This article is not meant to discriminate, vilify or foment detestation towards any person or group. I would like to take this opportunity to communicate love towards any reader who disagrees with what I have stated here. Your life is precious to God and in God we can all find life, love and eternal purpose.
Shawn Stevens
WE LOVE YOU BUT CANCEL CULTURE IS WRONG
Wikipedia defines “Cancel Culture” as “a modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles – whether it be online, on social media, or in person. Those who are subject to this ostracism are said to have been 'cancelled.'" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancel_culture) Cancel culture has become a Liberally acceptable form of denying Conservative people their right to speak or hold to their beliefs. It has gained approval among the political left over many years and is rapidly becoming their mode of operation.
At its core, Cancel Culture believes that people should not have freedom of speech or freedom of expression in certain areas, if they hold to socially conservative beliefs. More specifically, Cancel Culture maintains that if a person holds to a Christian worldview and Biblical positions on sexual purity, heterosexuality, sanctity of human life (pre-born and post-born), freedom of religion, family values, ect., they must not be allowed to express those views openly. Now, there are also other communities and cultures outside of the Christian community that hold to some items on this list and who also come under fire for their conservatism. However, more often than not, this struggle is between the political left and Christians.
At the forefront of the cancel culture are groups like Antifa which exist to promote Communism, Socialism, anarchy, LGBT rights, and the Black Lives Matter movement. One thing that differentiates Antifa activists from some other more libertarian Liberal activists, is their willingness to use force, to achieve the shutdown of speech. They have a strong presence on many university campuses and use many left-wing protest organizations to promote their platform. As well, they are known to come out to conservative rallies to disrupt and oppose conservative free speech, which they call hate speech.
Threats from Cancel Culture advocates resulted in the University Of British Columbia cancelling a 2020 speaking event featuring journalist Andy Ngo. Ngo had been assaulted by Antifa in 2019 for covering an Antifa rally because he is viewed as being opposed to Antifa. His camera equipment was stolen that day and blows and injuries to his head resulted in him going to emergency. Ngo was still on their watchlist of speakers that they want shut down and the University Of British Columbia complied with their demands on vague and unspecified grounds of “safety and security” concerns.
A similar example of Cancel Culture occurred at the University of Alberta in 2015 where a pro-life display and presentation was covered over and drowned out by the sheets, towels, banners, and mega-phones of demonstrators. The school security took no action to stop the demonstrators, or to discipline the students involved in the shutdown. Some students boasted publicly on social media about their involvement. Instead the University told the small pro-life club who erected the display, that they could no longer make such displays on campus unless they paid $17,500 in security fees first. This was challenged in the Alberta Court of Appeal and the $17,500 fee was thrown out.
The Alberta Court of Appeal set aside the University’s $17,500 security fee, ruling in favour of free speech on campus. The University of Calgary was also reprimanded by a court “for having found some pro-life students guilty of non-academic misconduct simply for having peacefully expressed their opinions on campus.”
The above situation is one small victory for free speech advocates. However, there are so many examples of Cancel Culture bullying out or trying to bully out conservatives. I have seen this with my own eyes. Cancel culture argues that they are trying to stop hate speech. However, they fail to understand that true Christian expression is not hate. We do not hate those on the left. (I am not saying that there has never been an example of a Christian, or someone posing as a Christian, expressing hate, but rather what the left usually interprets as hating a minority, is usually not that at all) Again and again Christians followers have made a clear distinction between loving the sinner and hating the sin. We oppose the immoral behaviour that our Bibles and our God condemns, but we do not hate those who are committing these offences.
Cancel Culture should take an honest look at their own expression and ask themselves “is what I do hate?” I recently attended a peaceful public demonstration where Social Conservative speakers, one of whom was an MP, made presentations on their opinion that child medical transition does harm to children. I was taking in the excellent presentations by respected social conservative leaders, whom I admire. Then some activists began disrupting the meeting. Many held placards with pro-LGBT messages. While some stood there quietly, others marched through the crowd, one with a megaphone, shouting obscenities. One sprayed a purple dye into the air amongst us all and others threw eggs into our crowd. One female activist stripped down and walked bare-breasted amongst us, fingering us. Again, some protesters stood by quietly. I am not calling what the quiet protesters do, Cancel Culture. However, the intentions of the aggressive ones was to communicate as much hatred towards us as they could and to drown out our speakers with swearing. This is cancel culture. This is hatred. This is wrong.
We do not hate our opposers. If you are reading this from the other side of the fence, we wish to communicate that we love you. Real love is always connected to truth. You can't affirm immorality and be loving at the same time. Love will expose and challenge immorality but in the context of hope. There is hope for you that is found only in Jesus Christ. He can set you free if you will turn to Him, surrender to Him, repent and put your faith in Him. Then you will be free.
Cancel Culture is coming at Social Conservatives from all sides. It is coming from groups like Antifa, from university administrations, from activists, from social media giants like Google, facebook, Utube and others who often dismiss and cancel social conservatism as misinformation. Lastly it is coming from government, Liberal and left wing government which supports hate-speech legislation. The term “hate speech” is a very subjective term. It changes meaning depending on the political views of whoever is judging it. Usually hate speech laws are used by those on the political left to prosecute social conservatives for their views on moral issues. Do you doubt this? Do you disagree? What examples can you give of social conservatives using hate speech legislation to prosecute Liberals? Please write me if you know of a single example in Canada.
No, the political left smiles upon Cancel Culture. They enable Cancel Culture to operate in the court system by means of hate speech laws. Because Cancel Culture has the backing of our courts and government it can also be called systemic discrimination. Christians living in Canada increasingly feel the heat and the pressure when following our God instead of following the culture. The evolving Liberal worldview is always moving farther and farther to the left. The modern Liberal worldview is increasingly more and more antithetical to Christian faith and to Christian values. It is becoming more and more aggressive in mandating its value system. They expect us to convert to their views, which we can never do without compromising our faith.
We do not hate anyone. We do not wish ill on our opposers. However, we will not follow the value system of a Liberal government that has lost its way and is up to its eyeballs in scandal. By the grace of our God we will continue to walk the strait and narrow. We will continue to speak the truth in love.
Shawn Stevens
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancel_culture
https://www.jccf.ca/university-cancel-culture-is-coward-culture/
https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/02/opinions/antifa-andy-ngo-gagliano/index.html