Language Lessons. ... (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In my latest post addressing Mormonism, I touched on another topic that’s particularly relevant in this day and age: misusing and redefining certain words for the purpose of painting Christians and other conservatives in a negative light.
In that post I addressed the use of judgmental; in case you missed it, here it is again:
To be judgmental, particularly in a Biblical sense, is to make a premature, uninformed decision about something or someone—basically, to declare them guilty without reviewing all the evidence. My critique of Mormonism, however, wasn’t judgmental; it was discerning. Some people like to toss around Christ’s words on judging (in inappropriate fashion, of course), but they seem to never remember what the Bible says about discernment: namely, that we are to be “wise as serpents” (Matthew 10:16). If I’m faced with an issue, or a question, it’s my responsibility—as a Christian but also as a person—to educate myself on all relevant points. I’ve done (and continue to do) just that with Mormonism, studying its history, doctrines and practices (not to mention knowing a few Mormons), so I consider myself qualified to answer questions about Mormonism, particularly regarding how it relates to Christianity. This is using my God-given intellectual faculties to evaluate a situation; there is nothing judgmental about it. You may disagree with me—you may even dislike me—but that’s no excuse for being lazy, cowardly, or grammatically sloppy.
Perhaps king in the category of misused/redefined words is tolerance. I hear this word a LOT nowadays—and it’s almost universally misused, usually by liberals. Essentially, tolerate means to allow, so to not tolerate would be to not allow; for example:
“I will not tolerate that type of behavior,” said the parent to her rebellious child.
What liberals have done, however, is redefine tolerate to mean agree with, so if you simply disagree with them, you’re intolerant. Makes me look pretty bad, huh? Like I’m an ogre. This is especially true among those in the pro-homosexual lobby, but is this tactic accurate? No. I disagree with the homosexual lifestyle and same-sex “marriage,” but I don’t want to see homosexuals banned from the country or wiped off the face of the earth. Therefore, I really am tolerant, but liberals claim otherwise in an attempt to make those who think as I do look bad.
Another good example of this problem is homophobic. There’s such a stigma now attached to this word, but what does it really mean? It means fear of homosexuals/homosexuality. Am I, as a Christian, afraid of homosexuals? No. I simply disagree with that lifestyle and with same-sex “marriage.” By equating mere disagreement with fear, however, opponents of the homosexual agenda are made to look hateful and mean, not to mention intolerant.
It pays to educate yourself, especially when it comes to underhanded tactics and word games such as these. And the next time you fall victim to something like this, don’t be a victim; set the record straight.
Jason Drexler Writes 