There's No Adult Conversations With Political Correctness

When I was a kid, when someone was losing and argument he would often resort to name calling and intimidation. It usually worked when logic wasn't on your side because few people could stand up under verbal intimidation. In logic, this is called an ad hominum argument, one that doesn't rebut the issue but attacks the person making the issue. It is effective.

That tactic is common nowadays. Anyone who would stray from the politically correct line is demonized. More and more, those attacked simply remain quiet or go along. As a result, columnist, John Hawkins has said,

"It has become almost impossible to have adult conversations about certain subjects. The moment you try to do so, legions of grievance mongers, ideologues, and bottom feeders start belting out scripted responses that have nothing to do with the topic at hand and everything to do with what they imagine your motivation to be and how ugly, stupid, and flawed they think you are as a human being."

Evan Hurst, of the homosexual advocacy group Truth Wins Out, is a good example. Hurst says of those who oppose same-sex marriage,

"They are certainly entitled to cling to backwoods, uneducated, reality-rejecting views. . . But their 'religious freedom' doesn't call for the rest of us to pretend their views aren't disgusting and hateful."

Wow! And we're called homophobes? It sounds more like he's a heterophobe. So the schoolhouse taunts of, "You Dummy," turn into taunts of "bigot, hatemonger, and homophobe."

Anyone opposing same-sex marriage, or the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), or Don't Ask, Don't Tell, is demonized. This could explain why the opinion polls show a majority of people now favor same-sex marriage; yet, every time it comes up for a vote and people can express their view in the privacy of a voting booth, it loses. Nobody wants to reveal their political uncorrectness out-loud and face that kind of scorn.

That's why, we are told, certain topics are off limits, because they show us to be bigoted and brain dead. For instance, we can never talk about what homosexuals actually do, or whether homosexuality is an unhealthy lifestyle. We can never talk about the reason God created marriage between one man and one woman. We can never talk about how being pro same-sex marriage is incompatible with being a Biblical Christian. We can never talk about what open homosexuals in the military will do to combat readiness. That would be hateful to talk about,we are told. Those issues must be avoided.

Those who do speak are made to pay. Anyone who follows the news has heard the stories. Olympic Gold Medal gymnast Peter Vidmir was pressured to resign as chief of mission for the 2012 Olympic Team because he publically supported California's Proposition 8. Under pressure, Atlanta law firm King & Spalding pulled out of the case representing the U.S. House of Representatives defending DOMA. Pro athletes and comedians are made to grovel publically over gay slurs. Military officers have had their careers ended because they publically opposed the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. The list goes on and on.

Quoting Richard Barnes of the New York Catholic Conference,

"We are unjustly called 'haters' and 'bigots' by those who have carefully framed their advocacy strategy. The entire campaign to enact same-sex marriage is conducted under a banner of acceptance. . . Yet, behind that banner of tolerance is another campaign - of intimidation, threats and ugliness."

Because of this, too many Christians have backed off, preferring to accommodate and appease those who would destroy the moral fabric of our country. They have acquiesced to the political corrctness forced on them by the liberal elite.

But we don't have to. Robert George, Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University and co founder of the National Organization for Marriage, says,

"The power to intimidate people, to make them fear they'll be called a bigot or be denied opportunities for jobs, only works if people allow themselves to be bullied."

Proverbs 28:1 says,

"The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion."

We stand for truth. We should not be ashamed of it. But in doing so, we must also obey the command from Jesus in Matthew 5:44,

"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."

We must always speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

It is not the Christian who is a homophobe or a hate monger, not if he is a genuine Christian. Real love doesn't look the other way when someone is about to hurt himself. Real love desires the best for the other person.

We may not win every argument, but we need to stay part of the conversation. Why can't we return to civility and discuss issues as adults?