The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him

The verse at the head of this post from Proverbs 18:17 came to mind this morning, in the aftermath of a conversation I had yesterday. It centred around the buzz word “micro-aggression.” I understand the need to be sensitive to those who have been marginalized and/or hurt, and I like to think that I am gentle and respectful of others. However, I have been reading and hearing about how in the States the ideas surrounding this term have led many times to violence. Even where this is not happened, these ideas have been used to bludgeon others into silence, and/or to vilify them for even having dissenting views.

So for example, we are no longer allowed to say “Merry Christmas,” or that society ought to be colourblind. In fact we must not do or say anything that could possibly cause offence to another. To quote the NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt “Micro aggression are small actions or word choices that seem on their face have no malicious intent, that are thought of as a kind of violence nonetheless. You don’t actually have to say anything insulting to micro aggress, somebody merely needs to take offence.”

Ben Shapiro in a recent speech to Congress concerning threats to freedom of speech, points out the extremes to which this is taken. Noting that micro-aggressions, as the name suggests, are not merely insults, but that they are aggressions considered to be equivalent to physical violence. He relates an incident at California State University LA, where one professor threatened a student who sponsor him by offering to fight them. He (he professor) then posted a slogan on the door of his office stating the best response to micro aggression is macro aggression. The disturbing thing is that this sort of thing is not an isolated incident (hence the need for hearings in Congress!

Lisa Feldman Barrett in a recent New York Times article entitled “When is speech violence” says that the answer depends on whether the speech is abusive or merely offensive. She goes on to say that offensiveness is not bad for your body and brain. Your nervous system evolved to withstand periodic bouts of stress, such as fleeing from a tiger, taking a punch or encountering an odious idea in a university lecture. She adds “Entertaining someone else’s distasteful perspective can be educational.”

The questioning I am asking myself this morning, is how did we get to the place where we need a scientist to make this last statement? The Bible knew it over 3,000 years ago!

Father, I need your help to negotiate and interact with my world. The Scripture tells me to always be ready to give an answer of the hope that is within me with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15). In a world where even the fact that I believe in You is offensive to many, I need your love, wisdom, Grace and courage to be all that You want me to be. And I am asking for these things this morning in Jesus Name Amen