In
the last blog, we began by looking at
‘What’s in a name?’ particularly ‘bigot.’ It was
asked, “Have you ever been called a bigot? Or Have you ever
called anyone a bigot?” We saw that the
name has evolved to mean, “One who is
narrowly or intolerantly devoted to his or her opinions and prejudices.”[1]
It was also mentioned that there is considerable
subjectivity with its usage these days. Even
now it is more a weapon to do as much
damage to someone’s reputation as anything else.
What
is interesting is how the name bigot has become equated with Christianity. Just
try the following experiment, go somewhere that is decidedly non-Christian in
worldview and say that you are a Christian. Then see what response you get, maybe
you will be called a bigot. For many, it
has become trendy to label Christianity
and Christians as bigots. If we are
honest though, sometimes there are those who, well, let’s say, engage their
mouth before thinking. So in some cases,
it is justified to take them to task.
According
to the above definition, anyone can be a bigot. Yes, even a person who is not a
Christian. That is to say; logically anyone
can be narrowly or intolerantly devoted to his or her opinions and prejudices,
Christian or not. If two groups (that are not Christian), are opposed to each
other they can also be called bigoted in their attitudes and reactions. Furthermore,
if a person or group uses this name for a Christian/s, then they may also be
bigoted. This is because; they are also narrowly or intolerantly devoted to
their opinions and prejudices towards Christian/s.
In light of what has been said here,
in a previous blog titled “Really?” (Dated 5th of February 2019) it was stated that,
“Fake
news. Social media outrage. Political polarization.
Ideological bullying. These are just a few of the centralizing characteristics of our current social climate… It should not surprise us, then, that our
collective cultural head is spinning as we simultaneously attempt to hold
together a persistent insistence on ideological tolerance and a call for
radical justice outrage… social bullying
and bigotry.”[2]
So,
before getting caught up in the social fad of labeling others with demeaning or shaming names stop and think. Think about what you are about to say. Would
you like to be called a bigot and be ‘Hate Bombed?” That is, “Hate Bombed” by faceless and
cowardly people who run with the crowd and who you have never met and may not
know? You know the ones, those whose split-second
impulses on social media and in the
groups around you who jump on board the bandwagon cause misery. This is especially
if someone is unable to defend themselves, from the faceless and raging mob. I
have coined this phrase ‘Hate Bombed’ since we can experience being
devastated when the name callers are howling for blood.
Pause in His presence for a moment and
think this over…
[1] “bigot.” https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bigot (20th
March 2019). See also, “Bigot.” https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/bigot (21st
March 2018).
[2] Let’s Make
Wisdom Great Again.” http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2019/01/lets-make-wisdom-great-again.php
(21st
March 2019).
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