Christianity and Political Correctness

[aclausen]

PC is kinda subjective.

Most Christians will not be PC about weird LGBT stuff etc. We don’t consider that a matter of PC but a matter of logical facts of nature.

On the flip side many Christians expect their version of PC. As many will run away screaming of the persons evils who says F word or tells a dirty joke.

To answer your question about good/bad PC… I think maybe a dash of PC is good, but the extremes of Liberal and Christian PC are absurd and counter to truths and facts.

Indeed. How are blasphemy laws anything else but an attempt to enforce political correctness?

I think there’s a middle ground, where you find a way to express yourself that doesn’t involve hostility and attacks upon other people. Often times what I see as complaints against political correctness are complaints “How come I can’t say homosexuals are sinners in the lunchroom?”, as if somehow that’s something that one should be able to say in front of mixed company without any kind of social ramifications.

I feel it’s your right to say what you want, but you cannot imagine that your freedom of expression is always freedom from repercussions. If a CEO of a large corporation who has at least some gay employees declares “Homosexuals are committing vile acts and sinning against God!”, there seems to be this idea that the Board and the shareholders should ignore how that is going to affect gay employees, not to mention the potential impact on business (after all, gay people are also shareholders, board members, CEOs of potential partnering agencies or acquisitions).

I just wonder if sometimes some people are just intentionally provocative in some ham fisted attempt to make a point. “You see, I was attacked by the PC crowd!”, when in fact, they were just being rude and hostile. Surely one can have religious beliefs, even ones that are not necessarily shared by wider society, and find a way to express yourself that doesn’t make you look like a complete jerk.

 

[Reepicheep]

(Snipped)
I just wonder if sometimes some people are just intentionally provocative in some ham fisted attempt to make a point. “You see, I was attacked by the PC crowd!”, when in fact, they were just being rude and hostile. Surely one can have religious beliefs, even ones that are not necessarily shared by wider society, and find a way to express yourself that doesn’t make you look like a complete jerk.

Its called professional victimhood. They seek to be offended so they can take offense.

 

[HelenRose]

“And the WORD became flesh.” Our words define who we are. I try to (not always successful) abide by the expression, “Is it kind. Is it necessary. Is it true.”

I do believe that political correctness is being used as a form of repression but that is no excuse for being cruel, unkind or stupid.

It seems to me that the liberal secularists of this country have been able to achieve what they want by skillfully pushing the buttons of Christians.

In this politically charged atmosphere Christians and especially Catholics need to stop allowing secularists push our buttons. We need to listen carefully to what we are saying and doing. If our words and our lives as Christians reflect the truth of Christ’s love, sacrifice and way of life, no amount of political correctness will stop His beauty and goodness.

 

[Tommy999]

“And the WORD became flesh.” Our words define who we are. I try to (not always successful) abide by the expression, “Is it kind. Is it necessary. Is it true.”

I do believe that political correctness is being used as a form of repression but that is no excuse for being cruel, unkind or stupid.

It seems to me that the liberal secularists of this country have been able to achieve what they want by skillfully pushing the buttons of Christians.

In this politically charged atmosphere Christians and especially Catholics need to stop allowing secularists push our buttons. We need to listen carefully to what we are saying and doing. If our words and our lives as Christians reflect the truth of Christ’s love, sacrifice and way of life, no amount of political correctness will stop His beauty and goodness.

Thanks, Helen. I agree with you.

I’m not sure if this is a political correctness issue or not, but in case people haven’t heard, ESPN TV baseball analyst Curt Schilling was fired by ESPN yesterday for comments he made about transgender people on his social media Facebook account:

Here is the whole Fox News article:
foxnews.com/sports/2016/04/21/espn-fires-analyst-and-former-red-sox-pitcher-curt-schilling.html?intcmp=hpbt3

Excerpt:
***"The post (from Schilling) included an image of a man wearing a long blond wig and revealing women’s clothing and the phrase, “Let him in! To the restroom with your daughter or else you’re a narrow minded, judgmental, unloving, racist bigot who needs to die!!!”

In response to recent laws in several states that restrict bathroom access for transgender people, Schilling added: “A man is a man no matter what they call themselves,” and, “Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic”***

Here was ESPN’s response to Schilling’s firing:
"ESPN is an inclusive company," the network said in a statement. "Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated."

While I would have stated my opposition differently, I am wondering if Schilling was fired for the tone of his remarks or for holding a position that is contrary to the current values of political correctness in the USA and wasn’t afraid to express his views.

 

[LethalMouse]

Its called professional victimhood. They seek to be offended so they can take offense.

Yes, I have come to the conclusion that being weak and victimized is now far more empowering than being strong or even arrogant… I think true arrogance is tmseen in the victim mindset.

Frankenstein’s monster had power and innocence… the “weak” and “innocent” towns people then came to murder him… hmmm all those poor townspeople being victimized

 

[LethalMouse]

Indeed. How are blasphemy laws anything else but an attempt to enforce political correctness?

I think there’s a middle ground, where you find a way to express yourself that doesn’t involve hostility and attacks upon other people. Often times what I see as complaints against political correctness are complaints “How come I can’t say homosexuals are sinners in the lunchroom?”, as if somehow that’s something that one should be able to say in front of mixed company without any kind of social ramifications.

I feel it’s your right to say what you want, but you cannot imagine that your freedom of expression is always freedom from repercussions. If a CEO of a large corporation who has at least some gay employees declares “Homosexuals are committing vile acts and sinning against God!”, there seems to be this idea that the Board and the shareholders should ignore how that is going to affect gay employees, not to mention the potential impact on business (after all, gay people are also shareholders, board members, CEOs of potential partnering agencies or acquisitions).

I just wonder if sometimes some people are just intentionally provocative in some ham fisted attempt to make a point. “You see, I was attacked by the PC crowd!”, when in fact, they were just being rude and hostile. Surely one can have religious beliefs, even ones that are not necessarily shared by wider society, and find a way to express yourself that doesn’t make you look like a complete jerk.

At least theologically actual blaspheming is a thing… the Christian PC crowd has a whole host of things not actually a thing they will get upset about lol

And I get the CEO lunch room thing, but I would also submit that PC police don’t limit their activities to “social” consequences as they should.

When Chic-fil-a guy said his thing legal entities tried to interfere in his business in actual stifling of free speech… social ramifications in the lunch room is one thing…but you will be fired is another… it gets murky all around IMO.

 

[Padres1969]

I think PC can be a good thing, but only if not taken too far as it often is. Of course it’s not required by our American way of thinking with regard to free speech (it’s only punitive in that people often over judge others for it). But when it is taken too far you get backlash against it which can be worse than the less-PC speech you might have received otherwise.

 

[anon67074017]

Thanks, Helen. I agree with you.

I’m not sure if this is a political correctness issue or not, but in case people haven’t heard, ESPN TV baseball analyst Curt Schilling was fired by ESPN yesterday for comments he made about transgender people on his social media Facebook account:

Here is the whole Fox News article:
foxnews.com/sports/2016/04/21/espn-fires-analyst-and-former-red-sox-pitcher-curt-schilling.html?intcmp=hpbt3

Excerpt:
***"The post (from Schilling) included an image of a man wearing a long blond wig and revealing women’s clothing and the phrase, “Let him in! To the restroom with your daughter or else you’re a narrow minded, judgmental, unloving, racist bigot who needs to die!!!”

In response to recent laws in several states that restrict bathroom access for transgender people, Schilling added: “A man is a man no matter what they call themselves,” and, “Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic”***

Here was ESPN’s response to Schilling’s firing:
"ESPN is an inclusive company," the network said in a statement. "Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated."

While I would have stated my opposition differently, I am wondering if Schilling was fired for the tone of his remarks or for holding a position that is contrary to the current values of political correctness in the USA and wasn’t afraid to express his views.

ESPN is owned by Disney. It makes sense that Disney would enforce liberal political correctness. They are a very liberal corporation.

 

[sallybutler]

Sometimes I wonder whether ‘political correctness’ is thought of as being the term for when you’re not allowed to express your own lack of charity, while ‘bigotry’ is the term for others showing their lack of charity to you.

 

[abucs]

Political correctness is an attempt to manufacture a morality system without God.

If people wish to hold such a manufactured morality they are entitled to, the trouble comes when they claim it is a neutral system, apart from religion and therefore the state must promote it and punish dissenters.

 

[Trident_H]

Sometimes I wonder whether ‘political correctness’ is thought of as being the term for when you’re not allowed to express your own lack of charity, while ‘bigotry’ is the term for others showing their lack of charity to you.

I don’t think so.

I think bigotry is when you use people’s differences to be mean to them.

And Political Correctness is when everyone in the room pretends to be nice. Possibly even for the wrong reasons.

So I’d rather simple honesty and decency. If you call me something with an exclamation point at the end I’ll be just as insulted if the word is short and to the point. Or long and flowery. Especially if I see hate in your eyes.

But if you call me something short and to the point and extend me a hand in friendship I’ll give you back the same good feeling twice over.

Because what I don’t respect is when people hide behind flowery words because they think that describing to me what I actually am in simple words would offend me. I mean pretending like I don’t already know. And they don’t already know that I know. It sort of seems an unnecessary tap dance.

And think about it. The very fact that someone’s come up with a flowery way to call someone else means one thing already. It means there’s already an implied put down of the thing it’s trying to describe. It means there’s a discomfort with facing the issue fairly and calling it what it is. And the discomfort is what’s being hidden by PC words.

Because when we’re comfortable with things as they are we don’t have to dress them up.

I mean no one minds being called Catholic now. But what if that changed one day? Would we really all rather start inventing new names every time we go around the corner?

So that’s where I call out the difference.

Peace guys.

-Trident

 

[HelenRose]

How does this differ from politeness?

We teach our children to be polite and kind. We teach ourselves to be polite and kind.

Political Correctness is a product of political force and power.