This article was first published in Evangelicals Now – here
What is ‘reasonable’ in a society losing its head?
Be reasonable! That’s a cry I’ve not heard for some time. Maybe ‘reason’ is out of style in our modern ‘what you feel is what you are society’.But one aspect of the controversial Scottish Government Hate Crime Act is that it is predicated on what a ‘reasonable person’ would think what has been reported is hateful, likely to stir up hatred and cause ‘fear and alarm’. But there is the rub – what is a ‘reasonable person’?
A major worry about the Hate Crime Act is that it will be used as a political measure to punish those who do not follow the values of the current governing elites. That is why feminists, such as the brave and heroic J.K. Rowling, have stood up against the Bill. The trans activists would declare that it is ‘unreasonable’ and hateful to misgender someone. Others of us think that biology is a pretty reasonable basis for determining sex and gender! The trans ideology is promoted through the education system, corporate boards, and political parties. They all assume that their position is so reasonable that anyone who disagrees with them must be unreasonable… and therefore guilty.
One of the key problems here is that laws are being used by the governing elites to ‘change the culture’. They use the law to send out a message, and then use the threat of the police to intimidate and change. They also use the schools for social engineering, seeking to override the wishes and values of the parents. Nudge theory, political indoctrination in schools, and intimidation of all ideologies except the approved State ideology are all far more important than ‘reason’ in the government of our society.
The concern here is that what the elites would consider ‘reasonable’ is not what most of the public would think to be reasonable. Again take the example of transgender. When I was involved in discussion with the Scottish Government over their GRA (Gender Recognition Act), I had a meeting with the education minister responsible at that time. I told her that in any debate between me and her, in front of any group of parents in Scotland, it would result in a massive win for me, because most Scottish parents did not think that men could become women. Her response was that most parents were just ignorant. In other words they are unreasonable.
Stuart Waiton, lecturer in criminology in Abertay University, Dundee, is surely accurate when he says that ‘the new law about “hate” will be used in a way that appears reasonable to the professional and legal classes but entirely unreasonable to the rest of us’.
The issue is that when our society rejects Christianity it is also rejecting the roots of Christianity – including reason. But such has been the erosion of understanding that the words ‘reason’ and Christianity are not often put together. But what does the Lord say? ‘Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool’ (Isa. 1:18).
When Paul was accused of being insane by Festus, his response was: ‘I am not insane, most excellent Festus.’ He continued: ‘What I am saying is true and reasonable’ (Acts 26:25). Christians have always argued for a ‘reasonable’ faith. The governing elites in Paul’s day seemed to think that believing in the resurrection was de facto unreasonable. He showed them otherwise.
The point about Christian reasonableness is that it is ‘evident to all’ (Phil. 4:5). Reason is not bullying and hectoring. Reason doesn’t require the law to enforce or justify it. The answer to hatred is not to privilege some groups in law, thus causing others to feel hate, or be hated; but rather for Christian reason to prevail in a society that is slowly losing its head.
David Robertson, is the minster of Scots Kirk Presbyterian Church, Newcastle NSW and blogs at http://www.theweeflea.com
The End of Transmania or the End of Reason?
The PC (Post-Covid) Church – Evangelicals Now
On the trans issues yes my pastors are reasonable. But on the experimental vaccine they have been entirely unreasonable: I had zero support for not taking it. None of the people in my church could see that this was an issue on which we needed to make a stand; rather I was being unreasonable according to them. I’ve been desperate to convince people: now many are sick, proportionately more cancers in younger members, etc; I showed evidence to the two pastors and their wives last week and one of the wives is a doctor: she had never heard any of this – she says “ One study says this another study says that. you have time to look into this but I have to follow the board recommendations and do what I’ve been taught to do because I don’t have time to look at the evidence.” I have been more and more frustrated that no one would listen. They say I’m not reasonable, that I’m angry, I went to this church because it’s evangelical, follows the Bible, but on the biggest issue of the day they didn’t pray about it, they just followed what the government said to do. At least they admitted that much.
Thank you, David. In response to Andrew: I think many of us were and are frustrated by the response of many in our churches to covid and to the rushed-out, ineffective vaccines, which have caused injuries and deaths. (Yellow cards only recording a fraction of these, as is freely admitted.) So you are not alone! Ian Stackhouse, Baptist minister in Guildford, wrote a short book on the overall disappointing response: ‘In Praise of Dissent’, which you might find helpful.
God bless you, Andrew and David.
Hilary.
In response to Andrew. Yes, I agree. Not only the response of the church to the vaccines, but the response of the whole of society to covid including the lockdowns, withdrawal of care was hysteria. Having been a family carer for 4 decades, I can testify that the standard of ‘care’ has fallen dramatically over those years. There is ignorance of what medicine and basic care is. NHS and social care has become a cash cow, with greedy business managers and men making profits. The standard of nursing care has fallen. There is no onus on carers to have one minute of training before they are let loose on vulnerable people. This includes infection control. During covid, many sick, disabled, elderly and vulnerable died of neglect, abuse whether in NHS, care homes or care at home (as per an Amnesty report in 2020). ‘Virtual’ care is not care. Care cannot be given remotely.
Regarding the vaccine, there was no evidence whatsoever that it was safe and effective, but plenty of early evidence of serious side effects, such as clot, stroke or death particularly in AZ, but also others.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-56620646
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56665150
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56675665
In Scotland before covid, approximately 10,000 people have a stroke and 3,800 die from them. It was disgraceful that this was covered up and not fully investigated. It was disgraceful that people were demonised and ostracised for either not taking the jab, having concerns or trying to raise awareness.
Where was the church in all this? What happened to the command to visit the sick, care for the elderly and disabled?
The fact that in Scotland there were only 27 ministers who believed that worship is essential was very telling. One of the 27, Dr Rev William Philip (also a cardiologist) has been vocal against lockdowns for church and society, as well as calling for the need to investigate the side effects of the jabs. As he rightly said, we Christians are supposed to know that we are only here for a short time, but it is our eternal destination that counts.
How many Christians were happy to sit at home being paid furlough and go out for their exercise and leisure time, rather than prioritising going to their work? It is telling that many of those in jobs and salaries where they could sit at home and order online shopping. No concern about the workers in supermarkets, warehouses or delivery drivers. Did they not know that the cost of furlough would put interest rates up and cause inflation? This money was not ‘free’. It was, is and will be paid for by taxpayers for generations to come. What happened to 2 Thess 3:10?
The response to covid was a very middle class and 1st world over reaction. Many believers in other countries have no clean running water, no electricity, barely any food and not even basic healthcare, yet they worship God. I think we have lost our way.
I experienced the same response in an Anglican Church in the UK. I was told I should take the vaccine to protect others – ie I was being selfish and uncaring. No one listened when I pointed out that it takes 10 years to bring a vaccine to market – Not five minutes and jab the whole world. It was a kind of mass hypnosis.
There is evil behind this push to medicalise the world.
re: strokes in Scotland. That should have read ‘In Scotland before covid, approximately 10,000 people have a stroke and 3,800 die from them a year’. Strokes can have devastating and lifelong consequences, requiring lots of rehabilitation and care from multi-disciplinary professionals, as well as family.
The fact that even though there was early evidence of serious side effects and deaths with the AZ not long after initial roll out, and there is still reluctance of government(s) to investigate this is tantamount to criminal negligence. Even though AZ was being pulled early in other countries in Europe, it was not ‘withdrawn’ until last month. However, the AZ is not the only one which causes clots – as well as other well known side effects such as myocarditis, cancer. That discussion or dissent – including in churches – is a disgrace.
Dr Rev Philip reports that he was castigated for challenging the lockdown of churches and I know that people (including christians) who could not or did not the jab were physically, financially, socially condemned and ostracised. Any kind of apartheid or discrimination is not acceptable.