I posted Steve Taylor lyrics to facebook last night, from his song "Whatever Happened to Sin". At the time, I was thinking about the church today, and how so many churches are preaching a feel good, social justice gospel in order to make themselves more acceptable to the masses.
Today I realized how appropriate those lyrics truly were, not just to the church, but to our political scene today.
I remember after the election, seeing posts on facebook where people were talking about how they didn't really speak out during the election, but now there were things going on they just couldn't keep silent about. Those posts made me angry. Most of the things that were so upsetting after the election were going on well before the election and during the election. Suddenly deciding to speak up now, when the damage is already done, seemed to me to be a case of "too little, too late".
You see, I believe we have a duty to at least TRY to make a difference when it comes to the things we believe in. Putting your head in the sand and not speaking out, for whatever reason, is a cowardly move. This will make people angry. I get it. We don't want to upset our friends or family. We want to keep the peace. I truly do understand that. Those things, however, do not let us off the hook. It just doesn't.
I can go back to that old saying from Germany during World War 2, about how someone didn't speak up, and when they came to take him, there was no one left to speak up for him. But we've heard that one before.
It's quite simple. If you don't speak out when it counts, when you could make a difference, when you could challenge the status quo, or all the news that fits the narrative, then really, how much right do you have to complain now?
In case you are still sitting there saying "But, people will delete me off facebook, or stop talking to me, or get angry, or..."
I have had 2 family members delete me and block me on facebook. Not because I said something hateful to them. Not because I was mean or horrid. Simply because I had the nerve to post an opinion different than theirs. I challenged their assumptions, and this made me persona non grata. They were constantly posting things that challenged my assumptions. They made me look deeper into what I thought. In many cases, they didn't change my opinion, but I became much more capable of defending my own position, because I was forced to see the other side. I welcome this. I guess they didn't. And while occasionally it still stings, I refuse to stop speaking out.
I have been called a bigot, a racist, homophobic. I have been told I am more concerned with other women's sex lives and that's why I"m pro-life. I have been told I am annoying and useless. And yet I still speak out.
The ability to speak out, to challenge, to verbalize our opinions is one of the foundations of society. If it wasn't for people speaking out, there would have never been a Revolutionary War, the Abolitionists Movement, Women's Suffrage, Civil Rights. All of those things challenged in a deep, profound, life-changing way, the status quo. People, individual people, made a difference.
So I will continue speaking out, and I'm challenging you to do the same.
I'll leave you with this little tidbit, from Steve Taylor's song:
If you don't care now
How the problems get solved
You can shake your head later
That you never got involved
'Cause the call came ringing
From the throne of gold
But you never got the message
'Cause your mind's on hold
Today I realized how appropriate those lyrics truly were, not just to the church, but to our political scene today.
I remember after the election, seeing posts on facebook where people were talking about how they didn't really speak out during the election, but now there were things going on they just couldn't keep silent about. Those posts made me angry. Most of the things that were so upsetting after the election were going on well before the election and during the election. Suddenly deciding to speak up now, when the damage is already done, seemed to me to be a case of "too little, too late".
You see, I believe we have a duty to at least TRY to make a difference when it comes to the things we believe in. Putting your head in the sand and not speaking out, for whatever reason, is a cowardly move. This will make people angry. I get it. We don't want to upset our friends or family. We want to keep the peace. I truly do understand that. Those things, however, do not let us off the hook. It just doesn't.
I can go back to that old saying from Germany during World War 2, about how someone didn't speak up, and when they came to take him, there was no one left to speak up for him. But we've heard that one before.
It's quite simple. If you don't speak out when it counts, when you could make a difference, when you could challenge the status quo, or all the news that fits the narrative, then really, how much right do you have to complain now?
In case you are still sitting there saying "But, people will delete me off facebook, or stop talking to me, or get angry, or..."
I have had 2 family members delete me and block me on facebook. Not because I said something hateful to them. Not because I was mean or horrid. Simply because I had the nerve to post an opinion different than theirs. I challenged their assumptions, and this made me persona non grata. They were constantly posting things that challenged my assumptions. They made me look deeper into what I thought. In many cases, they didn't change my opinion, but I became much more capable of defending my own position, because I was forced to see the other side. I welcome this. I guess they didn't. And while occasionally it still stings, I refuse to stop speaking out.
I have been called a bigot, a racist, homophobic. I have been told I am more concerned with other women's sex lives and that's why I"m pro-life. I have been told I am annoying and useless. And yet I still speak out.
The ability to speak out, to challenge, to verbalize our opinions is one of the foundations of society. If it wasn't for people speaking out, there would have never been a Revolutionary War, the Abolitionists Movement, Women's Suffrage, Civil Rights. All of those things challenged in a deep, profound, life-changing way, the status quo. People, individual people, made a difference.
So I will continue speaking out, and I'm challenging you to do the same.
I'll leave you with this little tidbit, from Steve Taylor's song:
If you don't care now
How the problems get solved
You can shake your head later
That you never got involved
'Cause the call came ringing
From the throne of gold
But you never got the message
'Cause your mind's on hold
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