It’s no surprise that on such a blog as NZ Conservative, political correctness gets short shrift. But it’s not just political correctness that gets shrift from this contributor – its politics itself, because in one sense, the two are inter-twined. Indeed, for the politically correct to get their way, they need to enact legislation via Parliament and there has been a fair amount of that in NZ over the last 10 years. And one of the marked features of politically correct legislation is its overt anti-Christian sentiment. Sure, non-Christians are annoyed with it as well, but every time an objection is raised, the reply is that “you’re just a fundy Christian nut”. The truth however, is that politics and political correctness are far removed from the real world and that Christianity actually bears a closer resemblance to what the general population, religious or not, is thinking.
No doubt, such a statement gets treated with automatic derision in the public sphere, especially from disaffected, non-practicing Catholic or Christian journalists whom seem hell bent on public displays of catharsis. But hang on: let’s take a look at what actually happens in the development of current political practice. For a start, some genius in politics (oxymoron I know) gets it into their head that politically incorrect problem x needs solving. Thus, they form a working group within their political party not on how to best deal with the issue, but on how best to lobby their fellow politicians and influence society via complicit and like minded journalists, to get them to see things their way. Of course, the usual liberal academics are bought out, and “research” proving their point is bandied around like the final answer on the issue. The problem is, this "research" and the academics and the politicians who use it, are all part of the clique that pushes a preconceived agenda (eg. smacking children is bad, prostitutes should not be held accountable for selling their bodies) and they do not discuss this issue with anyone else who might have an alternate view, ie. the public. They know full well that it is the 120 people in the House of Parliament that matter, and they understand that creature only too well; they are one of them after all. This modus operandi actually results in the politically correct (and modern day politics of the social arena) never seeing or touching a real person: in other words, they are determined, but sheltered and ignorant. And it truly astonishes them when someone else points out their naivety, for these people, whilst possibly having high IQs (as academics especially love to claim), tragically lack in common social experience which forms proper common sense. I know this to be true, because I am an academic myself.
Now, in contrast, the great developments in Christianity have arisen, not from within the confines of a Parliament or cloistered intellectual clique, but on the same street that the common man occupied. Christ preached primarily to the common person, He avoided the Pharisee and Scribe (olden day versions of policy analysts or media commentators), whom he called “a brood of vipers” because he knew the antipathy they held for the truth. The Apostles likewise, first gave a resounding public display of Christianity in the common markets on Pentecost. And so on it progresses: the first Christian martyrs were slaughtered in the public battlegrounds of the Coliseums; the great early councils such as Nicea were public events were everyone could hear the arguments for and against; St Augustine, Aquinas and others fought intellectual battles in the public square, as was the custom of their day; St Francis of Assisi wandered the Italian countryside, dealing with poor and forgotten alone and in the process turned 13th century Christianity on its head in a most public display of zeal for Christ; Martin Luther nailed his thesis to the public Church door, and in the process, inspired a counter reformation that blazed through the Churches, pubs and town squares of Europe; St Therese of the Little Flower sat in a cell and produced perhaps the most incredible, understandable and unexpected scholarship on what it means to be a saint by doing the littlest daily things well; a work that is read by anybody and everybody. Now this does not mean that everyone agrees with the thoughts, ideas and statements of Christianity and it does not mean that great thinkers are not needed, of course they are. But everyone in the public sphere knows exactly what Christianity preaches and has something to say in return, from the street sweeper to the brain surgeon; from the mother at home to the socially stunted brilliant academic. The same cannot be said regarding modern politics.
It is this common quality that is lacking from modern politics. The social inadequacies of the intellectual elite informs much of our common political process and explains why many politicians seem impervious to reason: they are surrounded by sycophants who think they know best and think they can transfer intellectual ability at one thing to the entire realm of running a country. Its time these clever sillies were demoted and educated, in that order. And the reality check that Christianity provides is the only way this can happen.
Continue
