The Blog That May Anger Some

Speaking Truth in the face of adversity and political correctness

In the world we live in today, political correctness has wiggled and wormed its way into the church and into every aspect of our lives. What actually is Political Correctness anyway? It is the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against. This begs the question: How do we communicate with each other? Every word uttered from my mouth, no matter how carefully I tip-toe or attempt to respect the person(s) I am communicating with, has become a way for the world to alienate and make use as a poster child of "what not to say." Here is the funny thing, back in 2017, there was a poll taken about Political Correctness and a couple of the results were not surprising to me. "Poll: 71% of Americans Say Political Correctness Has Silenced Discussions Society Needs to Have, 58% Have Political Views They’re Afraid to Share. Democrats are unique, however, in that a slim majority (53%) do not feel the need to self‐​censor. Conversely, strong majorities of Republicans (73%) and independents (58%) say they keep some political beliefs to themselves."

What are the damages of Political Correctness, especially for not only our residential, our faith communities as well?

Thought #1: Personal identity scrapes and bruises

Political Correctness really became well-known in the 90's. There has been a risk at all times of trying to explain or describe a situation and persons involved. How often does someone "misspeak" by referring to coworkers or folks in their communities incorrectly based on their culture. It isn't that they are necessarily trying to be prejudiced in their descriptions, it is more about the confusion and constant change in how we are able to identify someone. Asian-American vs Chinese vs Oriental; African-American vs Black; Native American VS Indian; Caucasian VS White. First of all, I beg the question: What does it really matter? Yes, Identity is very important to every person. Ellis Jones wrote: “An identity is who or what a person or thing is. Your identity is how you define who you are; it is also how others define you (and these definitions are often not the same). That’s why we talk about self-esteem and probably don’t always realize how important it is to health and wellbeing.”

Knowing how we identify ourselves is important to our own wellbeing. That is a pretty easy concept to grasp. The issue is when we become so addicted to every aspect of our identity that we become so easily offended as a mis-step of someone else that we deem it acceptable to degrade them for what was potentially an accidental moment. How often have you been out in public, or scanned social media or watched the news and found someone trying to cancel someone because of a single incident that was taken out of context or was truly not meant the way it was being portrayed because protecting our own image means more to us than having a proper conversation with others?

In fact, I would argue that in my time on the earth, especially in my adult years, it is more common for someone to say something, whether purposely or not, and the other party decides that treating the person the exact same way or using a more degrading method is just hunky-dory. In an article by the Harvard Business Review, someone wrote: “Identity abrasions cause people to burrow into their own camps, attend only to information that confirms their positions, and demonize the other side. The overall result is a number of negative dynamics, with costs both to individuals and to organizations.”

Thought #2: Division

Someone please explain to me how Political Correctness has done anything but divide us? I was reading a blog by two UK women who wrote: “Political correctness may lessen overt forms of bullying and workplace harassment, but without internalization of nonprejudiced values, it may come with the side effect of promoting more passive aggressive forms of discrimination, which work against the goal of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

In a publishing called Society against itself: Political correctness and organizational self-destruction, John Gordon shared the following thought: “political correctness is charged with giving carte blanche to the use of emotionally charged accusations (e.g., racist, sexist, homophobic) toward views that dissent from a supposed superior moralistic perspective” From what I have witnessed, we have gone so far past trying to be all-inclusive in society that we have started to have reverse prejudice issues. Instead of coming together, standing arm in arm, side by side and learning and growing together, we have resorted to overreaction and division among society as a way to self-protect and to keep our personal identity safe and secure.

I remember being a young girl in the deep south and watching race issues at its finest. My dad and his boss, who was a different race, could not do research in the same library. When our communities decided to change the percentages of different races in the schools, I was moved to a different school. The bus drivers didn’t want to bus people of a particular race so they boycotted by pulling over on back country roads for hours to protest. I got out of school at 2:10 and got home at 5:30. I watched my own faith community on teacher recognition Sunday leave the sanctuary or stare and give me dirty looks as I sat on the lap of my 2nd grade teacher of a different race. Experiences in my life that are pushing being 30 years old are coming full circle and we are doing it again! I refuse to say it is continuing from then. I saw it start to change. I witnessed things getting better, communities of different backgrounds taking stand for change. Now I have seen those same communities separate again. And Why? Because being politically correct for their own personal gain is more important than being unified, growing and learning together.

Cancel Culture has taken over every aspect of society. Cancel Culture started because of the push for Political Correctness. 'Canceling' is a term that originated in young and progressive circles, where it was used to mean 'boycott,' University of Pennsylvania linguist Nicole Holliday tells NPR. Now the term 'cancel' has been co-opted and weaponized by some conservative media and politicians. Something similar happened in the 1990s with the term 'politically correct.' John K. Wilson wrote about that time in a book called The Myth Of Political Correctness. And — just like 'politically correct' — 'canceling' and 'cancel culture' have been co-opted and weaponized to attack. Galatians 3:26-28, “ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Why are we so willing to put the amount of wasted energy into hate, division, etc. instead of putting it into the strength that comes from being unified? Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Thought #3: Causing Doubt about oneself in others

I bet no one would be surprised to know that when someone feels bad about themselves, they find it pretty easy to demonstrate prejudiced tendencies towards others not in their “circle.” Where do you think bullying comes from? When I was reading an article from the Association for Psychological Science, the following was written: ““This is one of the oldest accounts of why people stereotype and have prejudice: It makes us feel better about ourselves,” says Jeffrey Sherman of the University of California. “When we feel bad about ourselves, we can denigrate other people, and that makes us feel better about ourselves.” This thought really goes hand in hand with the first thought about the scrapes and bruises that Political Correctness causes us. Instead of helping us continue to make a more welcoming and cohesive environment in the workplace, in our residential communities and in our faith communities, we have decided that political correctness is going to demonize the other side of the equation. In doing so, we have actually been feeding the disease of discrimination and have played a role in its continued power.

Think about some of the following examples I came across in an article explaining different types of stereotypes and discrimination:

• People from X countries are less educated than people from Y or Z countries.

• People from X country hate people from Y and Z countries.

• People from X country are violent and uncivilized.

• People from X country are overweight.

• People from X country are lazy.

• X type of person is better at something than Y type of person simply because they belong to that group.

• X group is unfriendly and prudish.

• X people are not attractive because they are part of a certain group.

• X types of people are weird.

• People from X social class are less educated than people from Y class.

• People from X class are all arrogant and act superior.

• X race is superior to Y race.

• People from X race are not as good at something as people from Y race.

• X group of people are unintelligent.

• X group of people are greedy.

• X people are dangerous.

• X people are untrustworthy.

• People of X gender are all bad drivers.

• People of X gender are untidy and disorganized.

• People from X gender are bad listeners and communicators

• People who practice X religion are extremists and hypocrites.

• People who follow X belief system are all foolish or selfish.

• People who practice X religion are intolerant.

• People who practice X religion are naive.

• People of X religion are dangerous and destructive.

Political Correctness, even when it is attempting to be used for good, often causes discrimination in the reversed way towards others with unnecessary stereotyping that will plague our society until the end of time. Political Correctness risks putting people into categories based on ideas or characteristics portrayed. Whether the stereotype has good intentions or bad, it causes harm to someone else’s emotional, physical, spiritual and mental state. Political Correctness comes with this idea that we address groups in a certain way, put them into these categories that often come with preconceived expectations for them to meet. What happens when a group doesn’t meet those expectations? We risk someone, or a group of people, feeling reduced because of trying to be overly “correct” in our actions and words.

Thought #4: When being protective means losing out on development

Think about what happens when we continue to develop stereotypes and subgroups because of this need of protection of ourselves and of our subgroup. When we put so much effort into being correct about ourselves, holding tight to specific aspects about who we are and who our group may be, barriers are often put up to protect and let others know a line they cannot cross or consequences will ensue. Identity protection leads to division, which leads to making others feel bad about themselves in order to bring up our own self-esteem and status, which leads to stereotyping, which leads to lack of growth and development.

Do you know what comes to my mind when I think of how stereotypes have caused a lack of growth and unity worldwide? There is a term that comes to mind: Third-World. I know I am guilty of using this term. It was a word that was taught to me, not by my family, by society and the schools. Third-World is a term that has been used for so long to represent and describe countries that are seen as poor; healthcare systems might not be what we “think” they should be; their version of democracy or governmental structure doesn’t match what we “think” is correct.

The term Third-World automatically comes with the idea that there is an inferiority to those being placed in this subgroup and those using the word are superior to anyone in the group. Really, I have a question when it comes to this idea of Third-World: How do we have so much arrogance to refer to other countries, without visiting them ourselves, as Third-World due to their monetary status, healthcare, government, etc., when our own country has its own subgroups that fit in the description of being Third-World?

We have a large population of homeless individuals in our own country, that are made to feel like Third-World citizens, when they are part of our own country. We have a division in our political system that is so ugly, people are violent towards anyone in the opposite group. Our healthcare system isn’t great. In fact, our own healthcare system places people in different subgroups in our own culture that they appear to be part of the stereotype we have developed as being Third-World. How arrogant of a person do we need to be to think that this term, though seen as politically correct, is helpful to develop a better life. All this does is cause foundations to be crumbled by harmful descriptions and expectations that come with it.

Look in our own country? Look at the priorities we have in our own country. Honestly, some of the best people that I know have been immigrants from nations that have been seen or are labeled as Third-World. Do you know why? They show appreciation for the little things. They don’t care about materialism, status, or ego. They don’t care about having the best or being in the top group. They care about doing what is right for someone else and showing hospitality. They care about helping someone who may have less than they do so they can continue to grow and develop. I think about missionaries that are called from our country to go to other countries for multiple purposes other than just a “religious calling.” People leave our own country to go and build structures for other countries such as housing, orphanages, healthcare facilities, etc. We can’t do it for our own people. Instead, this country puts itself on a pedestal because of the people sent to develop other countries. What does it say when we can’t focus on our own people that we have placed in the Third-World subgroups. Correctness, even when being done for what it thought to be right, can cause others to be underdeveloped.

Mark 12:30-31, “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Thought #5: Suspicion

What happened to thinking the best about people? What happened to trusting mankind and being open to relationships? Thanks to Cancel Culture and Political Correctness, so much divide has happened that instead of thinking positively and trusting someone, now suspicion for any action, good or bad, has infiltrated society. Someone walking down the street, no matter the race, clothing choice, tattoos or not, is studied with comments and thoughts immediately forming. I have lost count of the amount of times that I have been the target of stereotypes. I am a female pastor. Not only am I a female pastor, I am a female pastor in a denomination where certain subgroups still do not like the idea of a woman pastor. On top of that, I come from a denomination that has connections to the Mennonites. Looking at me, I am a shock to the subgroup. I have tattoos. I am willing to do weird things to my hair. I am not stoic like others think I should be. I do not wear robes or vestments like other denominations do. I am perceived to be something to the average joe other than a pastor. Recently, I used a local small business to help with a community event we offered. When they arrived, they were used to the previous pastor who was a female, just more traditional than I. The comment that made me smile was, “Huh! A Tattooed Brethren Pastor….I’m down!” It cracked me up. For others, it may have felt very judgmental. I am no stereotype, and I am ok with that. It doesn't make it hard when I am not taken seriously, and some are skeptical of me when I introduce myself as a pastor or as a chaplain at the hospital.

I used to have a bar ministry because to me, I had no issue going into a bar with my seminary books and sitting there while working. Many would come up to me to see what I was doing and they thought I was insane. “So…you are a pastor type person? How…I mean, how are you allowed to be in this place? I thought you weren’t allowed to be near this type of environment.” I told people over and over again that just because I am called into ministry doesn’t put me into the grand subgroup where I think I am better than anyone else. In fact, my life journey is messy and I learn something new every day. My job is to not hide and not avoid someone or something because of a preconceived notion. After all, Jesus sat and ate with the “sinners and tax-collectors.” If I live solely on suspicion, I miss out on building relationships of any kind, in fact, I put up walls around me without a welcome mat for someone to come to me when they need something.

Can we please stop

Can we please stop focusing on Political Correctness and instead look at ways we can learn from other's life journeys in a way that can develop more unification and less division? Can we stop judging each others and using something bad that happens to us to inflict pain and turmoil on other people to make ourselves look good? Can we stop putting labels of people and groups and start being more welcoming to those we see as outsiders?

Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."