Scott Tibbs
Fighting and gentleness are not mutually exclusive
By Scott Tibbs, January 15, 2024
The Lord Jesus Christ was not a "nice guy" by today's definition of the term. He called the Pharisees a "brood of vipers" and violently drove the money changers out of His Temple with a whip on two documented occasions in Scripture. Many Christian leaders today would have rebuked Jesus for His behavior, had they lived two thousand years ago. So as we enter into another election year, we should think about tone. So let's
think about this tweet by Jerry Falwell, Jr.
Conservatives & Christians need to stop electing "nice guys". They might make great Christian leaders but the US needs street fighters like @realDonaldTrump at every level of government b/c the liberal fascists Dems are playing for keeps & many Repub leaders are a bunch of wimps!
We should recognize that there are indeed dark forces that must be opposed and sharply rebuked. We should recognize that there have been times where Republicans have not fought back against a Leftist agenda, often opting to "go along to get along." But the response to that since 2016 has been to be harsh all the time. A friend of mine had
a wise podcast about tone. As Michael says, the tone police may be obnoxious, but tone does matter. We should have different tones for different situations.
One thing we
should not do, however, is confuse being viciously personally nasty with "fighting back." This is the primary error of the "at least he fights" apologists. Vicious personal attacks, sexually degrading slurs and "jokes" (especially about women) or mocking people's pain and grief should be off the table, no matter how much is at stake in the election. We should not abandon the commandments of Scripture, even if it helps us "win."
So when do we need to be harsh, and when do we need to be more winsome? That takes wisdom, and people trying to strike the right balance will fail in both directions. There is no formula. But if you are
only winsome or
only harsh, you have
already failed.
Opinion Archives
E-mail Scott
Scott's Links
About the Author
ConservaTibbs.com