In our post-modern, post truth society, words are losing their meaning. None more so than on social media and in politics – where the term fascist is frequently used to describe anyone we disagree with. But what is fascism? Who is a fascist anyway? Are Christians?
Could we fall into being fascist? Its a good question. If we are to learn anything from history with the national church of Germany and Hitler’s “positive Christianity” then we would be naïve to think that we couldn’t head down that path. A minority would align with Bonhoeffer’s “confessional Christianity” but would we be so arrogant as to presume that we would be part of that minority and not do what is easier in going with the majority?
“It’s become meaningless” yes and this is what I would call in keeping with a general dumbing down of society, it’s school playground stuff to blurt out that someone is a fascist in that context. It’s actually a very weak arguing tactic and says more about the accuser than the accused when blurted out indiscriminately. Society has become “comfortably numb” to use a Pink Floyd reference to this stuff. And yes with identity politics being the way it is, some might accuse Joe Biden of being a “left wing fascist” (which is a strange term) for similar rhetorical effect. Of course this too is meaningless.
Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless. Does that ring any bells? ;).
But yes there is an appropriate “strong man” who stands up for the weak and prays for leaders, living a peaceful and quiet life. The joy of the Lord is your strength?
I lost a position a while ago because of alleged “self appointed advocacy” in being supportive to a colleague in an organisation where there had been some management issues. Of course it wasn’t the management issues that were addressed but me being told “I suggest the easiest solution is for you to resign your position” with what I did being described as a “conduct issue”. Well, it did lead me to have a lot of self – doubt and have a loss of confidence. And it’s taken a while to recover from that and get my confidence back. Perhaps I did have a bit of a chip on my shoulder, and it was something of my ego involved in what I did. On the other hand what could have happened could be something more akin to “a bruised reed he will not break and a smouldering candle he won’t snuff out”.
One thing that is a comfort. God + 1 trumps everything, including any false accusation whether it be of fascism or anything else. What the enemy intends for evil, God uses for good?
Do words like “fascist” and “Nazi” even have meanings any more? Aren’t they pejorative labels attached to people one wishes to silence in the ends-justify-the-means postmodern battle of ideologies?
Who are the real fascists today, then? A topic for another talk….
I listened to an interesting podcast recently
‘The rest is history ‘
Tom Holland
It’s worth listening to the definition of ‘fascism’
If you watched the video you will see that we reference ‘the rest is history’!
In his magnificent “Diaries” , the late Scots – descended, Conservative MP , Alan Clark mentions his being accused by a Leftist of being a Fascist .
Clark’s response was : “Typical Leftie , they always get things wrong . Fascists are a bunch of Italian shopkeepers. I’m a Nazi.”