One of the things I love about what I do is that I am allowed, as part of my work, to think. I wonder about things and then I get to look into them. Hence, the topic of today’s thoughts. I was sitting at my computer, working on my sermon, and I asked myself, “Self, is there such a thing as cultural fascism?” The question came from the recent kerfuffle over Bad Bunny and TPUSA’s alternative concert featuring Kid Rock. I then began to think about how music and movies and other forms of entertainment have been used over the years to bolster particular ideologies – think, the Nazis and Leni Riefenstahl. The attack on “wokeness” is a response against what some conservatives believe to be liberalism gone wild. They are so afraid of this wokeness that they even say there is an agenda, kind of like the popular “gay agenda” so many people feared for so long. Turns out the gay lifestyle is pretty much the same way I live. We all just want to be happy.
Cultural fascism, according to a draft for discussion produced by the Sydney (Australia) Unitarian Church in 2019, is a real and very dangerous thing. According to them, it is “anti-life, anti-nature, and anti-social.” And while that is a lot, it is largely true; consider how the environmental movement in this country is being demonized and dismantled. Consider how ICE is abusing and murdering citizens and immigrants and people of color with no consequences – yet. Consider how the president excluded Democratic governors from what is supposed to be an annual meeting of all governors with him. Cultural fascism uses lies and half-truths to diminish and destroy anything it disagrees with. Like saying Pres. Obama wasn’t born in America. Like labeling all Mexicans as rapists and murderers.
Some of this is done by liberals as well. The other day, I saw a post that said, “If you find out that a person is MAGA, do you immediately distrust them?” Every response I read said yes; I responded no, but that I would ask the person why. We all have biases, many that are based on our religion or upbringing and fed by the news we choose to follow. Some of those biases keep us safe – some of them make us bitter and angry and fearful. I learned a long time ago that there is never one side to a story, and the more we learn about others, the less we can dismiss them. It is one of the things Charlie Kirk did right (he was wrong about much, in my opinion) – he made people defend their opinions. I think we should all try to do the same before we judge others – they might teach us something – and us them. We don’t have to agree, but we really should try to understand.
Prayer – Merciful God, lead us towards understanding and away from fear. Help us to get along with each other. Amen.
Today’s art is “Diversity” by Steve Dininno.