Bullies Part 2: Culture & Politics

May 5, 2010 by Sal Termini.

Culture has its many icons such as South Park, John Stuart, Bill Mahr, O’Reilly, and even the Simpsons. On any given day culture speaks loud and bold about what they believe. If you watch any of the shows above no one is shy about sharing what they believe. Hollywood and the music industry through their popularity and power shout their beliefs from the rooftops. Politics and satire is delivered daily on every news show. Today the line between politics, commentary, satire, humor, and political opinion is blurred.

There exists one glaring hypocrisy which tells us religion is a private matter. For culture and politics to tell us we cannot share our core convictions is censorship of the worst kind. Anyone who watches television will see peoples’ beliefs being displayed through culture and politics. Religion is mocked and ridiculed but must remain silent. We can watch the sexual opinions of people acted out in movies, plays, cartoons, opinion shows, and through satirical commentators. Yet in all their proselytizing, religion is commanded to be silent and private. I don’t know about you but I’m outraged and I’ve had enough. We as a nation are able to spew every unkind idea, hateful speech, anti-religious rhetoric, vulgar and obscene opinion, but religion must be silent, and remain a private matter.

The bullies tell us that religion is a private matter which is another of their great bogus arguments. They spread this propaganda because religion is a powerful force. Religion is a core value, it is what many people truly believe with all their hearts. It is a tactic to silence a huge segment of the population, people who have every right to share their beliefs with others. Therefore it is an attempt by bullies to marginalize those who believe in religious values. Calling religion a private matter is their way of keeping religion out of the marketplace of ideas, because it will challenge their beliefs and ideologies.

In many of our institutions of higher learning atheism and the teaching of evolution, is in the majority, and they want to keep it that way. This is changing in philosophy, science, and in the marketplace of ideas. If religion is permitted to speak the bullies know they will lose their power. It is religious values that are the conscience of a nation. Most people that I know, know the difference between right is wrong. When religion begins to tell people what is right is wrong by expressing its opinion, it is ridiculed, rejected, and mocked as intrusive. What they forget is they intrude on our values daily without regard for our rights or beliefs. Culture and politics are able to tell us what is right and wrong but religion must be silent. It is time for religious people to be bold and courageous. Culture and politics want to make you feel embarrassed by mocking what you believe, This is their way of silencing you. The apostle Paul said almost two centuries ago, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The double standard of making us feel ashamed for our beliefs while we are not allowed to make them feel ashamed for theirs must not continue.

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