LABELS AND RIDICULE

Some online friends yesterday turned up a website which apparently offers human cloning services. And a second site, petitioning for the removal of the first site. As it turns out, the first site is actually tied in to the upcoming feature film Godsend. I don’t know if the second site is also tied to the film or if it was started by someone who thought the first one was “for real.” It doesn’t really matter for what I want to consider.

What I do want to consider is the fact that these friends - who are mostly non-Christian and non-religious - were making snarking remarks about the gullibility of fundamentalist Christians (based on posted comments at the anti-Godsend site). That term to them (“fundamentalist Christian”) means those of uber-conservative, Republican allegiance, accompanied by a general unquestioning outlook and a lower degree of intellectual sophistication. Not that they’ve sat down and drawn up such a definition, but rather that is the gist of their comments.

So. There I am, a Christian in the midst of this. Among folks whom I consider friends. What am I supposed to do or say?

Do I point out to them that their sweeping condescension and dismissal of “fundamentalist Christians” hurts me?

I call myself a middle-of-the-road person on political and social issues. I have found that those who declare for one side of the road or the other tend to develop blind spots, and an ingrained resistence to all suggestions from the “other side.” Me, I prefer to try and not let general preferences get in the way of the specific matter in front of me. The result is, ironically, that among my liberal friends I seem more conservative, while among my conservative friends I seem more liberal.

And just to be clear and fair: elsewhere online, I’ve observed conservative (and Christian, at that) friends being equally sniping about certain “liberal” figures and stances. The reality is that I don’t find either sets of sniping appealing - at least not on the issues.

So, again, what am I to do and/or say about these instances of ridicule? Admittedly, it is very rarely directed at me personally. But, just the same, it stings when folks don’t consider that someone in their number might be injured by their comments.

Reality check: we all have a tendency to make sweeping general statements. And when someone protests the comment, we get defensive. It happens. And it is rough when people on the one hand say of their general comments “Oh, well of course there are exceptions,” but of your general comments “But that just displays your unsociable hatred of those people.” It is hard when you are not allowed to concede exceptions and are constantly labeled as biased against particular sets of people (whether you in fact are or not).

One of the Beatitudes says “Blessed are you when you are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” Sometimes I want to respond, “Thanks, Lord, but that doesn’t tell me how to deal with it!”

What it comes down to is: how important is this moment, this discussion? Arguing and getting antagonistic only generates alienation. And these are people I care about, that I enjoy having contact with. If I cannot behave charitably toward these folks that I like (whether they are Christians or not), I will never be able to touch those I don’t know or don’t like.

It goes back to the issue of forgiveness. I have to let go of the sting and act as if I never felt it. It wasn’t meant as a slam or attack upon me personally, and I shouldn’t treat it as such.

And I shouldn’t get into a jag about how ridicule of particular groups isn’t funny. Because it sometimes is funny. (Like folks mistaking a very convincing website touting a currently illegal process as being “for real.”) It’s also pointless to wish that ridicule would never happen (particularly me wishing that: my sense of humor runs to the sardonic and sarcastic).

Ridicule can hurt. I just can’t make it an issue for battle.