cancel culture

A USA Today columnist argued in a recent article that a massive Promise Keepers men's conference scheduled for July in Dallas should be canceled due to the CEO's biblical beliefs on sexuality.

Simon and Schuster, this week, said the publishing house will proceed with its plans to publish two books by former Vice President Mike Pence, despite calls from some employees to terminate the deal.

In our current cultural climate, every word out of the mouth of a Christian who takes the Bible seriously is going to be controversial. But the government has no right to decide what is a correct opinion on matters of politics, religion or any other controversial issue and then force citizens to mouth their agreement with the government’s decision.

While cancel culture is not a new thing, it is new in America, and it’s on the rise. Our nation is increasingly polarized, with people unable to have civil conversations with those who have dissimilar views, and who actually take pleasure in destroying the lives and livelihoods of those who dare to have a different opinion.

It’s no longer enough to seek a world in which all Americans have equal opportunities with regard to voting, education, employment, or other civil rights. Now we must be proactive in “canceling” any oppression as defined by any person considered to be oppressed. We must identify “structural power imbalances” and “take action against injustice” as defined by the SPLC and similar groups.

If we do our job as the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), we will make an eternal difference in our winter-gripped world. We may not see the spiritual snow melt today, but the spring of the Spirit is coming.

A Virginia school district recently announced that it will not be participating in Read Across America Day, arguing that Dr. Seuss books, which are often highlighted during the celebration, contain 'racial undertones'.

Here’s the part of God’s word on our subject that I want us to focus on today: Hebrews 13:4 continues, “for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” If our secular culture is aware of this fact, most seem not to care.

Peter warned about “those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority” (2 Peter 2:10). In this context, the “authority” is that of the Lord himself. Such people “have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin” (v. 14) and face severe judgment to come (v. 17).

“Freedom of expression is in crisis,” the Philadelphia Statement begins. “Truly open discourse—the debates, exchange of ideas, and arguments on which the health and flourishing of a democratic republic crucially depend—is increasingly rare. Ideologues demonize opponents to block debates on important issues and to silence people with whom they disagree.”

This paragraph is an answer to the well-meaning Christians who, at times, ask whether it is appropriate to be involved in “political debates” over things like free speech or religious freedom. Part of the Christian’s calling is to steward and protect good things. Freedom of expression is one of those good things, and not just for us.