Gary Varvel: State of the Union preview

Nikki Haley drops out plus my essay on the culture wars

My preview of Joe Biden’s State of the Union.

After a Super failure on Super Tuesday, Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign but withheld her endorsement of Donald Trump.


THE CLASH OF CULTURES

Years ago a Christian apologist proposed that we live in one of three cultures: 

1. Theonomous culture – in which the law of God is so imbedded into the hearts of people that they all think and act in love. 

2. Autonomous culture – in which each individual decides for themself how to think and act. The First Amendment makes us an autonomous culture.

3. Heteronomous culture – in which a few people at the top dictate to the masses how to think and act. (ie. Marxism)

Since the First Amendment gives us an autonomous culture, then everyone should have the freedom to express their own opinion. Right?

THE CLASH

Now here is an example of what happens when these cultures clash. If I express an opinion that disturbs someone and they demand that I be silenced or they dictate what I should believe, they are no longer a part of the autonomous culture. They have actually switched to the heteronomous culture. You also know them as the ‘cancel culture.’ And yes, this is a tactic of Marxists.

They are easy to recognize: Black Live Matter, Antifa, the progressive left, the climate change protesters who block traffic and deface art and the pro-Hamas protesters — are all heteronomous.

The heteronomous culture may say that they like the First Amendment, but their actions prove that they don’t. When the left demands that certain individual’s social media platforms should be de-platformed, they are proving that they are anti-free-speech and therefore, heteronomous. 

They’ll also say things like, ‘we must stop the disinformation and misinformation or others in order to protect our democracy.’ MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow is a perfect example. She won’t allow a Trump speech to be aired on her program. See, she is protecting you from Trump’s lies. But it didn’t stop her from deceiving her viewers for years about the Russian collusion hoax, among other fiction.

Let’s be honest: the heteronomous bullies have scared many in the autonomous and theonomous culture into silence. The fear of being called a racist, sexist, homophobe or transphobe, shuts the mouths of people who just want to live their lives in peace. 

But don’t be afraid of the culture wars. Remember who wins.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)