Peer pressure: She gave, he ate

Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit, she offered it to Adam,  and he ate (Genesis 3:1-6). Eve was deceived, but Adam was not (1 Timothy 2:14).  Adam knew full well what he was doing was wrong,  and he also knew the consequences “the day you eat of it you will die.”  But he did it anyway.  We need to consider Adam's unenviable dilemma here. What was he going to do? Was he going to tell her she was wrong,  and risk a breach in the relationship?  A line from a song from my youth comes to mind “two lovely black eyes,“ oh what a surprise. Only for telling a gal she was wrong, two lovely black eyes!”  Which one of us,  at one time or another,  has not reacted the way Adam did? It's called peer pressure.

I have noticed that by and large Anglican seminaries produce Anglicans, Baptist seminary produce Baptists, Pentecostal seminaries produce Pentecostals etc.  Likely there are a multitude of reasons, but a big part of it is surely the pressure to fit in, the need to not be different.  But it's not just faith communities where this sort of thing happens. It is widespread in people groups,  and in society in general. We see it in political circles, we see it in academia.  If you think outside the box, you are likely to be ostracized (I speak from experience). We see it in the helping professions and in Psychology which, contrary to Science,  have clearly bowed at times to politically correct ideology. It is changing, but it is not that long ago,  that traditional and chiropractic medicine were mortal enemies. This last phenomenon is described well by David Berlinski. He said that most people think that what they are doing is the most important thing in the world, even if it's rolling cigars in Havana!

But perhaps the most disturbing phenomenon related to peer pressure is the cancel culture, where people are dismissed from jobs or banned in various ways,  for saying something that does not conform to politically correct doctrine. Rick Warren has put his finger on what lies behind this when he says  “Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you must agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”  Jesus is our supreme example here. When they brought Him the woman taken in adultery He did not condemn her, but speaking the truth in love, You told her to go and sin no more (John 8:1-11; Ephesians 4:15).

These same lies lie behind the persistent attack on free speech, and the growing public support for its abolition. The Scripture speaks to this when it says “The first to speak seems to be right until his neighbour comes and examines him” (Proverbs 18:17). But if his neighbour is not allowed to examine him,  the error will remain unchallenged. What ever happened to “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” We cannot allow simple disagreement to be labeled hate speech.

Holy Spirit please lead us away from situations where like Eve we are drawn away and deceived. And when we encounter peer pressure please give us the wisdom and the courage to know when and where and how to speak the truth in love in Jesus Name Amen