“A better approach to using art for social justice is to start with a love of neighbor that is born out of a love for God.”
The Tyranny of Tolerance
In 1967 Dr. Thomas Harris, MD., published a book titled “I’m OK, You’re OK.” The title became a rallying cry for activists who promoted a type of moral relativism. This is the idea that there are no absolutes, everything is relative and everyone is entitled to their own moral code of right and wrong. There is no Truth. There is no Beauty. There is no Goodness.
We don’t hear much about the dangers of relativism these days, that’s because it has a new name, tolerance. Tolerance can be a dangerous doctrine. Dangerous doctrines, like ancient heresies never really go away, they are just rebranded.
Evil permeates our culture. Its existence is deeply rooted in our awareness of the world around us. The personification of evil is a constant figure in our stories whether we tell them around a campfire or experience them in big-budget pyrotechnic movies. Evil is always there working, using our own good intentions against us. But what is truly amazing is how few people still believe in the devil much less his impact on our world.
The devil preys on our weaknesses. His latest tactic is to exploit our notion of fairness and justice. After all we want to be fair to everyone don’t we? We don’t want to upset or offend anyone.
A few years ago at a gathering of seminary professors, one teacher reported that at his school the most damaging thing you can say about another is that they are “judgmental.” “You can’t get a good argument going in class anymore,” he said. “As soon as somebody takes a stand on any important issue, someone else says that the person is being judgmental. And that’s it. End of discussion. Everyone is intimidated!”
Most of the professors hearing him nodded in agreement. “Tolerance” is the new “relativism.” Under the banner of “Tolerance” we are told to accept all sorts of behavior that we might otherwise condemn. It preys upon our weaknesses, a chink in the armor of our faith. And the devil loves to exploit weakness.
Author Dorothy Sayers once said, “In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair, the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die.”
Tolerance would have us reject the idea of absolutes, everything is seen in shades of gray. But God does not deal in shades of gray.
All Art Is Religious
The idea of what is and is not “art” has been violently abused over the last two to three hundred years. We use art to promote everything these days, good and bad. Society has become so secularized that we no longer see artistic talent as a divine gift with a specific purpose.
But the simple truth is that all art is religious. That is to say that all art portrays a specific view of the world. On one end of the spectrum we have liturgical art. The art that adorns our churches is designed to draw us beyond itself and point to God. On the other end of the spectrum in nihilistic work that shows us a world without hope, without grace, without God.
But even in the arts relativism is a myth. People generally agree on what is good and desirable and what is not.
In a interview, philosopher and writer Roger Scruton said:
“there’s an expectation in most morally alive people that art should not, as D.H. Lawrence puts it, ‘do dirt on life.’ It shouldn’t desecrate the ordinary expectations and the ordinary modes of fulfillment that people have. You know — obscenity, destructive violence, chaos — works that rather seem to celebrate the negative.”
One of the ways is which we misuse art is as a tool for social commentary. Artists are frequently called upon, or feel inspired to, create works to promote a cause, defend a political narrative, or raise social awareness. And while the intent may be laudable, to start from the point of promoting a specific issue, results in propaganda. Fascist regimes excel at using art in this way.
Art does indeed have a purpose, to serve God by serving a community. Art should serve the absolute, objective transcendentals of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. A better approach to using art for social justice is to start there, with a love of neighbor that is born out of a love for God. If we do that properly than viewers will be drawn beyond the surface aesthetics to contemplate the timeless absolute Truth, that all people are children of God, created in His likeness. All people deserve to be treated with simple dignity, regardless of our divergent political, moral, or religious views.
We Have Two Jobs
For the Christian, being “tolerant” does not mean that we just accept everything that goes on around us. Being “civil” does not mean that we must approve of what other people say and do. It is one thing to defend the right of a person to express their opinions and belief, it is quite another to say they are right in doing so.
There are absolute truths in the world. There is right and wrong, there is good and evil. To think otherwise is to fall prey to the devil.
In the end there are only two possibilities. We are either with God or against Him. Wheat or weeds, sheep or goats, good fish or bad fish, there are no third options.
We only have two jobs. First we must keep ourselves strong in our love for God. Second, we must strengthen those around us who need help.
There is no third job.
Pax Vobiscum
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time