What Does The Bible Say About... Cancel Culture - Thought Police - Censorship

&orruption, iniTuity, evil, sin, has e[isted since the Garden of Eden and, it will continue till God annihilates this world and time shall be no more.

&ancel &ulture, Thought 3olice, &ensorship are all e[pressions to de scribe the political and social climate that has gained a foothold among us today. According to :iNipedia.org, “&ancel culture (or call out cul ture) is a modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles ²either online on social media, in the real world, or both. Those who are subMect to this ostracism are said to be µcanceled’.”

Definition

• Merriam-webster.com “The practice or tendency of engaging

in mass canceling as a way of e[pressing disapproval and e[erting social pressure also the people who engage in or support this practice.” • Dictionary.cambridge.org “To completely reMect and stop supporting someone because they have said or done something that offends you.”

• Urbandictionary.com: “It is caused by a critical mass of

people who are TuicN to Mudge and slow to Tuestion.”

What Is The Goal Of The “Cancel Culture”

&ancel culture seeNs to nullify and abolish all opposing voices, espe cially conservative voices. It voids (terminates, shuts down, refuses a platform) those who would dare Tuestion the practice and position of the far left. /iberalism, 0ar[ism is their desperate cry. Everything goes. Everything must be allowed. 'on’t claim there is such a thing as “right and wrong.” :ith them, their thinNing is the only right way and anyone who opposes their way must be canceled ² silenced at all cost

&ancel culture seeNs to shut down all voices of conservative e[pression. Tragically, they are very successful in doing so. &onservative voices have been canceled from social media outlets (internet apps, TV, news papers, radio, etc). &onservative voice has been canceled from speaN ing on 8niversity campuses. The practice of the day is to tell everyone, don’t investigate, don’t Tuestion, don’t e[amine, don’t scrutini]e, move on, move on, go away, there’s nothing to see here Their greatest fear is that people will actually open their eyes and e[amine what’s going on. They not only fear Truth, they hate it. Truth always refutes and dispels error. They don’t want anyone thinNing for themselves.

The Concept Of “Cancel Culture”

“&ancel culture” arises from those who consider themselves to be in control of all things that are “acceptable” and “not acceptable.” They “shame” (cancel) anyone, everyone, who does not hold the same opin ion as theirs. In this respect, they are “Thought 3olice.” If you don’t thinN liNe they thinN, you’re not simply ignored as one having a differ ent opinion. In their eyes, your thoughts and voice must be shut down, canceled, terminated You have no right to your opinion because they consider your opinion dangerous and that it must to be silenced.

Even American history is being “canceled” and rewritten to suit this corrupt and wicNed agenda. It is a progressive operation that seeNs to destroy our entire history and culture. This maNes the time in which we live a very troublesome period. %ut, on the other hand, has there ever been a time in history that was not troublesome" &orruption, iniTuity, evil, sin, has e[isted since the Garden of Eden and, it will continue till God annihilates this world and time shall be no more.

We Only Have Three Directions

There are three directions one may choose in life, but only one of the three is T+E :AY that is approved by the eternal God of heaven who made heaven and earth.

‡ There’s God’s way.

‡ There’s the way to the left of God’s way ‡ There’s the way to right of God’s way.

ThinN of a grandfather clocN. o’clocN is the way that leads to heaven. Every way to the left of and every way to the right of is wrong. It doesn’t matter with the devil whether one chooses the left or the right, both are wrong. It doesn’t matter if you stray off the road to the left or to the right, you’re in the ditch either way.

LEFT is the word that describes the way that does not respect God’s rule of law. It’s the way that taNes “liberties” with the 6criptures. This way refuses to be bound by the restrictions God has made. It “taNes away” from God’s law.

RIGHT is the word that describes the way that goes beyond God’s rule of law. They basically believe the 6criptures, but they go further and maNe their own laws and regulations and bind them upon men as if it was God’s law. This way “adds to” God’s law.

What Does The Scriptures Say?

:e are given warning in the 6criptures not to depart to the right or to the left. 0oses revealed God’s instructions unto Israel “+ear, 2 Israel, the statutes and Mudgments which I speaN in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and Neep, and do them . ... Ye shall observe to do therefore as the /25' your God hath commanded you ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left” ('eut. ). This precept is pointed out again and again ('eut. , -osh. ).

Very powerful and influential voices today have strayed to the “left” of the strait and narrow way God has legislated (cf. 0att. ). They repudiate and reMect the “God’s way” and have gone the way of %alaam who loved the wages of unrighteousness ( 3eter ). “&ancel cul ture” has become the word that describes their wicNedness. %ecause of current events, they have sei]ed the opportunity to rally their gang in a concerted effort to silence the voices of those who seeN to maintain the “right way” of God

Freedom Of Speech Under Attack

&ancel culture diminishes and seeNs to stamp out “freedom of speech.” 8nder the banner of 3rogressivism, conservative voices that call for a firm stand for decency, morality, and righteousness, is being silenced at every turn. It has gained a foot hold with many because they have been brainwashed into thinNing that God’s way is not valid. God’s :ord Tuells their freedom to do as they please. They don’t want any one telling them that what they’re doing is sinful. They seeN to silence everything righteous.

&anceling, silencing, mu]]ling, annulling, God’s true and holy word is nothing new. :hat is going on now has been going on through the ages.

Canceling God’s Word

The devil canceled (nullified) God’s word to Adam and Eve. In Gen esis we read “The /25' God commanded the man, saying, 2f every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat %ut of the tree of the Nnowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. ). The devil came along and told Eve “Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. ) ² there by canceling God’s word.

But, In Reality, Who Can Cancel The Word’s Of God?

Jehoiakim (Ning of -udah) did evil in the sight of the /ord ( .ings

). +e refused to hear the word of God because it wasn’t favorable to him. The /ord had given warning “It may be that the house of -udah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them that they may return every man from his evil way that I may forgive their iniTuity and their sin” (-er. ). +owever, when God’s word was read in -ehoiaNim’s presence “...he cut it with the penNnife, and cast it into the fire...until all the roll was consumed in the fire .... Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the Ning, nor any of his servants that heard all these words” (-er. ). The Ning commanded that %aruch the scribe and -eremiah the prophet be taNen captive, “but the /ord hid them.”

God’s word was canceled ²so the Ning thought! +owever, God commanded -eremiah to write again all the words that -ehoiaNim had burned (v. ). “Therefore thus saith the /25' of -ehoiaNim Ning of -udah +e shall have none to sit upon the throne of 'avid and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniTuity and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of -erusalem, and upon the men of -udah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them but they hearNened not” (vs. ). God’s word wasn’t canceled after all was it? The /ord God almighty will do the same, not only as he did to that generation, but all in every generation who refuse his word by seeNing to cancel it

The word Micaiah the prophet proclaimed was canceled by Ning Ahab. :hen the Ning wanted to go against 6yria in battle, false prophets told him he would succeed. %ut when -ehoshaphat the Ning of -udah asN if there were any other prophets of which they could enTuire, Ahab said there is one, but “I hate him for he doth not prophesy good con cerning me, but evil” ( .ings ). :hen 0icaiah was summoned he told Ahab the truth from God “I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd and the /25' said, These have no master let them return every man to his house in peace. And the Ning of Israel said unto -ehoshaphat, 'id I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil” ( .ings )"

Ahab canceled what 0icaiah said and put him in prison. +e believed the false prophets, went into battle, and was Nilled. “6o the Ning died, and was brought to 6amaria and they buried the Ning in 6amaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of 6amaria and the dogs licNed up his blood and they washed his armour according unto the word of the /25' which he spaNe” (vs. ).

Why Won’t People Listen To God?

:hy won’t people listen to God’s everlasting word" Isaiah the prophet wrote God’s word from heaven “/et the wicNed forsaNe his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the /25', and he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for he will abundant ly pardon. )or my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the /25'. )or as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. )or as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maNeth it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater 6o shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isa. ). It never pays to cancel the holy 6criptures. Actually, it can’t be done and escape the conseTuences.

Have You Obeyed The Gospel Of Jesus Christ?

It is our sincere desire and prayer that you obey the gospel today and be saved. 5emember the words of -esus, “1ot every one that saith unto me, /ord, /ord, shall enter into the Ningdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of my )ather which is in heaven. 0any will say to me in that day, /ord, /ord, have we not prophesied in thy name" and in thy name have cast out devils" and in thy name done many wonderful worNs" And then will I profess unto them, I never Nnew you depart from me, ye that worN iniTuity” (0atthew ).

The words of -esus teach us that to become a &hristian one must ‡ +ear the gospel (-ohn )

‡ %elieve in -esus as the &hrist (-ohn )

‡ 5epent of all sins (/uNe )

‡ &onfess &hrist as /ord (0atthew )

‡ And be bapti]ed to be saved (0arN )

‡ After baptism remain faithful to God. (0atthew )

If we do Must what our /ord commanded we Nnow that our salvation is certain and we will hear +im say “:ell done, thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will maNe thee ruler over many things enter thou into the Moy of thy lord” (0atthew ). /et us go bacN to the %ible, bacN to &hrist and +is church and do e[ actly what +e commanded. 3lease let us help you in your obedience to the gospel before it is eternally too late.

[This material is presented by the members of the Northside church of Christ - 700 Jolly Road, NW - Calhoun, Georgia 30701. If you would like to have a Bible Study or discuss this subject further please contact one of our elders; Kent Bailey at 706-629-6111 - Ron Hall at 770-548-3167 - Eddie Jones at 706-264-2651]