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conspiracies, faith, justice, opinion, politics, retribution, revenge
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I enjoy studying internet culture because of what it says about us as a people. Like it or not, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Our hearts are not always filled with fluffy bunnies and jam.
I was thinking of public hangings in the context of an old Western and how the whole town would come out and celebrate justice as vengeance, as a form of entertainment. Or if you prefer, you could always run down to a Roman Colosseum and watch some Christians get eaten by lions.
Seriously, wut the heck is wrong with us? Well, total depravity. So, just for the record here, vengeance, blood lust, violence, and retributive justice, are not good things. Neither is consuming these things in virtual reality as a form of entertainment. We’ve been doing it for thousands of years, so obviously it is part of the human condition, but that doesn’t make it right.
Here’s a good blog post that sums up some of my concerns around what I am going to call, Social Justice Right Wing Style, with a side of ranch dressing. Q anon, the Deep State, and these elaborate conspiracy theories that suggest things like, John McCain didn’t die of natural causes, he was taken out. As the blog post mentions, what is disturbing about this kind of thing, is the blood lust, the almost giddy enthusiasm people have for what would amount to state sanctioned top-secret public execution without a trial, if it were true.
Uh yeah, if you genuinely believed some secret cabal within your government was assassinating political enemies without due process, celebration is not a good idea, because you’re probably going to be next. Like duh, people.
Least anyone think this kind of blood thirsty lust for revenge, for power and control, only afflicts the Right side of the aisle, the Left has their own flavor of nuttiness going on, too. In politics we like to annihilate our enemies and the politics of personal destruction have now moved out into the realm of ordinary civilians.
Like President Trump is totally Hilter man, and we have to defend ourselves against the sub-human Deplorable Orcs who are ruining the world….
We are constantly, as a culture, now putting people on trial in the court of public opinion, dragging stuff up from years ago, and hoping they face plant. Some people are actually guilty of stuff, but that is not my point at all. My point is that we should be asking ourselves what makes us feel so giddy and gleeful when somebody is “found out” and publicly executed, if only in a virtual sense?
What is lacking within our own souls and why?
Somebody once said something nasty to me, turned around and walked face first into a pole. Did I absolutely delight in that comedic and well-timed justice? You betcha, a hunger for justice is really hardwired into us. But it must be tempered, restrained, infused with reason, love, and grace.
I live in a small town, I’m kind of familiar with the politics of personal destruction, with gossip, with the giddy glee in which we humans like to bask in as we tear someone down. They are getting what they deserve, those kind of people.
Just for the record, those kind of people happen to never be us. They are always the enemy, the bad guy, they get what they deserve. But, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,” and we always forget that. There is no due process in the court of public opinion, it is always mob rule and says more about us then the alleged bad guy we are targeting.
This is going to sound very prim and proper, prudish, virtuous in a world where even “virtue signaling” has gotten a bum rap, but there really is another way, a better way, once called “the way.” That is where we practice such things as “love your enemy,” remember you are your brother’s keeper, love one another. We lift up others, perceive them as better than ourselves, extend grace, realize “there are none righteous, not one.”
That’s the Christian way, no matter how imperfectly we manage to manifest it around us. Those values matter and they matter even more in a world gone totally mad.
United we win, divided we fall. That is a harsh truth sometimes, and not so easy to confront, but if you imagine us as all in the same life boat, there is actually no such thing as reaching over to poke a hole just in your brother’s side of the boat. Life just doesn’t work that way. A hole on his side, is a hole on your side, and the whole boat is going to sink if you don’t refrain from filling it with holes.
Just saying.
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See, there's this thing called biology... 
There used to be a political pendulum that would occasionally swing to the left, then to the right, ad infinitum. Then, something odd and dangerous happened. The pendulum split in two, and both pendulums are now swinging in their respective directions, unfettered. Divided we fall- or crash. Great post, IB.
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A good thought. We do need to find balance again.
If and whenever we emerge from this political divisiveness and become united Americans again my takeaway from all this will the a greater understanding of Third World nations who engage in those periodic “ethnic cleansing” pogroms that affect the civilized world so immensely; the need to settle old scores. I am not a violent person by nature nor demeanor.. but given the political wild-eyed fantasies of many of my fellow Americans that has changed the country so “badly” (temporarily)… I can identify with the urge to politically “cleanse” the land once the catalyst has been removed. But.. hey.. being a capitalist, it’s probably wise keeping a few of them around to continue to pay taxes.
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Justice and love are not mutually exclusive. When innocent children are subjected to abuse by powerful church leaders, how do we practically apply the mandate to “love one another”?
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So hard John, so hard to apply the love mandate in that area but we have to. Unfortunately, Jesus didn’t make exceptions. I start by praying for the offenders, which requires me to forgive them. That often takes time. There is the practical application: pray for them and forgive them. One must believe deeply in the power of prayer to change hearts or this won’t work. ✌️
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Is it your place to forgive someone for the sins perpetrated against children?
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I think so John, and one reason why we should is because in order to forgive, such things have to be drug out into the open, talked about, healed from, and prevented from ever happening in the future.
One problem with unforgivness is that it tends to create denial and hypocrisy and drive dark things into the shadows where they really thrive. Much of the Catholic church scandal happened decades ago when nobody was taking about it and victims where being taught to surrender to all authority always, to remain silent,and to blame themselves. If we aren’t confronting the challenge of forgiving perps, what we are often doing is failing to acknowledge that a crime has happened, covering it up, and blaming victims.
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Exposing perps is not the same as forgiving perps. The church (all the way up to the Pope) is still denying any wrong doing. It seems inappropriate to forgive these men when they have yet to admit their sin, much less apologize to their victims.
It would bother me if I was abused by a priest to hear church people tell me I’m wrong for not forgiving my unrepentant abusers.
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“It would bother me if I was abused by a priest to hear church people tell me I’m wrong for not forgiving my unrepentant abusers”
Most of us heavily invested in being unforgiving towards the unrepentant are not victims of priests at all, but rather an angry mob that have gathered around to stone the adulteress all over again.
We aren’t motivated by hurt, betrayal, PTSD, and sexual abuse trauma, we’re motivated by self righteousness, scandal, and the joy of condemnation.
I would never tell a victim they were wrong to be unforgiving because forgiveness is a process and it takes time. That is between God and a victim. I do believe healing and genuine freedom comes from forgiveness however, so I wouldn’t ignore it forever.
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I haven’t suggested stoning, whipping, jailing, or even scolding anyone. We agree that forgiveness is between God and the victim. That’s why I asked if it is appropriate for us, as non-victims , to forgive abusers.
There is no “joy of condemnation” in holding priests (or anyone) accountable for their behavior. Neither is there any value in grace when there is no possibility that justice will be served.
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Well John, when abusers are all around you, your friends, family, neighbors, even pastors, the value and necessity of forgiveness becomes more obvious to you. We can walk around with bitterness and resentment, or we can cultivate forgiveness and even perhaps some empathy. Empathy not just in the sense of “compassion,” but in understanding what motivates them and how to protect ourselves and our children.
Harsh truth here John, but the vast majority of victims will never see justice at all, and most abusers will never be held accountable, not in this world anyway. Our anger at the Catholic church is not going to bring about justice, because the statute of limitations has expired in most cases. And of course, the whole protestant world is embroiled in their own #Metoo revelations.
I read your post, no major disagreement, but you said, “this isn’t Christianity.” It really is, Christianity is deeply flawed and totally depraved humans attempting to reflect Jesus Christ. What you see in the secular world you are going to see in the churchian world too, because it involves “people. ”
The Lord says vengeance is mine, so it is not ours. I’d be perfectly happy with the public stoning of a few priests, but that is not a deterrent, it doesn’t change hearts and minds, and it wouldn’t heal victims.
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Christianity is deeply flawed humans being made into new, flawless creations. If Christians are no different from the world, why tell people they should follow Christ?
Scripture is clear that immoral people have no place in the kingdom of God. The kindest thing I can do is remind immoral people of that truth.
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“If Christians are no different from the world, why tell people they should follow Christ?”
That would actually make a fabulous blog post, because that’s a genuine riddle, a bit like “how can a good God allow human suffering?” Why didn’t He stop those pedophile priests?
I know for myself I have to “lean not into my own understanding” and to trust that even evil things can eventually serve a vital
and good purpose in God’s kingdom.
Christians often are “no different from the world,” hundreds of thousands of them. My hubby once gave me the best answer, “how would you know? Do you know what people would actually look like without Christ at all?”
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Good stuff here IB on an increasingly important topic. There are a lot of seemingly normal people out there who’ve fallen for this conspiracy theory nonsense which makes it harder for our system of democracy to survive. If enough people lose faith in a country’s institutions and believe, as your post perfectly outlines, in bloodlust revenge above all we are done.
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You said it all so beautifully. Thank you.
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Well said, “…those kind of people happen to never be US.
Disagreements often result in divisions. When opposing sides allow passion to escalate into obsession, suspected enemies are forced into molds forged in extreme evil. Abandoning objectivity, such perceptions of competition devolve our promotion of love and empathy into belligerent hate and intolerance.
Lines are drawn, groups are formed, war is declared. The smallest disappointments erupt into a raging inferno. Misery loves company, so soon militant forces are organized. Each side believes theirs is right, absolutely righteous. Fact is ONLY what supports their narrative and agenda. We bond with those who agree with us, while we vehemently reject and oppose ANY who dare to introduce an alternative view.
If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even your enemies do that. If you welcome only your own kind, what are you doing more than others? Even infidels do that. (Mt. 5:46, 47).
“United we win, divided we fall.” A notion that if individual members of a certain group with binding ideals work on their own instead of as a team, they are each doomed to fail and will be defeated. This ‘need to rally’ is a common denominator among grass-roots protests. Sadly, while proclaiming social justice, they too often forsake the notion of justice for anyone outside their group.
Of course, the more frequently quoted version of this phrase = united we STAND. If the basis of an organization STANDS on principles proven reliable, time-tested and true principles, then the emphasis shifts from winning to CONTINUING – as in PRESERVATION. Indeed, these tumultuous times in America demand an immediate refrain from “poking holes” in the fragile lifeboat of Democracy we’re ALL depending upon.
May we ALL remember: while that index fingers points to a fault in another, three digits are pointing back at us. “First go and be reconciled” Mt. 5:23.
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“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!”
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Amen, Debbie! Nice to hear from you. Happy travels and hiking! 🙂
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refreshing style of writing.
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I’d be careful with the phase: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,” because it is unbiblical and untrue. The world would not be blind because humans, thankfully, seldom put out others people’s eyes and therefore the punishment would be rare. But the biblical concept has broader applications. The truth is, if someone gouged out our eye we would want more that just one of their eyes we’d want both! We tend to want to take more in vengeance that is just and God’s law sets definite limits to prevent that.
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Well, I don’t think I have anything useful here, so I shall ramble. As you know from our conversation the issue of what do we do with an abuser in our midst is much on my mind. This, from a man I loved and respected; a man I still love but don’t much respect anymore. We all still love him, but he is no longer one of us. Obviously, his relationship with Jesus, only he knows; but he is no longer in our fellowship. That was the only thing to do; especially in light of the fact that the victim is still with us. I can’t really say if I have “forgiven,” this issue. Frankly, I am still angry and have not been to see nor spoken to my friend. At this point, I don’t know when I will. I am certainly not seeking vengeance, as that is not my place; but I am also not over it sufficiently to restore a personal relationship. So….there it is in all it’s sad ugliness. Thanks for the space, IB.
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That’s not ugly, Wally. That’s perfectly stated. Your example is exactly what we want to see happen in churches, as is your response.
Forgiving people for me is kind of like trying to understand what led them to what they did, understanding it’s them not me, and being grateful I’m not walking in their shoes. It’s kind of like letting go of our own resentment and bitterness and placing them in God’s hands. Forgiveness doesn’t have to be about forgetting or reconciling or even restoring the relationship. We can forgive them and still totally walk away, too. The only relationship that needs to be restored is theirs with God.
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Thanks, IB. What you said there is key..”letting go of our own resentment.” I’m almost there.
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