Is All 'Cancel Culture' Wrong?
by
Ben Pierce
I grew up listening to the band Blink-182. I guess this was kind of rebellious because most of my friends were not allowed to listen to them. Like the Simpsons, Christian parents saw them as a bad influence. But what about those poor kids who loved punk rock? What were they to do?
Fortunately, the Christian music industry came to the rescue and began offering wholesome substitutes.
“Hey, kid! Do you like the Foo Fighters? Well, you will really like Skillet!”
One such substitute was Relient K. Now you could have a lip ring and checkered vans without the crass lyrics. It was a win-win! Well, it turns out we were all wrong.
Recently, a TikTok post went viral in which a woman described Relient K’s hit song “Mood Rings” as misogynistic. She demanded an apology and, thanks to the power of the internet, she got one. The band acknowledged that the song was hurtful and that they had grown a lot since its release. I guess it’s a good thing I listened to Blink-182!
Now, the whole thing is pretty silly. With all the true injustice in our world today, this hardly ranks as a big deal, and it’s pretty easy to dismiss what happened as just another example of
‘wokeism’ and cancel culture.
And this is a valid concern. Free speech is under attack. Our culture claims to value tolerance, but it only tolerates a specific set of views and bullies those who disagree. This has created a climate of conformity. We no longer have the freedom to think critically about issues and come to our own conclusions, for fear of being rejected or bullied.
People actively hunt and expose the online transgressions (past or present) of their enemies.
So is that what happened to Relient K? Possibly. But as a committed follower of Jesus, I don’t join the mob in the witch hunt or dismiss everything as cancel culture. Instead, I ask, “What would Jesus do?”
Jesus is both the redeemer and the judge. This means He takes sin very seriously and calls us to repent when we fall short of His standards. But He doesn’t leave us there. He restores the contrite and extends extraordinary grace and mercy. He calls us to deal with our sins because of how deeply He loves us.
This knowledge gives us the confidence to respond with humility when we’re wrong because our identities don’t depend on our moral perfection. It also empowers us to respond mercifully when those around us fall. After all, we are all sinners in need of daily grace.
So when it comes to our actions in person and online, both now and in the past, don’t follow the world’s example. Hold yourself to God’s standard. If you fall short, apologize. When others do, show them mercy.
And as for the Relient K song, I wouldn’t sweat “all the small things.”
Want to hear the full discussion? Check out Episode 445: Is All 'Cancel Culture' Wrong?
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September 20, 2022
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