The Irony of Political Correctness.

Published on August 24, 2004 By Gideon MacLeish In Politics

I try to be a generally good global citizen.

I compost, recycle, teach my kids the value of a dollar, and the idea of unconditional regard for all of God's creation.

But I also teach them to stand up for what they believe in, and will live my life no other way. I have to look at myself in the mirror each morning.

The latest crop of "political correctness" now teaches that Islam is a religion of peace, and that they're misunderstood by Western society. Meanwhile, conservative Christians are a boil on the ass of humanity that must be lanced.

The irony here is amazing. They preach peace and tolerance, but that peace and tolerance shouldn't extend to Christians. They ignore the repeated human rights violations that occur in many of the Muslim nations and write it off as a difference in culture. Meanwhile, all a Christian has to do is condemn the actions, not the faith, to call down the wrath of the PC police.

Yes, Christians have participated in their share of atrocities historically. And some Christians tend to do so to this day. But there are many in the Christian community that consistently decry these acts and the individuals who participate in them. When those same Christians aim their hand at some of the other of the world's atrocities, they're denounced as bigots, or worse.

If you want to hate me for the God I serve, fine. But don't preach to me about peace and tolerance while you are doing so. Joeuser has given me some great tools to deal with such hypocrites, and I can, and will avail myself of them. I welcome lively debate about the issues, but when it degenerates into a mockery of one's faith, in my opinion, it crosses the line. I don't bash any religion, however, I will question the actions of the practitioners of some religions and the light they shed on their faith itself. And I welcome you to do the same. But on MY blog, faith bashing of any sort is not welcome.

signing off,

Gideon MacLeish

Comments (Page 1)

Wade Helquist

on Aug 24, 2004

The sad thing is their are a lot of good people in the world who value tolerance and peace and who value and respect all religions, faiths, and people, however man of them are either to afraid or lazy to stand up for what they believe in.

SSG Geezer

on Aug 24, 2004

PC is a bane on society when the Golden rule would serve just as well.
You don't have to pretend to love someone or something just because it is mandated.
If you choose to judge or attribute a trait to someone, do it based on your observations of that indiviual.
But remember that you do so at risk of being thought an idiot or worse. This goes doubly to judging religious
groups. I had a history of slamming organized religion but the words of a devout lady sank into my brain after
much repitition: "A church is made up of people, both good and bad with all the traits found in humans."
A smart lady after I spent a bit of time thinking about it.
If I sound like I am reverting to my old form just smack me gid, I don't like a lot of things I see in the world that are
aggravated by religion and "religious" people, so please try to differentiate between the two in any comments I make.
The constitution says it best: Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the
people peacably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of Grievances. Amendment I (1791)
pretty amazing document huh?

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 24, 2004

pretty amazing document huh?

Yes, excellent document.

And I don't mind people having a problem with the way certain Christians have acted. But, in the name of political correctness, I have, by inferrence, been called a Nazi supporter, an anti-Semite, and many other appellations, none of which come remotely close to describing any portion of my doctrine. Frankly, it's getting old.

I am who I am, and not without errors. But I don't need to be blamed for errors that AREN'T mine.

BlueDev

on Aug 24, 2004

Excellently put Gideon. Interesting how open-mindedness and political correctness are so selective, eh?

Deference

on Aug 24, 2004

The latest crop of "political correctness" now teaches that Islam is a religion of peace, and that they're misunderstood by Western society. Meanwhile, conservative Christians are a boil on the ass of humanity that must be lanced.

Ack! PC, never liked it, never ascribed to it, it's about the only thing I really didn't miss about the '90's. The anti-Christian slant is also a huge problem for me, as America gets farther and farther from it's roots and dives more and more into secularism. I was constantly attacked by many liberals as to why I was so much against "diversity" (when I was arguing against the gay agenda) when I thought they were being totally blind to the fact that my voice was a part of "diversity".

Now, on the issue of Islam, I have a few friends from Saudi Arabia (here on Visas and put in detention for six months simply because of where they were from) and what they have told me is that there are radical Shiites and those that practice jihad (holy war) but that this is not indicative of the majority of those in the religion.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 24, 2004

Now, on the issue of Islam, I have a few friends from Saudi Arabia (here on Visas and put in detention for six months simply because of where they were from) and what they have told me is that there are radical Shiites and those that practice jihad (holy war) but that this is not indicative of the majority of those in the religion.

And I tend to believe that. The honest, law abiding citizens of countries such as Saudi Arabia would do well, however, to listen to those who say they should denounce the acts of their countrymen. If they cooperated in apprehending, rather than sheltering, participants in terror activities, it would go a long way towards establishing good will.

I can understand why they would be loathe to turn these men over to western authorities; fine. Let them be tried in their courts, by their peers, and according to their legal standards. However, let representatives from the countries targetted by their terrors be spectators in the proceedings that justice may truly be done.

No such proposal, however, has yet been advanced by these Muslim nations.

Manopeace

on Aug 25, 2004

Right on Bro!

cactoblasta

on Aug 25, 2004

I think Islam's biggest problem is that it is reforming about a hundred years after Christianity did. The Catholicism I practise is enormously different to that of my grandparents. I don't confess every week, I don't study Latin, there is no rail before the altar etc. etc. And most other Christian churches have also changed over time.

Islam is only really just beginning this reform period. Wahhabism and the anti-West rhetoric fostered by the century/s of Western rule and West-sponsored authoritarianism have made this change slower, but as education levels increase and simple survival fades as a major issue, reform is happening. You only have to look at the growth of modernist Islamic literature coming out of Southeast Asia and the increasing number of interpretations of the various holy texts to see that Islam itself is undergoing a cultural revolution of sorts.

It's not going to happen overnight and it will take a few generations, but the Islamic world is becoming more politically secular and western. It's just a matter of time.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 25, 2004

It's not going to happen overnight and it will take a few generations, but the Islamic world is becoming more politically secular and western.

In my opinion, I don't care if Islam DOESN'T become more western. Personally, I see much validity to some of their complaints against western society.

My hope, however, is that they see solutions other than violence to preserving their way of life as they would have it.

matt07

on Aug 25, 2004

I agree with you Gideon. It is definitely hypocrytical. People shouldn't use such equaninimity in dealing with religions. People should also be allowed to comment on the actions of Islamic radicals. But when you condemn a whole faith as evil, that's going too far.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 25, 2004

PC is a bane on society when the Golden rule would serve just as well.

From now on, I'm deferring to the "Gideon rule": "Harm none but take no shit".

This is true. But, asking the leaders of that faith to step up and condemn the actions of the violent factions is a fair and reasonable request.

SSG Geezer

on Aug 25, 2004

I believe the advance of Islamic civilization has been covered by a number of comments made in various
forums here on JU. My question is: How can a nation become advanced and more secular when less than %50
have access to an education. )Females in Nations like Taliban ruled Afghanistan?? Can you tell me in 50 words
or less? If so? Do.

SSG Geezer

on Aug 25, 2004

Thing timed out multiple times please delete dupes Gideon.SRRY

MasonM

on Aug 25, 2004

I have also noticed the total hypocrisy of the PC crowd. Personally the whole PC craze makes me wretch. It's all about following the fashionable trends. Most of that bunch don't actually give a rat's ass about anything outside of their little sphere of insecurity and wanna-be fascism. They just want to appear "socially concerned" and "morally guided".

If torturing rats in the streets suddenly became fashionable, they'd be right in there shoving firecrackers up the rat's patootie.

Texas Wahine

on Aug 25, 2004

Gideon: Interesting post.

I agree that political correctness has been carried to extremes and is often used selectively. Extreme political correctness robs us of our rights to free speech because we become so fearful of being labeled a bigot or worse. We choose not to debate and discuss issues that need attention because we are afraid of how we will appear to the all important PC group.

We do not have to like everything that goes on in the world . . . we do not have to like someone that causes us grief or discomfort just because they can be classified in a group that it is un-PC to comment on. As Americans, we have the right to ask questions and make statements about events and the actions, words, and characters of others at our own discretion; we do not need to request clearance before committing a thought to words.

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