Liberal Political Correctness as Manipulation

Our church reflects the ethnic make-up of our community pretty accurately. We have over 30 first languages spoken by people in our church and about half of our people are immigrants to Canada from all over the world: Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia. One of the largest groups is from the Caribbean. When the 2's and 3's Sunday School class goes up to sing at Christmas time it looks like the United Nations.

I had an interesting experience last Sunday, which just shows how invalid, fake and manipulative the political correctness of the Left actually is. I preached on Matthew 2 and the war against Christmas that was waged by Herod and the Powers behind Herod and which continues to be waged today. I used the example of the trend to forbid people in public places from saying "Merry Christmas" and coercing them into saying "Happy Holidays" instead.

I pointed out that it actually is not immigrants to Canada who fight for political correctness and that most immigrants come to Canada because it is a great country that was built by Christians on Christian principles. The last thing most immigrants would want is for Christianity to be banned in Canada. The real culprits are white, middle-class liberals who cave into to Leftist demands for an enforced secularism in public life. The real culprits are spineless liberals and hate-filled atheists on the Left.

After the sermon, in his closing remarks, our pastor remarked that he had had a great chat with his Muslim barber just this past week about the meaning of Christmas. The barber was curious and interested in Christmas customs. But why should that surprise anyone? I mean, who wouldn't be? Christmas is terrific! Only a Grinch or a Scrooge would hate Christmas. Even if I was an atheist I would love Christmas. Ordinary people understand this intuitively. It takes a highly educated elitist brainwashed with cultural Marxist propaganda to let ideology spin so far out of control as to try to attack Christmas.

Anyway, after the service I received the usual complementary comments from various people (the people at my church are very generous and gracious). But on this particular day I must have had at least six different black or brown folks seek me out during the coffee and fellowship hour and tell me what a wonderful sermon and say thank you. I blush to mention it but at the end of this particular sermon something happened that has never happened to me before. When I ended the sermon, the congregation broke into applause!

Now, I must confess I was embarrassed. But let's face it, it is not about me; it is about the message. What I've been reflecting on all week is what it was about that message that evoked such an unusually fervent reaction. (Remember, these are Baptists!) Upon reflection, this is what I think. I think that ordinary immigrant people feel manipulated and used by liberals advocating political correctness. I think they feel like no one ever asks them what they think, but rather presume to speak for them. Maybe that is what I did too, but what I said struck a chord with them as true and they were glad to hear someone say it from the pulpit. They don't like political correctness being propagated in their name.

The Left tries to portray conservatives as heartless just because we do not support the endless expansion of the welfare state and making people dependent on the state. They try to pretend to be humanitarians, but they are all about power and control. They use people and they put ideology above kindness, truth and goodness. They are not admirable, nor are they sincere. They use people to gain power and satisfy their lust for totalitarian control over the lives of other people. They must be resisted at every turn.

And, besides, they don't even like Christmas, the poor souls.