Mary Ann Crum: Who will they cancel next? – Index-Journal

I recently saw a picture that captured so well at least one slice of the crazy pie being served up to us these days. The graphic showed Mr. Potato Head looking side-eyed at a Mr. Coffee coffeemaker and saying, Youre next.

As youve probably heard, Mr. Potato Head, the classic childrens toy, is being rebranded as simply Potato Head because gender-related titles such as Mr. have been deemed politically incorrect and taboo. (Im rolling my eyes as hard as theyll possibly roll.)

Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben (the rice guy) and some Dr. Seuss books have also recently been sacrificed upon the altar of political correctness, and warnings have been added to some classic Disney movies and Muppet videos because it was suddenly decided they might offend the easily offended.

This is just nuts. Our culture has fallen so quickly and far down the bottomless pit of censorship and political correctness that I wonder if well ever be able to climb back out again. Its hard to watch the United States devolve into something that bears so little resemblance to the free republic it was founded to be.

Mr. Potato Head? Dr. Seuss? Kermit the Frog? Aunt Jemima? Dumbo? Dont we have bigger battles to fight?

Although the current rush to frivolously cancel people, products, books, fictional characters, history, movies and free speech is dangerous and disturbing, this kind of madness is something we Christians should actually be accustomed to. Individuals, institutions and governments have, after all, been trying to cancel God, His Word and His people since the Garden of Eden.

Here are just a few examples:

When Adam and Eve disobeyed the one prohibitive law God had given them, they were essentially canceling the personal, warm relationship God desired to have with them.

Enemies of the Jewish people and the nation of Israel have been trying to cancel them ever since God first promised to form a great nation from Abrahams descendants.

Jewish and Roman leaders tried to cancel Jesus by crucifying Him. They then spread a whopper of a lie in an attempt to cancel the miracle of Christs resurrection.

Early Christ-followers were constantly threatened with cancellation just about everywhere a church was formed. Sadly, that kind of severe persecution continues in some places today.

Evil perpetrated by those claiming to be Christians from the Spanish Inquisition to greed and sexual immorality within the church has distorted the Gospel and tragically caused many to personally reject, or cancel, it.

Christians are typically portrayed in the media as bumbling, judgmental, delusional, hypocritical, unpleasant, or irrelevant. Is this an attempt to cancel Christianity or are scriptwriters simply unaware that the majority of true believers, though certainly imperfect, are actually nice, intelligent people?

Changing the names of a few products might not matter much, but the spirit of offense sweeping through our world does because its irrationality and deception is leading to more and more censorship and persecution of those who express their faith in Jesus Christ.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus said, ... blessed is the one who is not offended by me (Matthew 11:6). Anyone offended by Mr. Potato Head and Aunt Jemima is likely going to find it hard to tolerate Jesus, the one who dares to claim, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

If they despise Jesus, what will they do with those of us who worship Him? Jesus answered that: If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you John 15:18.

What should our response be? Love.

Why? We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

God had every right to cancel us, but He didnt. Lord, help us to love like that.

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Mary Ann Crum: Who will they cancel next? - Index-Journal