Cancel Culture

Maybe you haven't heard the term, "cancel culture." You've certainly seen the idea in action. According to Dictionary.com, "cancel culture" is a "the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive." We've always had boycotts and such, so this isn't really new. It's just boycotting with nukes. Driven largely by social media, it is a group shaming technique where we don't merely oppose the "objectionable or offensive" item, but terminate the perpetrator.

In a boycott the idea is to hurt them in the pocketbook so they will change the offensive practice. The "cancel culture" isn't so benign. It's aim is to "kill." How many people have lost their jobs in the last few years for perceived offense? How many have been censured? How many traditions, acceptable for so long, have been tossed aside? How many statues have been removed? The "cancel culture" is not a corrective, but a termination.

In the "cancel culture" mentality, there are two serious problems. First, there is no redemption. There is no retraction, no second chances, no forgiveness, no return. The apparent requirement to remain functional in a "cancel culture" environment is to never say or do anything considered objectionable or offensive. Which leads to the second problem. The problem is not actually "objectionable or offensive," but that which is considered objectionable or offensive. And that category is ever expanding. Things that never offended before are now perceived as offensive. Now it's offensive to play the national anthem or "Tara's Theme" at a football game. THe SEC is planning to ban all college sports in Mississippi unless the state changes its flag. Portland protestors toppled the statue of the first American president as well as Thomas Jefferson, two of the key players that gave them the freedom to topple the statues. I recently heard an "anti-racism professor" explain that the reason we like some accents over others is because we're racists. White people are offensive; we have to go. We have grown a "cancel culture" with a hair-trigger "offense" mechanism complete with "microaggression" and "I feel" without regard to reality or common sense.

In the beginning, "cancel culture" seemed like a good tool. Make the offensive shut up. Of course, there was no trial, no "innocent until proven guilty," no "court of law" or even analysis. There was no "30-days for bad behavior." It was cancellation -- social capital punishment without recourse. But, hey, they were being offensive! Now "offensive" is whatever anyone thinks it is. A football team named after Native Americans because they viewed Native Americans as brave and strong and valiant fighters is offensive ... because we think so. Having an opinion on something that differs from others is offensive ... because we say so. Voicing said opinion deserves social death, and that always translates into serious ramifications. Who needs a justice system when we can simply cancel offenders? And who is safe from such a system when "offensive" is fluid and skin-deep?

In our rush to "social justice" we've become a petty, heartless society. Swift to cut down those we don't like and to make an ever expanding list of who that is, we have no room for compassion, no room for forgiveness, no mechanism for restoration. In the most offensive sense, we've become just like the popular view of the church: "They've sinned against us; burn them."

As for you, brothers and sisters, don't let that be you. Genuine followers of Christ don't operate on a "cancel culture" mode of operation. We all begin as "objectionable and offensive" and our only recourse is repentance and forgiveness from the One who truly understands and defines "objectionable and offensive," but died on our behalf to save us. Genuine followers of Christ don't aim at "cancel," but "restore" (Gal 6:1). Don't be like the world, brothers and sisters. Love God; love your neighbors. Forgive as you have been forgiven. Restore the fallen.