Grace Under Fire

 Shortly after the Hobby Lobby by the Supreme Court in America, Holly Fisher a West Virginia native posted a picture on Twitter. In the picture she was wearing a shirt displaying Hobby Lobby and holding a Chick-fil-A cup. In the caption to the photograph, she made reference to the fact that liberals were going to get enraged by the picture. I doubt even if she knew the outrage that would pour forth in reaction to the photograph. The photograph and the reaction to it by people on both sides of the political spectrum in America have made her something of a celebrity.

In American media, liberals are described mostly as tolerant while conservatives are generally referred to as bigots. Going through Holly Fisher’s timeline on Twitter, I was shocked, appalled and distressed by the comments from those who don’t share her views. Even elected Democratic representatives in Congress from her state have joined in on the act of insulting her on Twitter. There were not only those who wished her dead and who wanted to do her harm, there were those who were determined to call her every hurtful name under the earth. I felt not only distressed and alarmed by the abuse she was receiving on Twitter. However I was quite struck by the grace with which Holly Fisher answers those who abuse and wish her hurt.

It is a well-known fact that that the American media supports liberal causes. It is also a known fact that they believe liberals can do no wrong and every idea they have must be imposed on others. They do not take dissent very well. Anyone who does not agree with their opinion is labelled with the word bigots. Yet how anyone can refer to the people who insult and abuse Holly Fisher on a daily basis as “tolerant”. The people (both male and female) are quite definitely outraged by the fact that Holly Fisher obviously supports something they disapprove of. While I find it hard to believe that anyone would swallow the liberal line without critical thinking, it seems the people who hurl abuse at Holly Fisher actually do. The newspapers and other media outlets have been pushing the lie that the Supreme Court decision was a denial of contraceptives to women. All those who come to her Twitter feed to abuse all spout the same lie because that is what they have been made to believe. Whenever I see another comment by another enraged liberal, I ask myself why the media is determined to push lies as the truth. However there is a book titled Letters To America by Ayoade Oluwasanmi that seems to answer the question. The book is written in the form of letters from a friend in Nigeria to another living in America. They are based on the author’s perception of several social issues in America from gun control to the contraceptive mandate. The writer posits that the media and other liberals are determined to push the lies as truth because of the incitement value. In other words, liberals are determined to incite those who are moderate or sitting on the fence with regards to issues that liberals hold dear to hate conservatives to the point of wanting to harm them. The book can be found here. While others might think that the idea is far-fetched, looking at Holly Fisher’s timeline on Twitter, I don’t think so. While liberal heroes like Sandra Fluke are feted and anyone who dares say a word against them is demonised, no one stands up for people like Holly Fisher because the media do not like their message. Which is sad.

I admire Holly Fisher. In spite of the hate and opposition and criticism she has faced, she has stuck to her beliefs. I wish her all the best. However what gives me great joy is the fact that Holly Fisher is inspiring conservatives like her who were prior to her act, afraid to stand up for what they believed. If the liberals don’t like Holly Fisher, they should watch out for those who are following in her footsteps. Holly Fisher is an example for in the way she answers her critics, just by being who she is.

JC Cruz is the author of DECEPTIO published by WestBowPress, a division of Thomas Nelson publishers.http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU000194087/Deceptio.aspx and LOST, BUT FOUND available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DPLLEUQ/.

America Doesn't Like God Or Jesus (According To ESPN)

"Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions." - G. K. Chesterton

“There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions.”- G. K. Chesterton

Many people may have heard by now of ESPN's refusal to air a commercial by a St. Louis based children's charity because it contained the word's "God" and "Jesus". The commercial by the SSM Cardinal Glennon Children Medical Center and was in aid of the Center's Tree of Hope Campaign where people are expected to leave messages for the children being cared for at the Center. According to the reports, the network refused to air the advert in it's original state because according to the network, they didn't want to cause offence to anyone. Really?

Christians are told that we need to become more tolerant. What they actually mean by that is we should drop all our convictions and live by their own ways. Which we forsook in the first place by becoming Christians. They say that we shouldn't try and force people to live the way we want. But that is what they want to to do. To live the way they want us to live. To think the way they want us to think. They say our doctrines and beliefs are discriminatory and steeped in hate yet the first chance they get they're discriminating against us. Already there are soldiers in the United States being punished and discriminated against by their superiors because of their faith. Teachers are being told they face lawsuits if they show any sign of their faith in the classroom such that they can't even put a Christian themed screensaver on the computers. And they say we should be tolerant. Make no mistake, there is a battle on about how people should think and behave. 

I understand that ESPN is a private station and they have a choice about which commercial they will air. However when the reason given is that the advert mentions Jesus and God, I can't understand it. What does it matter if there is a mention of God or Jesus as long as some good is being done? How can people be offended by the mention of people they say they don't believe in, as long as good can be done and some children can have a happy Christmas? After all, Jesus is the reason why there is Christmas in the first place even though people would like to forget it. I don't get offended when people mention Mohammed, Allah, Krishna, Ram or whatever god other people worship. So what is it about the Christian God that offends people?   

I believe that tolerance is about understanding that we are all different, and that we all have a right to be different. I am ready to be tolerant as long as you do not ask me give up or not say what I believe to be true. However, a situation where people get offended by words such that they don't even want to hear the words in an advert for a good cause is not tolerance. It's hatred. And we should be cool with that. Jesus said the world hated him and a servant cannot be greater than his master. So maybe while we should be outraged and sad that people don't want to hear about God, it's something we should expect. 

JC Cruz is the author of DECEPTIO published by WestBowPress, a division of Thomas Nelson publishers.http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU000194087/Deceptio.aspx and LOST, BUT FOUND available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DPLLEUQ/. You can follow him on Twitter @Cruz_JCReal.