Troubled souls watch in horror following the third act of terrorism in less than two weeks. After the shock wears off, people are looking for answers, searching for the heart of this matter. While the facts of the most recent ambush of police officers in Louisiana is unclear, there elements shine some light upon the darkness behind these evil acts.
1. Opinions have been elevated to truth status.
Whether you watch cable news, follow social media or read secular publications, public opinions go viral weekly. Cable news uses talking points to define the narrative, filtering out the context by over-emphasizing what they want the low information voter to believe. Facebook, Snap Chat and Twitter elicit emotions, creating an environment for anger, hatred and negativity to have a voice. Meanwhile, a few elite members of the media daily spoon feed the American public, repeating ideologies, philosophies and worldviews until their opinions become what is good, right and true.
2. Political Correctness has replaced the Bible as genuine absolutes.
During my last year as a high school Bible teacher, our administration felt it was necessary to bring in a professional for an inservice day on sensitivity training. As the black student population grew, a series of seminars was designed to equip teachers with a better understanding of the African American community. Unfortunately, most of the time was spent regurgitating liberal beliefs void of any biblical principles. When public schools kicked the Bible, prayer and God out of education in the 1960’s, the measuring stick for absolutes were eliminated. More than fifty years later political correctness has now become the gospel of the twenty first century.
3. You can’t force people to act, believe or change.
One of the things I learned during my months in a youth ministry trade school is that you can’t change someone’s attitude. However, once an individual takes ownership and responsibility for their actions, they can change themselves. If God doesn’t force people to believe in Him, creating free will, why is the world trying to convince those who differ from their worldview to become open minded? According to Jesus in John 16, the Holy Spirit is the only source that provides permanent change. Discipline, good intentions and hard work are productive, but not eternal. Therefore, if you want to start making this world a better place, begin with the heart of this matter by looking at the man, woman or child in the mirror.
by Jay Mankus
