Better to offend or be politically correct?

[Glorytothefather2245]

John the Baptist was not politically correct. Should we tell the truth, even if it costs us our heads? Or, should we water down the truth and play it safe?

I made some sequential art about John the Baptist and express my opinion about this. At this time, it seems to me that the church is more concerned about feelings than truth. Please weigh in on this with you recommendations.

makestraighthispaths.blogspot.com

Truth is better than a lie we are to endure to the end even it cost us our life.

 

[section9+1]

Truth without wisdom is dangerous. Truth can be a weapon used to hurt and destroy. But without truth, nothing can be realistically dealt with-nothing can be really solved. It's always a two edged sword.

 

[section9+1]

I don't like politically correct. It causes far more problems than it solves and it opens the door wide to the justification of sin and all kinds of social stupidity.

 

[Redwingfan9]

John the Baptist was not politically correct. Should we tell the truth, even if it costs us our heads? Or, should we water down the truth and play it safe?

I made some sequential art about John the Baptist and express my opinion about this. At this time, it seems to me that the church is more concerned about feelings than truth. Please weigh in on this with you recommendations.

makestraighthispaths.blogspot.com

The problem here is that the term "politically correct" is never really defined and so readers and commentators are left to define the term for themselves. The problem with that is that each of us has a slightly different understanding of the term that may not jive well with yours. The end result is that we're left battling over whether John the Baptist or anyone in particular in scripture bucked political correctness, a term undefined.

 

[JacksBratt]

why would you want to purposefully offend?

Sometimes, today, it is offensive to state the truth, no matter how obvious. Society is so sensitive that even the truth is not allowed to be uttered.

 

[JacksBratt]

He’s offensive because his style gets more views on YouTube. But I think his motivation is love for the lost, you can hear it in his voice.

However, we should only speak the truth in love. It’s hard to do and requires the Holy Spirit and so we shouldn’t go out trying to offend, and when choosing to be confrontational, this needs to be done with much prayer IMO

Any videos that I have viewed, of Ray Comfort, have been straight forward, no nonsense, to the point... in regards the the people he interviews being sinners and needing a savior.

I have not read his book. All I have seen is straight shooting gospel talk. Some people turn... some people dig in their heals and deny the truth he speaks to them.

This part of his ministry looks legit to me.. And... There are very few people whom I side with on everything that they believe. If he were to state what others are accusing him of.. then that part of his ministry would be something I would not agree with.

 

[JacksBratt]

Going around and stating the truth.. all the time... without a filter on your mouth... is not Christian.

We are to treat others as we would like to be treated. There are some things that don't need to be said.

On the other hand... there is so much anti biblical, anti God, anti Christian, mixed up and twisted stuff out there that we are expected to go along with and be accepting of... while not uttering a word that is contrary to it... that is labeled as "politically correct".

I think that people are finally getting sick of it.. People hide behind this concept. Exposing them is met with resistance and accusations toward the one pointing out obvious truth...

 

[Maria Billingsley]

John the Baptist was not politically correct. Should we tell the truth, even if it costs us our heads? Or, should we water down the truth and play it safe?

I made some sequential art about John the Baptist and express my opinion about this. At this time, it seems to me that the church is more concerned about feelings than truth. Please weigh in on this with you recommendations.

makestraighthispaths.blogspot.com

We are under the New Covenant and Love is at the center of this Covenant.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 

[parousia70]

why would you want to purposefully offend?

Who is responsible for what you choose to find offensive?
Isn't that up to you only?

Or do I have the power to dictate to you what you must be offended by and what should not offend you?

 

[Yarddog]

John the Baptist was not politically correct. Should we tell the truth, even if it costs us our heads? Or, should we water down the truth and play it safe?

I made some sequential art about John the Baptist and express my opinion about this. At this time, it seems to me that the church is more concerned about feelings than truth. Please weigh in on this with you recommendations.

John the Baptist told God's truth to those God who needed to hear it. That doesn't mean that he wasn't gentle with God's children. Being "political correct" is a way to express love and compassion to those who need compassion but we need to be truthful with compassion.

 

[Anthony2019]

If a single soul became lost because I spoke the truth in love, then that would be excusable. But if someone rejected the faith because I was unkind to them, how will I explain this to the Lord on the day of judgement?

 

[Quartermaine]

Sometimes, today, it is offensive to state the truth, no matter how obvious. Society is so sensitive that even the truth is not allowed to be uttered.

Bull. and that is the truth

 

[Quartermaine]

Who is responsible for what you choose to find offensive?
Isn't that up to you only?

Or do I have the power to dictate to you what you must be offended by and what should not offend you?

sounds like you were offended.

 

[grasping the after wind]

It’s the Christian’s responsibility to speak only in love with a heart for the listener to actually....listen to the gospel.

Partly true. It is the Christian's responsibility to speak only truth and to do so in love with a heart for the listener. Sometimes speaking truth offends no matter how much love we have for the listener nor how much we choose our words so as not to be offensive.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Bull. and that is the truth

That many prefer to be told bull, that makes then feel good, than the truth, that may not, is correct. In addition, social pressure to comply with either speaking bull or keeping silent is very prevalent. Speaking the truth will be retaliated against in some form or other.

 

[parousia70]

sounds like you were offended.

No. I choose exactly what offends me and this ain't it.

Perhaps you have confused that fact that My curiosity was peaked with the notion that I somehow chose to be offended?

But I would be most appreciative if you chose to clarify your position...

Are you responsible for what you find offensive and what you don't? or do I have to power to dictate those terms to you?

 

[dqhall]

What was John wrong about? All the man did was preached repentance to prepare the way before God. He baptized people because it was an act of turning to repentance and back to God. John knew Jesus was coming but he also knew Jesus had a better baptism we could receive.. that's why he preached repentance on the land. And they chopped his head for the same reason they killed Jesus and the other prophets.. so wth you mean he was incorrect? Incorrect about what? I don't think John preached and lived long enough to talk about the man and say he was incorrect about something cause he really didn't do much of anything....

John was able to draw a crowd with his preaching. John put out word that it was wrong for Herod to have married his brother’s wife. Herod’s wife Herodias used her daughter to demand the head of John the Baptist. John did not deserve death.

 

[Swan7]

Always tell the Truth, Way and speak the Life that is Jesus Christ - but do so out of love as He acted out on love. So should we follow suit in all He taught us.

 

[Josheb]

John the Baptist was not politically correct. Should we tell the truth, even if it costs us our heads? Or, should we water down the truth and play it safe?

I made some sequential art about John the Baptist and express my opinion about this. At this time, it seems to me that the church is more concerned about feelings than truth. Please weigh in on this with you recommendations.

makestraighthispaths.blogspot.com

You are not John the Baptist. For any Christian to self-imply s/he is supposed to act like Jesus, John the Baptist, or any of the apostles is a false equivalency. This is especially true when it pertains to peer interactions. In other words, the false equivalency is a logical fallacy. And since the Holy Spirit does not argue fallaciously we know that ALL such arguments are works of flesh and not the fruit of the Spirit.

Which makes this op the antithesis of John the Baptist.

The rules are slightly different when speaking truth to outsiders but even then scripture directs us to "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person," (Col. 4:5-6).


Here is a more whole-scripture way of seeing ourselves sharing the gospel, speaking the truth, and providing correction, especially in a Christian board where only Christians are participants. First, most of us are sheep, not shepherds. Or as 1 Cor. 12 puts it, we are all members of the same body in which no member is more important than another. Ephesians 4 tells us quite pleinly Jesus gave us leaders (apostles, prophets, teachers, etc.) for three reasons: unity, maturity, and Christ likeness. If we're not a leader then we're supposed to be learning and following, not acting like a leader or in any way having power, authority, or significance over anyone else in the body. Even if a person is a Christ-given leader then there is a limit to his/her domain. S/he might be the teacher or apostle to some locale within the USA, but s/he's not in authority over every single Christian in cyberspace.

Here is just a sampling of how scripture instructs the average Christian to interact with their peers.

Philippians 2:1-7
"Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men."​

Colossians 3:9-14
"Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."​

Romans 12:10-19
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."​

James 3:1
"Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment."​

Regard others more significant than ourselves. Be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient. Judgment and vengeance are God's job, not ours. We are to love. If a person is in a position of authority where s/he "bears the sword" of authority then it is for a purpose and that purpose is still good. Those who become teachers take on a stricter judgment. That's not to say there isn't a place for judgment, accountability, and correction in the ekklesia, but it is supposed to be restorative.

John's ministry was short lived and it was specifically to a given people for a given brief period and it was always going to end with his demise. No one should be quick to imagine themselves another John. God makes Johns; we don't make ourselves Johns. This is especially true for any impulse directed toward judgment of the ekklesia that unjustly, ineffectively, and derisively divides the body. The word the NT uses to label such practice is "devil"! Those who desire excellence in the body but lack the scriptural grounding I have summarized above unwittingly become devils, and that is simply self-indicting. That which they report to disdain they have become. So think deeply about the practice because under any objective measure practicing that which is reportedly disdained is ordinarily called hypocrisy.

And I trust hypocrisy is no one's intent because scripture has some very strong words to say against hypocrisy.



So, in answer to the questions specifically asked in this op,

No, it is not okay to intentionally offend another person but neither is it necessary to be politically correct. That juxtaposition is a false dichotomy.

No, it is not okay to compare ourselves to John the Baptist (or Jesus, or the apostles) when it comes to judgment and correction of others.

Speaking the truth at the expense of one's head is not the rule; it is the exception to the rule. Millions of Christians share their faith every day without offending others, without jeopardizing their lives and the welfare of their family, and without getting killed. John the Baptist and the two dozen or so apostles were not representative of the whole body of Christ and the persecution they faced is more comparable to that still faced in the middle east, not that faced in the US. I would go so far as to say those confusing the two are likely to be ineffective here were the obstacles are fundamentally different in kind.

No, truth should not be "watered down" (whatever that may mean), but neither need we "play it safe." This too is another false dichotomy.

No, the church is not more concerned about others' feelings than they are truth and not only is this another false dichotomy, but you're not the arbiter of the church's eternal or temporal disposition. God is. To presume to judge the entire body of Christ is idolatrous.

The artwork is amazing. The accompanying commentary has both good places and bad.


There are two ironies to this exchange: First, the op is self-promoting, and that should be a sign to anyone that those who claim parity with John the Baptist while promoting their own work haven't correctly understood John. There's nothing wrong with speaking the truth or promoting one's own work or asking for others' measure of either but it is important to remember method is just as important as content. Second, I've provided what I hope is a more scriptural approach to correction and speaking the truth kindly, patiently, forbearingly, hopefully, trustingly, etc. We'll see if I get my head taken off .

The sheer number of false dichotomies contained in this op shows a problem in knowledge and understanding as well as works of the flesh. We are to look first to our own conduct and speak the truth to ourselves even if we don't want to hear it. Log, not speck.


No head removing required .

 

[Curtis.Hilliker]

you could start in his book Cults, Sects and Questions


"You should never consult a doctor or go to a hospital for treatment, because you would be interfering with the work of God in your life. If Cancer is the chastening tool of God, then doctors who are fighting cancer are fighting against the work of God. If a preacher or a Christian believes the sickness is a means of chastening, then he should never pray for relief from the sickness, but rather pray that the cancer will continue to grow until the chastening is completed." Ray Comfort More Than Just Comfort: An Answer to Cancer

I don’t see child abuse, and I don’t agree with his view on cancer. But his offensive evangelism certainly works.