This article was originally published over at Our Warpath. It is published here with the author’s consent.
In our world, so many ideas are shared and communicated. All day, every day, we see opposing ideas listed one after another as we scroll through our social media feed; people we don’t even know are professing their beliefs to us. There’s a pressure for us to react to this information in a way which brings about either our social acceptance or segregation.
This can be confusing. We find ourselves subscribing to the beliefs of any Tom, Dick or Harry even if they are not true. And so suddenly, every Tom, Dick and Harry is a credible source because their subjective opinions have become the truth. At the end of the day, how do we know what to accept and what to reject in a society where diversity is celebrated and freedom is promoted?
Americans go wrong with the definition of these terms. When our Constitution was formed, the ideas that were defined by our founding fathers to shape the country’s future, were those of Freedom and Diversity. But now, these are the very ideas that are the cause of so much confusion and conflict among us.
We talk about diversity every day. What we’re asked to do, as Americans, is to accept the diversity of our fellow citizens. This is an admirable virtue. If you are poor, rich, black, white or have three eyes, who cares? Differences of culture, race and social status are inspiring: we are all humans who should show respect and be respected no matter our differences.
However, when there is diversity on the level of morality, that’s when we must respectfully draw the line. If we begin to accept diverse moral beliefs, we reject objective moral truth.
In our society, unless you are perfectly accepting of everyone and all their different beliefs and opinions, you are shamed or critiqued. What’s funny, though, is that if you don’t accept everyone’s beliefs, you’re not accepted.
We can all agree that everyone has a right to an opinion. However to accept everyone’s opinion is ludicrous, because in doing so we risk compromising our own principles.
I am afraid that people do not understand the true meaning of diversity, nor do they realize the consequences of putting their own definition of diversity into practice. Maybe nobody is able to understand because they are too busy shouting without ever taking a moment to listen. Sometimes that’s all it takes for people to understand — to shut up and listen for one damn minute. Or maybe they do understand but are too scared to accept what it will mean for their lives.
Along with a misperception of diversity comes a collapse of logical reasoning. We no longer argue according to the facts we know because we may hurt the feelings of the person sitting next to us. So our reasoning is no longer factual, logical, and precise; it is emotional. We are determining morality on pure emotions. How absurd is it to think that what we are saying is not right because we are hurting someone’s feelings! Obviously, we should not be jerks when we are stating our opinions, but we must remember that we cannot compromise our beliefs just because there is a possibility someone’s feelings may be hurt. Ben Shapiro famously says, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”
True diversity is the acceptance and celebration of different cultures, races and social conditions within our culture. It is to see beyond the external, natural differences of a person and still be able to to respect and love him. This does not necessarily mean accepting his beliefs. There may be differences between you and your friends, but that doesn’t mean that you hate them. It also does not mean that, because you are friends, you automatically accept all of their beliefs.
Where does this misperception of diversity come from? Freedom, America’s founding principle.
Just like diversity, freedom is beautiful and, if incorporated properly into a country, allows it to grow and prosper. For many years America thrived because of freedom. Early Americans were given the opportunity to start their own businesses, own their own land, educate their own families; the constitutional law shaped a safe society, a place where moral boundaries were preserved and the sharing of ideas was encouraged. Diversity within a nation is a cause of progress; but diversity within a nation’s moral mindset is a cause of chaos. Freedom, like diversity, has its own boundaries.
True freedom is the right to choose good. We have free will and therefore the ability to do whatever we want, though that does not mean we should. Man is only not free when his right to choose good is taken away. Obviously, forbidding someone to steal does not infringe on his or her freedom since the act of stealing is wrong, and we should prohibit wrong behavior.
Where does it go from here? If we continue on this path, what happens to education, law, and morality? Everything becomes subjective as people believe simply what appeals to them and act however they want.
So many of us get bogged down and depressed looking at the state of the world we live in. Instead of losing hope, we should look at the situation as an opportunity to speak the truth, to stand up for true freedom, and to draw the line.
About Our Warpath
Our Warpath is a group of catholic young men and women that have one single goal: to try their very best at leading real catholic lives. They see the beauty of it. They see the sheer awesome power of living this kind of life. But they know that they are weak and that the world wants them to run away and submit. But they have no plans to retreat. No. They want to wake up everyday and be disciplined, thoughtful, intelligent and true. And they want to help every living soul do the same. And so here they are, hoping that this endeavor of theirs will help you live the life that you were destined to live.
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