Some Thoughts on “Cancel Culture.”

People are angry. Have you noticed?

And there are a lot of reasons to be angry. Racism, corrupt politics, insurrections, mass shootings, oh, and don’t forget about that pandemic we’re still working on getting on the other side of.

And not only are people exceptionally angry, but it seems that everyone is convinced that they are totally correct, and if you think or see things differently, then you are totally wrong and a terrible human.

Before I go further, many issues deserve that sort of hard stance. For example, there is no middle ground with racism. If you think racism in any form is to be tolerated, then you have some humanity issues and should be confronted. Full stop.

But…

It seems that we’ve lost the ability to have productive discourse.

It seems that we’ve chosen statements over questions.

It seems that we’ve turned people to be understood into problems to be solved.

And don’t get me wrong, I am no expert in this. I am a full-blooded Enneagram 8 (The Challenger) who will get in a debate in an empty house. I tend to want to fight to prove my point and that, ultimately, I am right and that you are a dumb dumb. I’m a work in progress.

But I’ve noticed that I’m not alone in this. All it takes is one scroll through Facebook to see that this is true. It seems that we’ve taken “canceling” someone to a whole new level where we just cancel anyone that disagrees with us.

By the way, the origin of Cancel Culture is extremely important to recognize. Cancel Culture came into the collective consciousness around 2017, after the idea of “canceling” celebrities for problematic actions or statements became popular—celebrities like R. Kelly, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Cosby, etc. Cancel Culture started as a cultural boycott of a certain celebrity, brand, company, or concept harming others. The origins of Cancel Culture led to the rise of important movements such as #MeToo. The origins of Cancel Culture is a powerful moment where victims began to confront their oppressors. I think this is a very good thing.

But is there a difference between Jeffrey Epstein’s disgusting abuse of women and that person who voted differently than you?

R. Kelly should be held accountable for his actions, but is that on the same level as the person who disagreed with whether you should or shouldn’t wear a mask during COVID?

So my question is: At what point does Cancel Culture become a socially acceptable way of creating your own echo chamber?

I could be missing something, but is there a point where, if we choose to cancel instead of having a conversation, we actually rob ourselves of the opportunity to grow and unite because we limit ourselves to only our perspectives and those who agree with our perspective?

I think this is a nuanced conversation. Some things should be canceled. 100%. But should cancelling be our first move, or is there a better way?

As a pastor, I think I see some of the effects of generations of cancel culture. I think a strong case could be made that cancel culture actually originated in the evangelical church when we started using scripture that says to “be in the world but not of it” as a way to cancel anyone that does something that we deem “unholy” or “unbiblical.”

I mean, I remember when I first became a Christian that one of the first things I was told to do was get rid of all my “secular” music because apparently, Jesus canceled Tupac, and so should I. This was followed by a long list of things and people I should avoid to follow Jesus. This was always so strange because it seemed like Jesus genuinely liked people who were nothing like him, and people nothing like Jesus seemed to really like Jesus. I can’t recall a single person that Jesus canceled. Even as he hung on the cross in front of the people who were responsible for his crucifixion, Jesus praying “Father, forgive them.”

But now I am seeing people that the Church wrongly canceled now turning around and canceling the Church. And if I am honest, I totally get why they are. But I am just wondering if two cancellations will make it right? I could be wrong. But I’ve learned so much from those I disagree with (even if, in the end, I still disagree with them).

With that said, I’m not advocating someone re-engaging an abusive or toxic relationship with a church or anyone for that matter. Again, there is a time where canceling someone is necessary for your own wellbeing and safety.

I’m not sure if this all makes sense. But I suppose that I have seen so many people cancel one another over the past year that it’s caused me to wonder if there’s a better way that could actually bring us together, not further apart.

Canceling can be a good option at times.

But should it be the first option?

And, if not, how do we discern when it’s time to have a conversation or when it’s time to cancel someone?

Is there a way to condemn injustice while also creating space for grace to be given to those that make mistakes or see things differently?

What do you think?