Why We Should Care About Political Correctness by Megan Mercier

I have seen many examples of people — especially Christians, and especially pastors — sneering over the trend toward political correctness with more than a hint of condescension. They do this as they go on with their careers in telling everyone else what’s important in life. And this is a problem.

Opposition to political correctness is basically stating: “I’m right, and I don’t want you to tell me that I’m wrong.” It’s saying “I have the full understanding of what’s good and what’s bad, and I don’t have anything to learn from you.” And it’s saying “I fully understand what other people’s situations have been and what should or shouldn’t offend them.” Ultimately, opposition to political correctness is opposition to being corrected. 

The people who take this stance are generally not at all offended by systems that neglect and disenfranchise people, or by the words of others which actively undermine the respect and humanity of certain people. These same people are often TERRIBLY offended by anything they perceive to be mocking God or mocking anything that aligns with their interpretations of scripture. This is interesting, because being God, he does not actually need to be defended. Conversely, people frequently need very much to be defended. People are the ones at risk of (and routinely subject to) being harmed, killed, abused, oppressed and silenced. God doesn’t need our defense. People do. 

I wonder if people like this are not actually defending “God” as much as they are defending their own worldviews, and their right to do as they see fit —as gatekeepers of truth. But do we not think that the God who “so loved the world” is terribly offended when people are demeaned, disrespected, injured and subject to injustice? It’s as if the same people who hold up signs reading “God Died for Mankind” also think that being super spiritual means no longer being concerned about mankind. 

The second half of John 10:10 states “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The phrase “to the full” implies that Jesus is not simply talking about life after death. Scripture doesn’t make mention of some people have “super full life” versus “less full life” in heaven. Jesus wants us to have life, and have it to the full. So what is the opposite of that? The first half of the verse states “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” These are the very things humans do to each other. On earth. In human situations and human systems and human relationships and human interactions. The poor are stolen from by autocracies and injustices, people are killed by angry humans and by words (Matthew 15:22), and people are destroyed both internally and externally by the refusal of others to stand against the aims of the enemy. 

And make no mistake, the fact that someone is a Christian in no way limits their ability to act in line with the enemy’s intentions. Every time we disregard someone’s health, someone’s welfare, someone’s quality of life, we are acting in line with the enemy. We are partnering with him in stealing, killing and destroying. “Anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” Matthew 12:30 NLT. And “working” is just that: work. When people are fighting battles for their own freedom and humanity and we choose to uninvolve ourselves with those battles, we are choosing not to work with the love of God. We are “actually working against” him. 

So perhaps instead of working so hard at telling other people to believe the same things we do, we should work with God against the schemes of the destroyer, who seeks not only to keep us from God, but also to take as much as he can from our lives on earth. We should be working to bring the opposite of stealing: generosity to all, and the opposite of killing: flourishing life for our fellow creations (Isaiah 55:10-11), and the opposite of destroying: creation, provision and opportunity. 

If we are disinterested in the level of respect and equality given to those Jesus died for, I question whether our priorities might be further from God’s than we realize. And seeking opportunities to provide basic human respect and consideration through the option of political correctness is one of the easiest ways to show that we are not scornful of the wellbeing of God’s creation. 


Megan Mercier is an author and homeopath living in Madison, Wisconsin. She writes the fantasy series The Innerland Chronicles and other fictions under the name Windy Phillips, and also passionately writes, speaks and advocates on the topics of abuse, feminism, and the Church's responsibility. Follow her on Twitter @nutmegisme and her blog at sherlocktam.blogspot.com. She owns and runs Freedom Homeopathy during her spare time as a single mom.“