"It was the culture" is never an excuse or justification to minimize, for two reasons:
1 - The truth isn't as buried as we like to think. There have ALWAYS been people speaking truth for those who will listen.
2 - Reform is always counter - cultural by definition.
Thread.
1 - The truth isn't as buried as we like to think. There have ALWAYS been people speaking truth for those who will listen.
2 - Reform is always counter - cultural by definition.
Thread.
I constantly hear injustice, racism, abuse and misogyny excused with variations of "that was the culture... No one knew better."
That's nonsense.
That's nonsense.
With abuse, the "turning point" most people point to is the Penn State scandal. "But XYZ coverup/mishandling was before Penn State, so no one really knew what to do at that point."
Nonsense. The idea that we didn't know to personally report sexual assault to police before 2012 is absurd.
Advocates had been sounding the alarm in churches, schools, everywhere, for decades. No one listened.
Advocates had been sounding the alarm in churches, schools, everywhere, for decades. No one listened.
Was there a way to know sex abuse is devastating and rampant? Yes. There was. People chose not to know.
Were resources readily obtainable to become educated on policies? Yes. People didn't value it enough to learn.
Were resources readily obtainable to become educated on policies? Yes. People didn't value it enough to learn.
A collective "wake up call" is good. Pretending that we needed such a devastating wake up call to know this is a big deal, and that prior to said wake up call, there was just no way to know - dishonest and makes excuses for inexcusable chosen ignorance or complacency.
It is the same for racism.
The heroes highlighted in this thread were products of their time too. They chose differently than many famous theologians.
The ability to know the depth of the evil was always there. Leaders pleading for change were always there.
The heroes highlighted in this thread were products of their time too. They chose differently than many famous theologians.
The ability to know the depth of the evil was always there. Leaders pleading for change were always there.
Pretending they didn't exist denigrates their work. It is dishonest, and it's a tool to attempt to excuse horrifying errors in leaders we revere.
Let's do better, especially as we reach the next generation.
Let's do better, especially as we reach the next generation.
Don't expect your kids to be counter cultural and take hard stands for what is right, if you excuse great wrongs under the guise of "that's just what everyone thought. They couldn't have known better."
We can always know better. We always have the choice to do better.
We can always know better. We always have the choice to do better.
