The current trend is for people to talk about their "rights". A "right" only exists if someone is there to uphold it. My "right" to freedom from bullying means absolutely nothing if someone decides to bully me. There is no protection, only a vague hope of punishment for the bully.
A child's "right" to education only exists if there are teachers willing to teach them. Ironically, this "right" to education seems (in some areas of the UK, at least) to have morphed into a "right" to a good grade: some pupils don't put the effort in and think that they are entitled to success because of their "rights".
I could start on how we need to forget "rights" and talk about responsibility (we have a responsibility not to bully people; pupils have a responsibility to study well if they want the good grades), but I want to address something else first.
In a recent article regarding using "genderless pronouns" to avoid offending a 'trans' person, an LGBT activist is reported saying: "It's about respecting people's right to define themselves as neither male nor female." (Although the article was also updated, the quote doesn't seem to have been taken back.)
My question is: do we really have a "right" to decide what gender we would prefer to be?
Sex change operations allow people to decide that they no longer wish to have the genitals they were born with. What's to stop the medical profession going a step further and experimenting with swapping arms, legs, hands, feet and so on? Do I have a "right" to request that my feet be changed into hands so that I can pick things up and hold things with my feet?
Perhaps some things should not be considered "rights"...
I am not free to choose which nationality I'm born into.
I am not free to choose whether I grow up in a wealthy house or a poor house.
I am not free to choose which genitals I'm born with.
It all seems to point to a society which does not take any responsibility:
I have a responsibility to provide for my family if I am able to.
I have a responsibility not to bully other people.
I have a responsibility to study well so that I can be educated.
I have a responsibility to keep myself clean and not smelly.
I have a responsibility to help the needy.
I have a responsibility to develop a good reputation for the country I'm born into.
I have a responsibility to develop a good reputation for the gender I'm born with.
If we allow our society to take away "normality", then the result will be chaos.
It's interesting: so many children just want to be "normal", not identified with some medical condition or because of their intelligence level or because of the way they look. On the one hand, they want to be unique (character, hobbies), but they also want - and need - an element of normality. Fashion models have taken "attractiveness" to unreachable heights with the airbrushed look, and that's become a new "normal" that no one can attain. But the struggle for this "normality" is so clear as we look around at all the girls who wallow in their make-up and realise just hoe much money is spent on plastic surgery!
A recent book was published to advocate "gender diversity". Instead of encouraging people to feel secure with their gender, it promotes confusion and advocates learning environments for children which does not provide gender security because the bounds of normality have been moved.
But if we want a society which panders to people who choose to take offence, then...
I wish to be identified as a male (not something wishy-washy or "genderless").
I wish to be identified as married, as a husband (not as someone's "partner").
I wish to be identified as white (I didn't choose my skin colour, and although it's more peachy-pink, "white" will do fine).
Why is it considered "politically incorrect" if I decide to get offended over these things? Why is my voice not heard?
Thursday 22 December 2016
Wednesday 21 December 2016
Jesus vs. Santa #4
#4 - Good behaviour and bad
You don't have to teach a child bad behaviour. They pick it up on their own. Parents struggle to get their children to be kind and generous people, to care more for others than themselves.
Santa lets us down here: he encourages children to boast about their good deeds, focusing on them and hoping everyone forgets about the bad things they've done. Jesus requires us to acknowledge that we are, by nature, evil, and then to confess and repent of what we've done. Jesus wipes the slate clean with an act of forgiveness and a change of behaviour, but Santa teaches children to just forget the past, no action necessary.
Matthew 4:17 and 1 John 1:9
You don't have to teach a child bad behaviour. They pick it up on their own. Parents struggle to get their children to be kind and generous people, to care more for others than themselves.
Santa lets us down here: he encourages children to boast about their good deeds, focusing on them and hoping everyone forgets about the bad things they've done. Jesus requires us to acknowledge that we are, by nature, evil, and then to confess and repent of what we've done. Jesus wipes the slate clean with an act of forgiveness and a change of behaviour, but Santa teaches children to just forget the past, no action necessary.
Matthew 4:17 and 1 John 1:9
Jesus vs. Santa #3
#3 - Giving and receiving
Santa is the one with the generous heart: he gives gifts to the whole world! For the little children, they only have to wait for him to arrive while they sleep. Despite the parents being the ones who are giving the gifts, their children are exempt from acknowledging this act of kindness because of a fictional person.
Children are free to boast about all the great things that Santa gave them. They don't have to think about other people at Christmastime because it's not their place to give gifts: Santa does that! In short, Santa subtly teaches children to be selfish and greedy.
Acts 20:35
Santa is the one with the generous heart: he gives gifts to the whole world! For the little children, they only have to wait for him to arrive while they sleep. Despite the parents being the ones who are giving the gifts, their children are exempt from acknowledging this act of kindness because of a fictional person.
Children are free to boast about all the great things that Santa gave them. They don't have to think about other people at Christmastime because it's not their place to give gifts: Santa does that! In short, Santa subtly teaches children to be selfish and greedy.
Acts 20:35
Jesus vs. Santa #2
#2 - Myths and truth
In a post-modern age where the 'truth' can be whatever you want it to be, people decide that sometimes the real truth is a bit inconvenient (that whole 'repent of your sins' thing) and prefer to make up their own. Santa is a nice little piece of fiction that parents are far happier to let their children believe... after all, it's not really lying to children if we decide that it's true for us...
John 8:31-32
In a post-modern age where the 'truth' can be whatever you want it to be, people decide that sometimes the real truth is a bit inconvenient (that whole 'repent of your sins' thing) and prefer to make up their own. Santa is a nice little piece of fiction that parents are far happier to let their children believe... after all, it's not really lying to children if we decide that it's true for us...
John 8:31-32
Jesus vs. Santa #1
Since we're coming up to Christmas, I thought it would be interesting to think about why people prefer the make-believe of Santa Claus to the real celebration of the birth of Jesus the Messiah.
Now, I know that the Christians jumped in and did away with the pagan celebration of the 'Winter Solstice' and gave it a biblical make-over. In recent years I've found more people going back to the solstice celebrations so that they can avoid any religious meddling, claiming it's the true celebration for this time of year. But I'm not going to get into that. Leave the pagans (or pagan pretenders) out of it, I'm just comparing the traditional Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus with how a fictional character has somehow stolen the show.
#1 - Materialism and spirituality
Santa is all about giving material gifts: the things you can touch and feel.
Jesus came to give eternal life: something spiritual, but which is far more valuable.
People prefer material things, gaining worldly wealth and comparing themselves with others, which could be part of the reason why people prefer Santa.
Matthew 6:19-20
Now, I know that the Christians jumped in and did away with the pagan celebration of the 'Winter Solstice' and gave it a biblical make-over. In recent years I've found more people going back to the solstice celebrations so that they can avoid any religious meddling, claiming it's the true celebration for this time of year. But I'm not going to get into that. Leave the pagans (or pagan pretenders) out of it, I'm just comparing the traditional Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus with how a fictional character has somehow stolen the show.
#1 - Materialism and spirituality
Santa is all about giving material gifts: the things you can touch and feel.
Jesus came to give eternal life: something spiritual, but which is far more valuable.
People prefer material things, gaining worldly wealth and comparing themselves with others, which could be part of the reason why people prefer Santa.
Matthew 6:19-20
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