Out and About 17 Multiculturalism, Say What?

[HKHaugan]

When you are out and about words mean something but they can also have purposefully pointed intentions that are meant to sound profound but contain hidden agenda,--- gain social and political power.  You need to ask, ‘Say what?’

 

There is so much subtlety in the meaning of words.  For instance this seemingly profound statement, ‘There is unity in diversity.’  You scratch your head, ‘Say what?’  Now we are walking a linguistic tight rope.  It reminds me of the ‘60’s comedian Shelly Berman who, in one of his routines, asked the question “You’ve heard the sound of two hands clapping.  What is the sound of one hand clapping?”  Say what?

 

Just as racism carries such baggage so does ‘multiculturalism.’  ‘Say what?’  What it means literally and what it means politically are two different things.  First, its literal meaning is ‘multi’- meaning many and ‘cultural’- an adjective describing a socially accepted way of life, language and behavior patterns.  Secondly, its political meaning becomes whatever a particular society defines it as.  This is the sticking point.  For historic America it has been to welcome and accept people from many cultures into our existing system of laws who then accept and adapt to what they find here leaving behind the laws, loyalties and cultural demands they left. 

 

The key words here are ‘accept’ and ‘adapt.’  Accept and adapt loyalty to the political and legal system that is America and exercise opportunity you find here to be something new and different from what you left.  You don’t impose another narrowing cultural system on this one.  When people come to America they come because they are leaving cultures that have restricted their economic, educational, social and religious mobility.  Opportunity to become something new and different is the genus of the American system.  This system is covered by the authority of the Constitution and its genus is representative government.  People vote for their political leadership.  The language is English and the educational system is academic learning.  No one imposes their religious system on another.  If people want to change they can.  No one will be subject to government intrusion on faith whether it is a faith in atheism or any other religious faith.  We have individual freedom protected by law and encouraged by representative government. 

 

The point here is that American culture is based on individual freedom that looks forward not back.  That is the guarantee afforded by the Constitution.  It provides freedom from past restrictive societies so that those who come can find a new life and future here.  It’s all about individual opportunity to add to human development not inhibit it.

 

The present political proponents of ‘multiculturalism’ want people to bring their authoritarian ideas and practices with them and let them be exceptions to the legal and social system we have here.  Animal sacrifices, ‘honor’ killings to maintain family solidarity, gender inequality, body mutilation to appease parental fears, forced marriages, oppressive political systems, dress codes that endanger safety, religious laws that conflict with American law and the attitude of remaining isolated from community affairs, none of these belong here.  If the present system doesn’t satisfy the newcomer or even a second-generation ethnic descendant then he is totally free to find a place where he feels more comfortable. 

 

Note that the cultures people leave don’t have the same policy nor do they afford the same concept of freedom.  In America one is afforded the opportunity to work and build a new life and that can only happen when past social, economic and political loyalties are left behind.  America is all about leaving the old unchangeable past in order to build a new future.  This doesn’t mean you reject the positive social values of family and community interaction.  No.  What you reject are past cultural restrictions that keep you from exercising those values in a new land with a new kind of individual freedom.

 

The idea of individual freedom as stated above is based on the historic gift of what our American pioneers struggled to achieve when they left other lands to establish the country we now have.  It was the biblically based idea of freedom, that anyone in Christ is a new creature, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2Cor.5:17)” and “It was for freedom that Christ set us free (Gal.5:1).”  Out of this concept of individual freedom came the Constitution, the government we have, our free education and the free development of the natural economic resources and free enterprise system that emerged. 

 

But that freedom did not restrict people to a religion-based government.  That’s what the early settlers left behind.  Freedom in Christ meant individual choice of a faith-based system, which happened to be Christian.  America was built on the idea that if freedom of choice could be given to those who came here they would find that God was the giver of opportunity to become something new and that would inspire them to discover, invent and develop.  It would be the individual’s choice.  It is a built-in hope, a built-in purpose and a built-in protection to secure that precious freedom of individual choice.  America has always been about freedom of choice as a God-given gift and the work it takes to build a new life.  These are inherent Christ-centered values.  This is why evangelism is based on three things, first, appeal to the individual not intimidation, second, presentation of a concept, not a demand for obedience and third, openness in any forum for discussion not governmental restriction.  The operative words are ‘appeal’ ‘presentation’ and ‘openness.’ This is what is meant by freedom of religion as opposed to freedom from religion. 

 

If you look at the countries in the world that intimidate, kill and mutilate because of religion you will find a religious dictatorship is in political control and that local religion may very well be a political system in religious clothing.  That system in turn breeds poverty, no economic mobility, repression, oppression and depression, wealth in the hands of very few, intimidation by religious leadership, rigid gender submission and abuse.  Those who want ‘multiculturalism’ are blindly opening the door to regression, going backwards not forward, inhibition through political correctness and an eventual social dictatorship by government.  Ignorance of and changing the intent of our founding fathers as recorded in their documents needs to be challenged whenever and wherever they arise.  Our precious God-given heritage can only mean freedom for the rest of the world. 

 

Multiculturalism?  Racism? ‘Say what?’

[HKHaugan]

Thanks Melanie for your comment and insight.  It does seem a bit hopeless but we do have reps supposedly serving us in Congress.  I've written them from time to time with varying results.  Right now that's all we have.   However it is time for prayer and that works in the long view.  Again I think that our willingness to share Christ where we are at any given moment is the key to change.  If we do that where we are the Lord will do the rest.  ><>W

[Melanie Kessel]

So interesting to read this Biblically based reasoning, Whitey. It pains me so to see the very foundation of this country being twisted, manipulated, and simply ignored to serve people's individual purposes.  We are letting people who choose to come here to gain what they can't get in their country be used by the liberal sector to gain support for their platform. These people are happy to receive what they have not earned and, therefore, have no problem voting for a polititions who have made if possible to get free education, food stamps, etc. so they vote for those people--because also get drivers licenses, medicare, and the right to vote.  Nevertheless, I for one feel pretty helpless because I am so out numbered by the people benefitting from the giveaways. That make sense??  I am passionate about it but feel helpless at the same time.