In this day and age of social media, people can say whatever they want, about whatever they want, claiming whatever they want, and need no basis of fact for it. At the same time, if people disagree with what is said, they can troll those they disagree with by name-calling, labeling or boycotting. Doing this on social media is called canceling. It’s the cancel culture. Free speech is OK so long as you don’t say anything against what certain people believe. A real live example of cancel culture may be the tearing down of historic statues to “deconstruct” American history. Protesters are also targeting Christian symbols for destruction because they believe the monuments represent “white supremacy.” Where does it end?
In his July 4 speech at Mt Rushmore, President Trump addressed the cancel culture movement, saying, “Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our Founders, deface our most sacred memorials, and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities. Many of these people have no idea why they are doing this, but some know exactly what they are doing… One of their political weapons is “Cancel Culture” — driving people from their jobs, shaming dissenters, and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees. This is the very definition of totalitarianism, and it is completely alien to our culture and our values, and it has absolutely no place in the United States of America.
He continued, “In our schools, our newsrooms, even our corporate boardrooms, there is a new far-left fascism that demands absolute allegiance. If you do not speak its language, perform its rituals, recite its mantras, and follow its commandments, then you will be censored, banished, blacklisted, persecuted, and punished. It’s not going to happen to us. Make no mistake: this left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution. In so doing, they would destroy the very civilization that rescued billions from poverty, disease, violence, and hunger, and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement, discovery, and progress.”
This political intolerance and ideological bigotry is designed to end America as we know it. Marxism always results in totalitarianism.
We, as Christians, are in a battle over the soul of society. Cancel culture and the current rebellion against freedom of speech and religion are examples of where all this is headed. The standard of Christ is being shaken in this nation like never before. We cannot be absent in this debate. We need to speak truth in love and stand for what is right.
As Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:19-20, “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in chains: that in this I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
Let’s not wait until we are in chains, for then it may be too late.