How Should Christians Respond to Cancel Culture? 

Last year I lost my job at a public university for being a Christian and defending my ideas in a progressive, left-wing environment. It was very hard and to this day it is a wound that does not heal.

Was cancelled in 2018 for being successful at being a strong political voice and team leader ..top 100 influencers on Twitter. It was emotional ..but faith and community brought me through

I really like how Sean pointed out it's the when, where, and how we talk about subjects that drive a wedge between people. I've always questioned the notion that "you don't talk about money or religion at the diner table." I was always like "why?" Those are some of the most important subjects in life.

The idea of “I’m on the side of justice in shutting you down” is why the idea has such moral heft. In every case of canceling I know of (100s), the concept is that “we are removing evil from society, thus protecting culture and society.” I know this is the view of people coming after Christians (that “Christianity denies freedom to people, thus do harm, ergo should be removed from society”) but Conservatives and Christians will take the same approach. This was certainly the case against homosexuality during my childhood of the 60s and 70s. Once there is an embedded sense of holiness and being “the defender of society,” there is basically no more need for debate in the mind of the one doing the canceling.

I agree that cancel culture is a HUGE problem in colleges and universities. But Christians, “the cancel culture mob,” as Dr. Rae describes them, may be us. I think in general the church practices a more understated form of cancel culture. I'm not comparing it to causing a professor to lose her job, for example. But here's what I've seen in churches: if your political beliefs aren't in step, or if you ask too many uncomfortable theological questions, or if you've come to conclusions regarding culture which differ from the norm in the congregation, you are NOT attacked directly. INSTEAD, you're treated with a condescending tolerance, and word gets around that you're a misguided, possibly troubled person whose ideas should be taken with a grain of salt, whose religious sincerity is questionable, and whose presence is cause for mild suspicion. Dr. McDowell's word, “squeezed,” describes perfectly the feeling I get so often as an ideologically atypical Christian. And virtue signaling? Sometimes I feel like we Christians invented the practice. Just something to think about while we shake our heads and click our tongues at those liberal elites from academia and Hollywood.

I think the news has helped keep (20th century) issues out of sight. Emmett Tills funeral helped open it up. Whether it was or is right or left now is another discussion.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="2568">42:48</a> this sounds like solid advice and I would add teaching how to debate at a young age, maybe 9 or ten -with age appropriate subjects of course! We don't need to lay the burdens of adults on kids.

I feel simply grateful for this conversation. Thank you!

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="2435">40:35</a> I think kids not being able to think for themselves is due to a lack of teaching them how to think critically. Interestingly, one of the authors of the book also co-wrote "The Coddling of the American Mind".

You should listen to what ayaan hirsi ali has said on this in the "unherd " interview

What exactly does being canceled mean in the context of people?

so the common factor is: social media....especially portable compared to the internet still only on computers.

Apologist Glen Scrivener did say that it was Jesus who began cancel culture.

Is it Christian to condemn whole groups of people, placing them under a hateful, demeaning umbrella term to marginalize and invalidate them? Please tell me Jesus would approve.

*Not far enough.*

Through the centuries the enemy of God has always tried all sorts of tricks to keep us astray from the Lord. We need to practice the example of our Lord " ... *learn from me, for I Am gentle and lowly in heart*..." to confront any kind of "cancelation" We Christians hardly read our Bibles; we don't need more books

Sean canceled someone just last week.

If Jesus or Yahweh were cancel culture no one would be alive. He canceled humanity once in Noah's flood according to Christian belief. Grace and mercy seem to be illusory concepts in modern Christianity.

Harvey W. is bad, but he was railroaded.

They are the Alphas and Omegas: God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning of all things, even Jesus. It is God who said to John through Jesus “It is done. *I am Alpha and Omega,* the beginning and the end…he that overcometh shall inherit all things; and *_I will be his God, and he shall be my son”_* (Revelation <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1266">21:6</a>-7). Jesus says in Revelation <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="68">1:8</a> “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty [meaning God the Father’s power and spirit working within him].” Jesus had to overcome this world and now he sits on the throne with his Father (Revelation <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="201">3:21</a>). *The Father is the **_sole source_** of all things, including Jesus.* All things came forth/out from the Father (John <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="988">16:28</a>), and Jesus is the first of all His creation. When the Father placed all things into His Son’s hands, it was Jesus who then created the heavens and the earth with the power and spirit that was given to him by God the Father. Now we must keep God’s commandments and the testimony of Jesus Christ in order for *us to become one even as **_they are one_* (John <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1041">17:21</a>-23).

What exactly does being canceled mean in the context of people?

What exactly does being canceled mean in the context of people?

What exactly does being canceled mean in the context of people?

What exactly does being canceled mean in the context of people?

👍

The self-congratulatory tone of the two speakers regarding the intellectual freedom at Biola may be misleading. Are there fewer conservatives on an Ivy League faculty? or atheists on the Biola faculty? I understand that Biola is a private institution and can do what it wants, (I truly don't begrudge.) but an all-Christian faculty is not the model of intellectual and academic freedom.