Double Standards

In August the governor of California signed into law a new amendment to the education code that is designed to protect "pupil rights". These rights include the right to use whatever bathroom the student feels is their gender regardless of school records (specifically) (so, essentially, if it was to change from moment to moment, the school would have no recourse) and the absolute right of any pupil to play on any sports team that he or she or it or they or xnash (I don't know ... I'm making up genders like they are) wish. There you go! Their rights are safe. Of course, it made me wonder if any males have sought to play on female teams and, if so, if they could. As it turns out, with very rare exceptions, it isn't happening. While it is certainly evil to prevent any female from playing on any boys' sports teams, it is obviously wrong for any guy to play on any girls' teams. It's just not right. It eliminates opportunities for girls. Boys tend to be better, stronger, larger than girls in these things. It's not fair!

I am not, in this instance, launching a complaint about California or even whether or not guys should play on girls' teams (or vice versa). I'm not even looking at the evils of gender absolution. "Gender? What gender?" What is of interest to me is the problem of the double standard. And it seems to crop up everywhere.

I know a single father who routinely had women over and even live for awhile with him. His daughter is now of age and she is having guys over and even letting them live with them for awhile. He is outraged. How evil! How bad! How ... do you look at yourself straight-faced and say such things? Why was it good and fine for you, but not for her? On what grounds do you say so? That is a double standard.

I know a Christian ethicist who stood up in public (he was asked to do an interview on a television show) and said that in his opinion marriage had a definition, that the definition included only a man and a woman, and that trying to move it to include whatever gender you wished was neither rational nor wise. He has subsequently received death threats for making such outlandish, hateful statements. But tell me this. How is it hateful to say what he said but not hateful to threaten him with death for saying it? That is a double standard.

Christians these days are frequently castigated for holding that this behavior or that perspective is wrong. "You're being intolerant," they tell us, or, more likely, "hateful, judgmental, narrow-minded." That is, "Our viewpoint is right and yours is wrong and you need to change yours because claiming that your viewpoint is right and ours is wrong is intolerant, hateful, judgmental, and narrow-minded." That is a double standard.

Opponents of Christ are not alone in their double standards. Some Christians are quick to pull out the "You homosexuals are sinning" or "the evils of abortion" guns, loaded with Bible bullets, because "It's in the Word." And, to be honest, it is. But so is the command to eliminate "filthiness", "foolish talk", and "crude joking" (Eph 5:4). Slander and gossip are forbidden (2 Cor 12:20). The Bible is clear that those whose "god is their belly" and who have their "minds set on earthly things" (Phil 3:18-19) are enemies of Christ. Perhaps, before we point the fingers at others for their double standard, we ought to be careful of our own.

Double standards exist. Sinners are really good at them. "What you're doing is wrong, but if I do it it's okay." We just have to remember that we're all sinners. That should give each of us pause.