Have you ever wondered why, in a society, which lauds tolerance, that there is so little of it? Cast your memory back to Israel Folau, to Bernard Gaynor, and now Lyle Shelton, each of them, along with a cohort of many others being hounded through our law courts for expressing a view, which is contrary to the all-pervasive Leftist narrative.
What ever happened to live and let live?’ Why is it that Christians must tacitly tolerate behaviour and opinions which flagrantly offend the God of the universe, while activists and media are free to express and enforce their anti-God views with impunity? Why must we be tolerant of their views, while they need not tolerate ours? How did this happen?
The answer to this question centres on one man, who changed the Western world with his toxic philosophy. But before we look at him, we need briefly to consider another nefarious figure of our dark past, who inspired him; Karl Marx.
Class warfare, the working class vs the capitalist class
A little over a century ago Marx dreamed up Socialism. He contended that the world’s ills could be attributed to Capitalism. Therefore, in order to bring in Utopia, a revolution was necessary and the impetus for the revolution would come from the oppressed working class. The blue-collar worker would gain an enlightened consciousness, to see that they are 1. Oppressed, and 2. It’s the Capitalists who are oppressing them. With this knowledge, workers, worldwide would take up arms to overthrow the Capitalists and bring about the revolution. Or so the story goes.
However, there was a serious problem. The workers were not revolting, they weren’t storming the factories, but were in fact enjoying the benefits of Capitalism. The industrialised economy now had production lines; goods were getting cheaper (economies of scale) under the leadership of the captains of industry. Unions were getting better deals for their workers. And the predicted revolutionary foment, morphed into consumerism. Workers turned their attention to home ownership, cars and entertainment. Oh well there goes the revolution.
The advent of socialism’s saviour
The situation was looking dire for the Socialists, it was only their hatred of Capitalism, which sustained them through their winter of discontent. Then amazingly into the halls of academia strides the Socialist champion; Herbert Marcuse.
Marcuse is an interesting figure: born in Berlin 1898, he fled the Nazi Fascist Regime, and ended up in America. He sagaciously read the times, he saw that American prosperity had debunked Marx’s theory, the workers were not going to bring down the system. Consequently, Socialism needed to be revised, a new way forward was needed to overthrow Capitalism.
The birth of critical theory
Marcuse pulled a rabbit out of the hat. He masterfully transposed the old Marxist class warfare categories and applied them to hitherto ignored grievance groups. Finding disenchanted groups, such as students opposed to the Vietnam War, angry Feminists who hated men, Blacks from Black Power Movement, and LGBT people, was easy enough.
One by one these groups became the ‘Working Class’ (the old Marxist category) and in the same stroke of fantasy, Men, Whites, and Heterosexuals became the new despised ‘Capitalist Class’. With new classes of oppressed and oppressor defined, it was now game on, to overthrow the Capitalist Class, by any means.
I can speak freely, but you can’t, because my views are right.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, it did. Marcuse’s seminal work ‘Repressive Tolerance’ had and still has far reaching influence, from the university campuses around the globe, to just about every important institution you can think of.
From his twisted perspective, he sees ‘Tolerance’ as a vice. A tool used by those in power to perpetuate ‘institutionalised inequality’. Whereas we would see ‘Tolerance’ as virtuous, having the forbearance to live in harmony with anyone who has opposing views to our own is a necessary feature of a pluralist society. You’d think.
But according to Marcuse it’s not. For him, any step or action, which overthrows this alleged institutionalised inequality is justified. Even violent revolution.
Now we sink further into the smouldering fires of the abyss, for Marcuse taught his grievance groups that they’ve the right not only to express and force their subversive views on society, but also have a moral obligation to silence those who oppose them, (again by any means).
Moreover, because they’re the victims of structural and institutional inequality, the act of silencing all opposition makes them righteous. And now you know why you can never win an argument against a ‘woke’ (self-righteous) individual.
Here’s the thing, because Marcuse is so widely read, taught and accepted his contagion is ubiquitous, metaphorically speaking it’s infected more minds and attitudes than Covid-19 and is a hundred-fold more dangerous.
What should our response be?
If you want to understand the irrational hostility towards, and unfair treatment of Christians and their views, look no further than Marcuse.
Notwithstanding there is hope on the horizon, any civilization which embraces Critical Theory will eventually self-destruct. Because it is founded on lies, oppression and intolerance. However, sadly, it may take another two generations before we see the West collapse under its weight.
When nations return to a Meritocracy, where appointment to positions of importance are based on ability, and not identity, then prosperity will be re-established.
Until then, we would be wise to heed Yahweh’s admonition to Elijah. “See, I have reserved for myself, 7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal”. Let’s stay the course, ready to defy the Jezebel of our age.