the tales of old…and of new. Admittedly, one of my favorite movie series is the Pirates of the Caribbean. The aspects that entice you are its humor and swashbuckling action, the damsel in apparent distress being wooed by the pirate, and the young “knight” who attempts to rescue her while reconciling his own destiny. However, there is without doubt the dark side of the story: the death, lies, deceit and thievery making up the very essence of piracy. The first of the story is not complete without the second.
By the same token, at the end of the last article I used the illustration of the Church’s movement through time being like a ship on the ocean, negotiating its path between the rocks on one side and the sand bar on the other, alluding to the dangers of self-indulgence and pragmatism as the gods we must shun. There is a third danger that has already overtaken this ship even as pirates would commandeer an ocean vessel. The danger I speak of, the god to whom many have pledged their allegiance already, even within the Church, is Political Correctness.
Political Correctness, the doctrine of unconditional tolerance for any and all opinions, philosophies, lifestyles and religions (outside of conservative Christianity, of course) is the present dictate of this age. It is the mother’s milk that flows from the breasts of secular (and many religion-based) academic institutions in the nation to those who go there for educational sustenance. It is the undercurrent of the present legal and legislative system of our country, found as well as in many of our state and local governments. One can easily see its effects in the media, not only its prevalence throughout news outlets, but also in television, movies and music. Political Correctness is our culture’s god or goddess of choice.
The Church has not withstood the onslaught of this bane. No, our ship was hijacked by pirates bearing this cursed idolatry several decades ago and now the curse has spread throughout our midst. It was borne in by Higher Criticism, encouraged by Feminist Hermeneutics and fertilized with Liberation Theology. All of these movements, begun by the denial of the authority of Scripture and the truths about God as noted in the historic creeds of the Christian Church, have brought the Church to the place where individual groups and/or denominations struggle over the relevance and application of God’s Word in reference to issues of gender, human sexuality, the environment among other topics, solely because of the pollution of Political Correctness in their midst! There would be no struggle if these individual groups and/or denominations had only remained true to the belief that the Bible is God’s Word which is clear, authoritative and final on all matters of faith and life. Had they done so, there would have been no question on this matter of the idolatry of Political Correctness. It would have been simple obedience to God’s commandment: You will have no other gods before Me.
As believers, it is not a matter of being intolerant of others. We know from Scripture that we are commanded to love one another even as Christ has loved us—unconditionally (rf. John 13:34). This actually goes beyond being “tolerant” to being truthful, loving and kind (rf. Ephesians 4:15). So, in actuality, it is better for the Church to be Christ-like than it is to be Politically Correct. At least, the recipient of Christ-like behavior will know the truth of what God’s Word says about his/her life and the expectations of him/her as well as experiencing the love of Christ in the process as a reinforcement of that truth. Political Correctness only leaves one in the darkness of one’s own making without any hope of light…which is not what Christ Himself has called the Church to do.
Let us then entreat for the Church to cast off the pirates of Political Correctness from the ship. It’s high time to purify the cause of Christ by a broad-scale repentance of this sin of allowing this idolatry to permeate our thinking for so long. Regardless of our denominational affiliation, we need to reaffirm our allegiances to Jesus as sole recipient of our fealty and worship, bowing to no other gods and giving glory to none other than God the Father, receiving no other revelations than what has been given to us in His Word, the Bible, while abiding to the protective truths handed down to us in the ancient historic creeds of Christendom. In these acts of casting off the bad and embracing the best the Church will shield herself from further harm and safeguard future generations of believers from falling prey to the wiles of this pernicious , seductive evil again. May the Church find the courage and spiritual fortitude to take these actions for the sake of the Gospel, her Lord’s honor and Name, and, especially, her own future credibility in a world which desperately needs her to be genuinely and distinctly different.
