Is the majority always right?
Do we dare to be those who point out the blind zones in our society, and stand up against them, asks Aase Victoria Wangen.
"I take a very low view of “climates of opinion”. In his own subject every man knows that all discoveries are made and all errors corrected by those who ignore the “climate of opinion”."
CS Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
Living differently
Being a disciple of Christ means that in some areas of life we have to live differently from most people, and at variance to that which is politically correct. In this case we can perhaps be called old-fashioned or backwards, and we can be perceived as a hindrance to freedom, common sense, advancement and development.
It is easy to give in to pressure, and to adjust to that which is normal. We are all easily influenced, (whether we believe it or not), and things that ‘everyone else’ does will soon seem to be acceptable and natural for us to do.
But is the majority always right?
The blind zones of the majority
We know from history that in other eras and other cultures the majority has done and legitimised things that we in our culture find shocking. Some examples are the oppression of women, racism, slavery, child sacrifice and so on.
We can perhaps think that the people who allowed these things were either ignorant or evil, but I think they were just blinded by their culture. We can allow a lot of things if we get used to them gradually, and when everyone else does them.
Those who marry the spirit of this age will soon be widowed.
Sometimes I ask myself the question: If I lived in the 1700s when slavery was normal, would I have supported it? Would I have been lukewarm? Or would I have worked to stop it like William Wilberforce did?
I hope I would have done the latter, but the truth is that I don’t know if I would have been so coloured by society that I would have thought slavery was fine. It is easy to judge other culture’s actions when we see them from the outside. But how can we see things from the outside in our own society?
The compass of the Bible
By keeping hold of biblical truths, I think we can see our own society from the outside. I think that God created us, and that He therefore wants to share some truths with us to help us to live as truly human and to live in a way that is good for us.
The Bible is therefore a compass that can lead us through the mist of public opinion. These truths apply to all people in every era, and are therefore much more stable than the spirit of the age which is constantly changing. That’s why this phrase is so true: Those who marry the spirit of this age will soon be widowed.
I think the spirit of every age and of every society has their blind zones which make people accept and legitimise things that are bad for people. Our society is no exception, even though we live in the 21st century!
Which blind zones do we have in our society today, which are inconvenient but nevertheless important to stand up against because we know better from a biblical perspective and from what God’s will is for people?
Go against the stream
Do we dare to point out and to stand up against the blind zones in our society? If so, it is important to remember always that we use the methods that Jesus used, we do it with love and compassion, and not with judgement, contempt or disrespect towards those we disagree with.
If not, we ourselves are fighting from a blind zone, as Jesus showed us that we could win over our enemies by loving them and giving our lives for them. ‘Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.’ (Ephesians 4:15)
It costs
It is more demanding to go against the stream than to go with the flow. Living a lifestyle that others can’t understand may lead to us being laughed at, rejected or bullied. But if the opinion of the majority goes against that which God in His wisdom and love sees is good for people, then I want to live in accordance with that. I know from experience that my emotions swing, just like the opinion of the majority, and so they are not a good foundation to build my life on.
I want to make choices based on Wisdom itself, and live my life to God’s glory, He who knows and loves each one of us.
‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ (Romans 8:31b)
This article was written by Aase Victoria Wangen and republished and translated with permission from iTro.no