The Stream of Political Correctness

There is no hotter topic today than political correctness. It is a stream that is polluting the river of this nation. It is characterized by judgment (btw ironically another stream that pollutes our river is judging those who judge). The way it goes is that someone says something, uses a term, that is perceived to be offensive by someone else. The flag is thrown, the foul is described, and the penalty is set. However, once a person has failed the political correctness test, they are forever branded as a racist, or as insensitive, or as a bigot, or as incorrigible. In this political correctness game rules are being made up as the game is being played, and people are chastised for not knowing the rules. Snap judgments are made against the offender. A jury is convened in social media or in the news, a sentence is imposed, and off to political correctness jail. There is no possibility of parole because everyone knows that politically incorrect people cannot be rehabilitated. Think about what is happening here.

There is a sorting out process going on. There are now victims and offenders. You are one or the other. You either wear a white hat or a black hat (though I suspect by using this metaphor I have just committed some unpardonable politically incorrect violation. I suspect all hats have to be grey these days.) When things are sorted out, then division occurs. There are the good guys and the bad guys. This leads to polarization and strife. Labels are slapped on folks and good luck trying to peel them off.

Of course there are offensive things which most of us can agree should not be said or done. But, the landscape of political correctness is becoming increasingly complex. How does one break the code and figure out when they are in danger in stepping in something that is going to stink up their life?  This is made so much more difficult when the rules don't apply to everyone. One person can say a word and it is culturally acceptable. Another uses the same word and they are dragged out of the city and stoned. Another complication is there seems to be pretty awful things happening that I would think any human would conclude was detestable, but I am told by many that I am overreacting and that it is really ok. (E.g. Planned Parenthood killing babies and selling off their body parts for profit.) I am told that I shouldn't be offended by sexual misconduct because it is none of my business, but when millions are outed by someone hacking into a popular cheating website suddenly folks are committing suicide, getting divorces, and losing their jobs. Excuse me but is it ok for someone to do whatever they want with whomever they want whenever they want? I am confused. Is an affair politically correct or not?

It seems to me that we have a whole bunch of folks playing a politically correctness game who are totally unqualified to play. Controlling the thoughts of others is a pretty serious game. Some would call this cultist. Creating and managing a culture of fear is a high stakes game. Social pressure to conform to a norm created by people whose moral and spiritual compass seems woefully off is dangerous. It might sound a little too simplistic, but I will venture into the world of political incorrectness by suggesting that those who know the Creator of the Universe, have actually read and studied His word, and who have been transformed by His Son to become new creatures just might have a little better view of how flawed we all are, how much we need someone higher than ourselves to be doing the correcting, and to be sorting out who really are the good guys and bad guys, hats and all.