By Staff
Beth Chapman, Guest Columnist
There are many things that bother me about the term, “politically correct.”
Businesses, television shows, educational curriculums and even churches have conformed to political correctness. Some ministers have even watered down their sermons for the sake of political correctness. But the Bible itself, the Holy, inspired word of God; even with varied translations has never been “politically correct”- just correct.
I was appalled some years ago when a publisher created a politically correct book of traditional fairy tales, but was more appalled when a company announced they were creating a “politically correct” Bible - a gender correct translation.
Not only as a Christian, but also as woman, this offends me.
As a woman, I am comfortable enough with my faith and my salvation that I don’t need a “politically correct” Bible adding all the she’s and hers in every chapter and verse.
Some of this article is about to become tongue in cheek, but there are few moral absolutes in life and few things that have not been tampered with for the sake of political correctness. The Bible should be one of those sacred things.
Thank God that the Bible is not politically correct. Can you just imagine what the Ten Commandments would look like if it were? They would be something like this:
Thou shalt not have any other Gods before me unless it produces a six-figure income a year, excellent benefits, an annual Caribbean Cruise, a company car and a gulf coast condominium.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain unless it is by accident at a football game when your team is behind by three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and you’ve had too much Jack Daniels to drink and your whole week’s paycheck is riding on the results of the game.
Honor thy father and thy mother unless they won’t let you pierce your tongue, dye your hair purple or stay out until 3:00 in the morning. Then sue them for emotional abuse and mental anguish and divorce them.
Thou shalt not commit adultery unless the woman is a good-looking secretary who resembles Jennifer Aniston or a male colleague who looks like Robert Redford once did, has lots of money and drives a red corvette.
The Bible has never by wordly standards been “politically correct.” It makes no distinction between men and women or blacks and whites. However, it carries in it the first laws regarding race and gender relations: “Love thy neighbor as thy self,” and “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Companies in America pay millions of dollars each year to teach their employees about “diversity” and against racism and sexism, when the Bible has said it for thousands of years in two simple verses mentioned above.
The Bible is not “politically correct” because it speaks out against all types of sin including homosexuality, which some now label as an “alternative lifestyle.” It speaks out against drunkenness, gossip, idolatry, hatred, sexual impurity, envy, lying, jealousy and fits of outrage. (No, I’m not “casting stones,” being pious or self-righteous. I sin everyday and I ask forgiveness everyday.)
We live in a state with a 100 year old Constitution and are concerned that if it is rewritten it may lose its meaning and that those wanting it rewritten have hidden agendas. We need to wake up and look at people who are trying to rewrite God’s word. They have hidden agendas too. The Constitution was created over one hundred years ago. The Bible was written thousands of years ago.
If modern day men and/or women (did I say that correctly?), attempt to make the Bible “politically correct,” I fear it will lose its meaning.
If they add she and her this year, what will they add next year?
There’s no need to say for God so loved men and women and heterosexuals and homosexuals and blacks and whites and the young and the old and the drunk and the sober. Indeed, he loves all of those, but certainly doesn’t condone in any such “politically correct” manner any of our sins.
The Bible says “For God so loved the world,” and that’s good enough for me!
God’s Holy Word is one thing that needs to remain sacred and not succumb to being “politically correct.”