In a comment on Kirby's blog, I noted that “political correctness” is nothing more or less than the notion that our words and deeds should conform to our beliefs. As I've thought about this subsequently, it occurred to me that while "political correctness" in its current meaning dates to the 70's, and the conservative backlash to a few minutes after that, that the underlying idea is sound, and that I've encountered it in sources of far greater antiquity.
So I invite you to consider the first commandment,
Exodus 20:7 (RSV) You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
and with it, the following exegesis by Jesus of Nazereth:
Matthew 6:9 (RSV) Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Consider that first petition, “Hallowed be thy name.” This is often misunderstood. Jesus is not asking that God's name be holy, for God's name is holy. Jesus is asking that God grant us that we conform our words and attitudes to our belief in the holiness of our Lord God, and the sanctity of his name. Is this not political correctness? Of course it is. Yet many of the same conservatives who bristle at “political correctness” pray this prayer every day without a twinge of irony.
And I believe it is worth considering what the first commandment was intended to proscribe. I do not believe it was the “God damns” that have been largely replaced in modern invective by more offensive speech. After all, “God damn” is formally a prayer. A flawed, self-centered prayer, but a prayer never the less. No, I believe that the usage was the casual elaboration of “I promise…” to “With God as my witness, I promise… .” For indeed, we may well find that God is a witness against us. Indeed, there's evidence to this in Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 5:1–2 (RSV) Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth; that I may pardon her. Though they say, “As the LORD lives,” yet they swear falsely.
And this leads us to a second commentary on the first commandment, which shares much with Jesus's, in the Epistle of James:James 5:12 (RSV) But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation.
And while James is placid and magisterial, Paul of Tarsus knows how difficult this really is,Romans 7:15 (RSV) I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
It is not easy to set aside traditional patterns of language and attitude to account for a new truths, for habituation has a powerful hold on us. This difficulty accounts for much of the strident attitude by modern advocates of political correctness. Self policing our words and deeds is hard, as we undermine ourselves thoughtlessly and continuously. Paul was right, and we need to pray.
May our words and deeds conform to our beliefs. Amen.
Peace
