Nowadays, the term “bigot” is
a buzzword very often thrown around without much thought as to what it actually
means. It is considered to be one of the
harshest insults. Nobody wants to be
called a bigot. But this put-down is often
used against Christians because of our “intolerance” and “insensitivity” toward
certain people and ideas.
The “B” Word
Apparently, when having
debates in this politically correct society, all one has to do is scream
“Bigot!” and the target of his attack is automatically wrong and is forced to
apologize and rethink his opinion, no matter how fair and reasonable he’s
been. It seems to be one of the ultimate
badges of shame, ranking right up there with “racist” and “homophobe.” Today, it is one of the most feared titles
that anyone could bear, causing many to back off from their opinions in order to
salvage their reputation, especially when in public.
But what IS the definition of
the word “bigot”? Sadly, some sources
are actually not very helpful. Are you a
bigot simply because you strongly disagree with someone’s views (as some
believe)? But if we are bigots because we don’t agree with their views, then so are they, since they are are
disagreeing with us!
Some Definitions
According to Dictionary.com, a bigot is:
“A person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed,
belief, or opinion.”
And according to the Collins
English Dictionary, it is:
“A person who is intolerant of
any ideas other than his or her own, esp on religion, politics, or race.”
But these definitions seem to
be too general. If these are true, then
we are ALL bigots, since all of us are intolerant of something. For example, the
great majority of people wouldn’t tolerate murder, child molestation, or
kidnapping. We pretty much all have
strong “intolerant” views toward these!
But rightly so. Intolerance of
certain things is not necessarily wrong - in fact, sometimes it is absolutely necessary!
Better Definitions
But notice these next two sources for the definition of “bigot”:
The Cambridge Dictionary:
“A person who has strong, unreasonable ideas, esp. about race or religion, and who thinks anyone who does not have the
same beliefs is wrong.”
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
“A person who has very strong, unreasonable beliefs or
opinions about race, religion or politics and who will not listen to or accept
the opinions of anyone who disagrees.”
Notice the term
“unreasonable” in these last two. This
would make more sense as a definition.
This makes it more specific and more meaningful. If one’s intolerance is unreasonable or not
rational, then he could be a bigot.
Merriam-Webster
also leans in this direction by referring to prejudice in its definition of bigot:
“A person who is obstinately
or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially :
one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group)
with hatred and intolerance.”
Also according to Merriam-Webster, prejudice is “an
adverse opinion or leaning formed without
just grounds or before sufficient knowledge.”
So, if a person is intolerant
of a quality that cannot be changed (e.g., color, race, ethnicity), then that
would be unfair and he would be a bigot.
But simply disagreeing with someone is not grounds to call you a bigot. He would have to demonstrate why your view is unreasonable, as well as intolerant.
“Unreasonable.” “Unfair.”
“With prejudice.” “Without just
grounds.” These terms would point to true
bigotry.
The Battleground
When we Christians share the
truth of Scripture with socialists, feminists, atheists, liberals, leftists,
the LGBT crowd, etc., they will often be quick to brand us as close-minded, judgmental,
intolerant bigots who try to “force” our “outdated” beliefs on everyone. We are branded as those who “reject diversity,”
and spew “hate speech” (more inflammatory
buzzwords). When emotions run high, they
often resort to these tactics to try to end peaceful dialogue to silence
Christians. Well… if they hated Jesus,
they’ll hate us, too (John 15:18-19).
The Real Reason
But much of the source of
contention they have with us is not so much with actual bigotry, but with our
use of the Bible. For some reason, they
automatically seem to connect Scripture with bigotry. It grieves them to
no end that we could possibly believe the Bible, which they consider an “absurd”
and “antiquated” book. It seems that as
soon as the Bible is mentioned, many will mock and complain that the Bible is
either out of date, too narrow, or irrelevant, or they may only believe certain
portions of it. Regardless, our
arguments are immediately dismissed.
From Whence Come Your Morals?
But everyone has values, i.e.,
a sense of right and wrong. And we have
to get our values from somewhere, don’t we? So, what is your standard? What is it
that defines your morals? This is a most
important point in our disagreements with anyone.
Good moral values don’t just
grow on trees. They are not created by
science (science only deals with physical laws) – they are not created by the
individual (that would lead to moral relativism) – and they are not created by
society (remember Germany’s example under Hitler?). Good moral values must come from a transcendent source. They must come from God. And we would assert that the Bible is God’s
Word. So that’s why Christians point to
the Bible. We hold it as the ultimate
standard of morality (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Obviously, our opponents on
the left have an issue with that idea.
Sometimes they will even try to quote the Bible against us,
cherry-picking certain passages and taking them out of context (Matthew
4:6-7). But be confident, fellow
Christians, that all of the opposition’s questions and concerns about the Bible
can be answered.
The Bible’s Impact
But the truth of the Bible is
evident, and its impact on the world is undeniable. The Bible has changed the lives of many
millions of individuals over the centuries in a positive way. Missionaries, carrying the gospel message,
have brought civilized living to the most barbaric and heathen nations. Christians have been “salt” and “light” in
the world for centuries (Matthew 5:13-14). They are “salt” in the sense of preserving society, and they are “light”
in the sense of illumination, in understanding
and sharing spiritual truths. We
cannot escape the vast positive influence that the Bible has had on the world
and on our own country. The Bible’s
principles were the foundational basis for our colleges, our government, and
our Constitution since the beginning of our nation. Christianity has built schools, hospitals and
orphanages throughout the world and established many charitable organizations,
as well. Again, because of biblical
principles.
Further evidence of its
reliability would include the fact that excavations in archaeology are verifying
many truths in Scripture. Also, consider
the abundant manuscript evidence for the Bible, especially the New
Testament. And lastly, fulfilled
prophecies from within the Bible provide us with powerful evidence of its truth
and trustworthiness. We can say this of
no other book.
God’s Gift to Us
So, the Bible is a
supernatural book from a loving and merciful God, who has redeemed
mankind. It is God’s revelation to
us. Fellow Christians, no one is perfect,
but if you are truly serving God and living by His Word, then you have nothing
to be ashamed of. The Bible is tried and
true. God has proven Himself over and
over through His Word. Why should we let
these people try to intimidate us into believing that their views are right, while there is something wrong with God’s views? Anyone disagreeing with Scripture is saying
that his morals are better than God’s!
By the way, when they call us bigots for using the Bible, they are
actually calling God a bigot, since
it is HIS Word and HIS thoughts.
Justice, Equality, and Human Rights
Ironically, those very same
things that our opponents are screaming for (justice, equality, and human
rights) were already brought about by
the influence of Christianity! But our
opponents’ version of “rights” and “equality” (which they are trying to shove
down America’s throat today) are counterfeits and a perversion of true rights and true equality.
Conclusion
Getting back to bigotry. No doubt, there are some who claim to be Christians who may actually be bigots. So don’t go crying if someone calls you a
bigot IF YOU ARE INDEED ACTING LIKE ONE. Then it’s your
fault. True bigotry has no place in the
Christian’s life. We should know
better.
But having said that, if any
Christian is unjustly called a bigot, he should challenge his accuser to
determine on what basis he is being called that. If they want to have a civil discussion, then
fine, but don’t be bullied out of your faith by these “politically correct” scoffers. Stand up and “earnestly contend for the
faith” (Jude 3)! God does not
want us to just be silent and conform to their morals. The apostle Paul confronted the Thessalonian
Jews and reasoned with them out of
the Scriptures (Acts 17:2). We have an
obligation to do the same!
See this very helpful link on
debating a liberal:
See these links on the
Bible’s and Christianity’s influence on the world:
