Politically Correct Christians
Scriptures: Matthew 5:14-16; 28:19-20
Introduction
I was leaving a meeting recently and as I left I wished a fellow worker a very “Merry Christmas”. Immediately with the focus of being politically correct, I wondered if I may have offended him, especially if he was not a Christian. He responded by wishing me a Merry Christmas and my fears were eliminated. As I left that person, I began thinking and pondering over the whole issue as to why I was concerned about wishing him or anyone else a Merry Christmas. Isn’t that what we are celebrating? When people go shopping, do they not say “I’m going Christmas shopping”? Have you ever heard someone ask, “What are you getting for the holiday or what’s in your holiday stocking?” No, they ask about what someone is getting for Christmas. This whole issue of Christmas being a Christian holiday and therefore cannot be spoken about in schools or on the job is setting a precedent that I hope is making you nervous. Consider the following examples that I found while doing an internet search on the politically correct Christmas.
• In 2006, three out of four employers no longer put up Christmas decorations in the workplace for the fear of offending political correctness policing;
• In the UK, the Red Cross banned Christmas nativity decorations from its UK charity shops in case they offend customers of other faiths;
• Macy’s department store ran into trouble when they removed the “Merry Christmas” greetings from all of their stores and replaced them with a politically correct greeting. Remember this is the store that was immortalized in the 1947 Christmas movie “Miracle On 34th Street”;
• A first grade teacher in Sacramento CO., CA says her principal has prohibited instructors from uttering the word “Christmas” in class or in written material;
• A school superintendent in Yonkers, N.Y. banned and then un-banned holiday decorations that contained religious themes more than the generic “season’s greeting; and finally
• Atheists have increased their “opposition” to the name Christmas preferring the “politically correct” name of “Winter Solstice”. At the Wisconsin state Capitol, they have a sign that says the following: “At this season of The Winter Solstice” may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” There is no way the state of Wisconsin would allow Christians to place a sign right beside theirs that said “Jesus is real, whether you believe it or not, you will find out, but then it will be too late to realize how foolish you were for not believing when you had the chance.”
These are just a few examples of “issues” that have come up in recent years as it pertains to Christmas. But I want to share one final example with you. Please watch the following video clip. (For those of you reading this, the video clip shows presidential candidate Mike Huckabee in an ad where he wishes everyone a Merry Christmas. In the background there is a Christmas tree and what looks to be a floating cross. This caused a stir as some reported that it was a “religious message”. The second video showed him being interviewed by Meredith Vieira on the Today show where she questions him about the ad and its appropriateness.)
As you watched the video clips, did you feel that he was out of line with his comments? The supposedly “floating cross” was a book shelf and the lights just happened to hit the shelves to make it appear to be a cross. People found the “cross” to be very offensive and he was accused of doing it on purpose. Is the real issue about Christmas or could there be something far more dangerous underlying all of this? I believe that what we are witnessing with the politically correctness of Christmas is just a beginning of worse times to come for Christians. Before I explain, let me first share with our younger members what it means to be politically correct, especially since I struggle with this at times when being politically correct conflicts with telling the truth and nothing but the truth.
I. The History of Being Politically Correct
Political correctness is a term used to describe language, ideas, policies or behavior seen as seeking to minimize offense to racial, cultural, or other identity groups. Conversely, the term “politically incorrect” is used to refer to language or ideas that may cause offense or that are unconstrained by orthodoxy (conforming to the usual beliefs or doctrines). Some have argued that this term “political correctness” was invented by conservatives to discredit progressive social change, especially with respect to issues such as race, religion and gender. The term is not a new term and can be traced all the way back to 1700s in the United States and possibly even earlier than that in Europe. The whole premise around being politically correct is not to offend others by the things we say, the policies we put into place or the way we act. So those three covers a wide range of ideas and actions that would govern what we should and should not be doing. So here is the question that each of us should really begin thinking about, “How much of your “Christianity in practice” are you willing to give up in order to be politically correct?
II. Closet Christians Are The Best - Politically
Let me explain to you what I see as being in our future if we do not start to take a stand at some point. We’ve already lost prayer in school and for the most part Christian activities in public places. You can use the term “God” on TV, but not “Jesus” unless you’re saying His name in a moment of frustration to keep from cursing. I have wondered for years why it is okay to call out His name in public when we are trying to keep from cursing but we cannot call out His name in public when we are grateful. Are you starting to see where I am going? The world wants us to become closet Christians because a closet Christian will have no impact on this world. People do not want to know that we are Christians and so we must hide it under the premise of being “politically correct” so as not to offend all of the other religions and those who have no religious beliefs at all. This goes against the very command that Christ has given us. Matthew 28:19-20 records the great commission where Jesus says: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you……..” How can we accomplish this take if we are being politically correct and keeping our Christianity in the closet?
Let me make this point even clearer for you. Turn with me to Matthew 5:14-16. In these verses Jesus makes the following statement, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Jesus said that we are the light of the world. The world wants to be in darkness, yet we are called to be a shining light in this world of darkness. Next Jesus says that “A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” The light that is given off from a city at night (especially one that sits on a hill) allows others to see it, even from great distances. I have flown on planes when it was dark and there have been many times I have looked out of the window to see a cluster of lights surrounded by darkness. Those lights were the lights of cities, far below where I was flying over. The lights of the city allowed it to be seen from miles away. The next thing that Jesus said was “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.” This is what the world is trying to get us to do, put our lamps in a bowl by making us take our Christianity and keep it in the closet so as not to offend. How can we demonstrate to others that Christ lives within us if we keep our Christianity alive only within our homes? It is not possible. What draws people to Christ is something that they see within us and sometimes that may mean that we are not being politically correct. Jesus said that we are to “….let our (your) light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” This goes against where the world is trying to get us to go.
I am not saying that we should be offensive in our behavior as Christians; actually I am saying the opposite. The only way that we will draw others is that they see Christ within us. That cannot happen if we are walking around angry, evil and treating others badly. Likewise it cannot happen if everything we wish to do as part of our service to Christ is put on hold because we do not want to offend someone. The world is fine with us being Christians as long as we do not try to influence anyone else. If you read the Scriptures closely, that is exactly what we are supposed to be doing. When you examine the life of Christ and His disciples, you will see that although they walked in meekness, they were not being politically correct. They were actually being politically incorrect and this is why they were hated by those in power and eventually killed. However, their deaths did not quench their lights, it made them shine that much brighter and that is why we are here today – because they let their lights shine.
III. What Can We Do?
There is a saying in the secular world concerning people in authority. It goes something like this: “people do not care about how much you know until they know how much you care.” This is the same for Christians. If you do not get anything else from this message, understand this, no one will accept Christ through you until they first accept you. If you are talking to someone about Christ but that person, for whatever reason, has not accepted you, you are wasting your breath. Let me give you an example.
In bible study this week we talked about personal integrity. We talked about how our integrity established our character and how our character establishes us. One of the things we talked about was telling white lies. A lie is still a lie even if you tell it to preserve someone’s feelings. So we spent a lot of time talking about how we choose to sin against God to spare the feelings of our fellow man. Many in the class agreed that if they caught someone in a lie – especially a “big” lie – that they would no longer trust them. One individual made the point that if you’d lie about small things then you would definitely lie about big things – so whether it is big or small, the outcome is the same. If people know us as being a liar or someone of questionable integrity, they are not going to allow us to share Christ with them because for them it will come across as hypocrisy. The reason I bring this up is that this is one area where we can walk in that will reflect Christ that no once can condemn or call “politically incorrect”. When you walk in integrity based on your relationship with Christ, Christ comes through.
Let me share with you another example. I am sharing this story with you with permission. I was talking with a friend of mine who recently went through a divorce and is now dating someone else. One of her co-workers, knowing about her situation, has been reaching out to her to get her to “find Christ” because she needs Him. My friend is repelled by how this person continues to talk to her about Christ, especially when she looks at how the person treats her and how she acts on the job. On the job this person has been combative, conniving, and hateful. This person has also been at meetings getting so drunk that she would be late for the sessions the next day. Now this is being done by someone who is trying to “win” someone to Christ. My friend confided in me that she is often turned off by “Christians” who are always talking about what they are doing for Christ yet their lives do not demonstrate it. It is sad but true that this person is doing more harm than good. I told my friend that the truth is still the truth and she said she knew that but she could not hear it from her coworker. I recommended that she tell her coworker that her lifestyle was cancelling out her evangelism.
If people cannot accept us, they will not accept what we are offering. So as we continue to move forward in a world that would prefer to put Christianity and all other religion in a closet not to be seen in public again, how do we respond? We respond by doing just what Christ said, “….let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” We let our lights shine. Our shining lights come through in how we act, how we speak and how we are motivated (what motivates us). It not about whether you are in someone’s face telling them that they are going to hell if they do not accept Christ, but living Christ like before them. When those that we interact with begin to accept us, the door will be open for us to begin sharing. On my job I am hesitant to tell people that I am a minister yet when they find out most respond with the statement “I knew there was something different about you.” (I never know if that is necessarily a good or bad thing.) Whenever I am in meetings or meeting with other managers, my boss tends to tell the team that I am a minister, not me. I believe that if I live my life in a Christ-like manner people will be able to see something within me that reflects something they are seeking. That something – that someone is Christ. If He is abiding within us and we are allowing Him to rule, He will come through. As He comes through, the Holy Spirit will begin to open doors to allow us to share Christ with others. As I have asked you in the past, are you allowing Christ to come through you?
Conclusion
Are we going to be closet Christians? As we continue down the path to the point where anything pertaining to Christ is politically incorrect are we going to shut down Christ within us so as not to offend others? I am a Christian and on this Tuesday I will celebrate Christmas. For me it is not about Santa, it is about Christ. There are many people who celebrate Christmas who are not Christians, more power to them. But I am one, and I am not ashamed. Merry Christmas to each of you! Now if my greeting offended you, please read the paragraph below. If it did not offend you, you can stop here.
For those who may have been offended in my greeting:
“Ooops sorry, what I should have said is........ Happy Holidays! Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all... and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "America" in the Western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith of the wishee.
This wish is limited to the customary and usual good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first. "Holiday" is not intended to, nor shall it be considered, limited to the usual Judeo-Christian celebrations or observances, or to such activities of any organized or ad hoc religious community, group, individual or belief (or lack thereof).
DISCLAIMER: By accepting this greeting, you are accepting the following terms: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher at any time, for any reason or for no reason at all. This greeting is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. This greeting implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for the wishee, him/herself or others, or responsibility for the consequences which may arise from the implementation or non-implementation of same.
This greeting is void where prohibited by law.”
Source: (Internet site: politicallyincorrect.me)
May God continue to bless and keep you and YES I do mean it just the way I said it!
