One of the stockbook arguments that liberals use is that conservative militance is “offputting.” By “liberals” I am referring both to those who are openly so, as well as those who have that crisply moderate evangelical shell surrounding a gooey center.
A sure way to identify a liberal disposition is to listen for warnings about hypothetical offenses. But if this were as real a concern as it pretends to be, surely someone would have taken note of the fact that liberal denominations are hemorrhaging all over the floor, while those offputting religious groups are keeping their blood inside the skin, and are continuing to grow. What if the key to growth in the next generation is standing strong against same sex mirage?
Trying to anticipate all the people who might be offended sets up a demand for such people to start showing up, which they then do. If you build it, they will come. If you establish an infrastructure for catering to the Hurt Feelings of a particular class of duly appointed privileged underprivileged people, then do not be surprised when another kind of underdeveloped soul tries to get a piece of the action. And then their arrival, right on time, is taken as a justification for all the anticipatory nervousness, and the cycle continues. We decide to pay a thousand dollars of reparations to everyone who had ever been sexually harassed in a fast food joint, and are frankly astonished to find out how unsafe those places are, quite apart from the deep-fried stuff. Well, the cycle continues — until, in the immortal words of Tom Wolfe about the art world, the whole thing disappears up its own fundamental aperture.
This is what lies behind all the triggering nonsense. Some students at Colombia have complained that reading Ovid was “triggering.” But as Instapundit noted, people in such a condition are not mentally healthy enough for college. And there was a brouhaha over Christina Sommers speaking at Oberlin. She was tagged as a rape apologist for saying things like how women should address wage inequities by pursuing professions that pay more. When people are triggered by things like that, the only righteous thing to do is to trigger them some more.
So my militance — which is, admittedly, sometimes apparent to thoughtful observers — is not an across-the-board militance. I am not militant at dinner. I am not militant when joking around with the grandkids. I am not militant while mowing the lawn. I am only militant when tyrants and buffoons essay to run a great civilization when they have to date demonstrated no real competence in running anything larger than a sno-cone stand at Ocean City. In the off-season.
I find left-wing silliness just as silly as, well, right wing silliness, of which there is plenty on both sides. But I think what you’re seeing is that the vast majority of Americans reject both extreme left and extreme right. They think fulminations against Ovid are just as ridiculous as fulminations against same sex marriage. In other words, the moderates seem fully in control, which means that the left complains about conservatives having too much influence, and conservatives complain about liberals having too much influence. That, at least, is how it appears to me when I take off my advocacy… Read more »
Being militant against people does seem, er, to raise some red flags. But being militant against false ideas, distortions of truth, and soul ruining lies simply seems to echo the kind of wrestling not against flesh and blood Paul, or really Christ speaking through Paul (yes, nowadays I have to clarify that) says is our warfare. The false ideas of every society, whether a Western, medieveal, classical, Eastern, Midestern, Pagan, ANE, Modern or Post Modern are fueled by engines much more malevolent and just as real as the so called human leaders. The bad guys weapon has been lies from… Read more »
How do you balance/reconcile this teaching with Paul’s injunction to “[i]f possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all”?
I would say that in a certain respect, just like that same Paul says things like “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed.” and “Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
Maybe in the same way we “reconcile” the scenario in which we work out our salvation with fear and trembling and at the same time God works in us to will and to do according to his good pleasure. Both/and, not either/or? And as Scripture seems to teach us both/and (as RFB points out below), we can ask for wisdom to know how spiritual battle is actually an aspect of “living peaceably with all.”
Sorry, as RFB points out *above.
Davis, great question. And I would answer it by noting the judgment call implicit in the command. I have to determine whether or not keeping the peace with creeping tyranny is possible. “Hand over all the Jews” is not a reasonable request, even if I am not a Jew. I cannot say that peace is “still possible.”
And yet your refusal to live peaceably with the Nazis is still a working-out of “living peaceably with all” – with the Jews, at any rate.
I belive it was Martin Luther who said “Truth at all costs, peace where possible”
It would seem being more militant and setting stricter rules is a good strategy for a robust, enduring religious membership. For further reference: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2138608 On the other hand, this may say more about how to construct lasting religious organiziations than whether or not such draconian rules are actually truly ordained from On High. From the fact that Scientology is militant and requires much sacrifice and resources from committed members, we may not derive that thetans exist. But it does do much to explain the decline in many mainline churches. Sometimes being a “crisply moderate” Christian complete with a “gooey center”… Read more »
Reading this call to militancy, I can’t help but think of a poem on the matter.
http://sobecreation.com/2015/04/the-war-is-coming/
Preemptive surrender? Works great if you have nothing worth fighting for.
There also seems to be a presumption that we’re looking for the fight — anticipating it and then seeing it’s upon us. Sort of overlooks the fact that it’s been going on for at least 6000 years.
I can’t get the first link to work.
I find left-wing silliness just as silly as, well, right wing silliness, of which there is plenty on both sides. But I think what you’re seeing is that the vast majority of Americans reject both extreme left and extreme right. They think fulminations against Ovid are just as ridiculous as fulminations against same sex marriage. In other words, the moderates seem fully in control, which means that the left complains about conservatives having too much influence, and conservatives complain about liberals having too much influence. That, at least, is how it appears to me when I take off my advocacy… Read more »
On the topic of militant behavior. Obama recently addressing a Catholic leadership summit: The top 25 hedge fund managers made more than all of the kindergarten teachers in the country. So, when I say that, I’m not saying that because I dislike hedge fund managers, or I think they are evil, I’m saying that you’re paying a lower [tax] rate than a lot of folks who are making $300,000 a year. You pretty much have more than you’ll ever be able to use in your family will ever be able to use. There’s a fairness issue involved here. And by… Read more »
Very good katecho!
And since he is using scriptural qualification (‘I’m my brother’s keeper’) for his argument, he cannot (could not anyway, but this for even the fanboys) object to using all of God’s Word to refute his Marxist desires.
“brother’s keeper” was just Cain’s absurd parody of the Lord’s commands anyway.
The Lord ignored it and kept the focus on Cain’s murder.
Thanks Doug. Matt Walsh must be drinking at the same pub as you – http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/maybe-christianity-in-america-is-dying-because-its-boring-everyone-to-death/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=ShareButtons
How do you integrate your militancy and serrated edge with your principle of “there is a greater right than being right?”
David, I’ll tell you a theory I’ve been thinking about lately in regards to that question. I wonder if the best test, almost across the board, whether in politics or not, is the “dead baby test.” It goes back to Solomon and his experiment with the two prostitutes. Both prostitutes, mind you, both sinners, and both hurt people. So both would fall into the category of perhaps needing trigger alerts and extra sympathy. Before giving any sort of serrated edge, Solomon first uses an imaginary serrated edge. Let’s cut the baby in half! This of course divides the sheep from… Read more »
Steven, wonderful explanation of it.
David,the disciples who wanted to call down fire from Heaven didn’t know what spirit they were of. But Elijah called down fire from Heaven, and did so in the Spirit. It all comes down to knowledge of how to measure what is deeper. What is the measuring rod for sounding the deeper right? Always Scripture and only Scripture.
Those who live by the serrated edge die by the serrated edge.
Well, except for Jesus, and Elijah, and Paul, and Isaiah, and…
In John Barry’s theology, there may indeed be nothing worth dying for.
Said moments after “bring a couple of serrated edges with you when you cross the city at night”.
Wow you guys are way ahead over there. I hadn’t even heard of ‘triggering’ until I just read it here. Absolutely unbelievable!
I absolutely loved the George Will address that you linked to the other week too. Great stuff.
1 Thessalonians 4:10 But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, 11and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, 12so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.
make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands
Like baking cakes.
Yep.
I don’t have much sympathy for cries of “stop hurting my hand with your cheek!”
Sorry, but it just dawned on me that the word “militant” was being used seriously do describe Pastor Wilson and that people do consider him to be militant
I find that amusing and sad at the same time.