Homophobes, Psychopaths, and Sadomasochists

Beware the English language. It will surely bite you if you try to cross the mainstream.

Try, for instance, to state a belief that homosexual behavior is a sin. You are not, at this point, stating an opinion regarding what you see in the Bible. It is not possible that you actually believe that. It isn't remotely possible that such a statement is even true. At this point, the mainstream will rise up and bite you with a relatively new English term: "Homophobe." The term is defined in the dictionary as "a person who fears or hates homosexuals and homosexuality." If you believe such activity is a sin, you either fear or hate homosexuals. It's as simple as that.

Or, perhaps you might suggest that it is biblical to spank children as part of their training. You are no longer a sane person; you are a psychopath. Now, a "psychopath" is basically defined as "a person having no concerns for the feelings of others and a complete disregard for any sense of social obligation." Clearly the person that thinks that training a child by means of spanking cannot actually believe it is taught in the Bible. They can only be a person without regard for the feelings of others, having no sense of social obligation.

Do you actually believe that the Bible is God-breathed, that it is the Word of God and ought to be followed? Then it's not likely that you are simply a Christian of principle. No. It is most likely that you are a sadomasochist who is intent on inflicting pain on yourself and others around you with your twisted beliefs in heaven, hell and all that jazz.

It's a real easy approach. If you don't really have an argument to make here, fill it in with a bad tag. Give the people with whom you disagree labels that make them look bad. It doesn't really matter if the label fits. It doesn't really matter if the label is even connected to the idea in question. And it certainly is not the goal here to address the idea in question. Clearly that isn't going to happen. If I can just call you a name that makes you look bad, I can minimize your ideas, whether or not they're right. If I can call into question your character, your viewpoints become meaningless.

It's really a product of lost arguments. It's what we do when we run out of things to say. In the movie, Hook, lawyer and grown up Peter Pan, Peter Banning, is trading insults with his Lost Boys nemesis, Rufio. At first Rufio is winning easily, but Banning starts to get into it. The tide turns, and Rufio runs out of insults. "You man! You ... you man!" That's where we end up. They aren't going to address the discussion of whether or not such and such a thing is a sin (and, as such, bad for the person committing it). No. "You ... you homophobe!" There's no room for evaluating whether or not controlled pain can provide a good training environment or whether it can be found in the Bible. No. "You ... you psychopath!" It's the last bastion of the weak mind.

Words have meaning. Terms like "homophobe" and "psychopath" are actually significant. There really are people who are homophobic. These people actually hate or fear homosexuals. There is no rationale. There is no sense. It is simply a hate or fear of the person. That's not the case of everyone who thinks that choosing to commit the act is sinning. To attribute this to someone is to diminish the word and even strip away the value (yes, value) of recognizing the morality or immorality of something. There really are people who have no concern for the welfare of others and no sense of social obligation. These are dangerous people that need to be recognized and helped when possible. Sadomasochists actually exist, people who enjoy harming themselves and others. They need help. Castigating them is not "help". And holding a particular view contrary to one's own does not qualify someone as one. To label them as such is to strip away the meaning of the word and remove any opportunity of dialog.

And, look, Christians, it's not just "them" that do it. We are often on the receiving end of these ad hominem attacks, but we are just as often on the sending end. If you have reasons to disagree with an idea, disagree. If you don't, calling names and insulting people isn't going to help your cause. We, of all people, ought to reflect the Divine command, "Love your enemies." I just don't see how insulting them fits in with that command.