So why is this so shocking then, well this story is a bit different. This happened in America. A country that is so adamant about its freedom of speech that it is shocking to think that a man can lose his business over a comment he made in the privacy of his own home.
Donald Sterling, an NBA owner was having a private conversation with an associate when he made a racist comment. Later that week that conversation was leaked to the media and then to the public. In his conversation, he was not confessing a crime but rather he expressed some personal feelings he had towards black people. Some very inappropriate comments that I do not support at all (just to clarify I believe that racism is horrible). Being a believer I believe that we are all made in the image of God.
This man was having a private conversation and it was recorded and then played for the world. Then the NBA decided to make him a scapegoat and target him as he is the problem for racism in the league. Sponsors pulled out, players planned to walk off. They banned him for life from being in attendance of the NBA and they are forcing him to sell off his team, all because he made private remarks to a personal acquaintance.
He did not write these comments on his Facebook page, or hold a press conference; he made these comments in the "safety" of his own home (even though they are totally unacceptable).
This whole situation as a Christian believer actually frightens me. Through this situation we are seeing the mob mentality is going to dictate what we as a society accept as right and wrong. Yes, racism is completely utterly wrong; however what is said in a private conversation is also that, PRIVATE. You should not lose a job or business unless it is criminal activity you are speaking of.
Repercussions
This is going to have many repercussions and I fear that Christians are going to be hard hit.
Why? Well the truth is that a lot of what I believe goes against what society sees as the norm. Things that are viewed as okay in today's society actually go against God's word. Just look at what we believe about sin.
First thing is that we believe all are sinners and fall short of the glory of God and that there is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus. That adultery, lying, stealing, premarital sex and abortion, are wrong. The list goes on of areas that we believe as believers that society thinks are weird and are totally acceptable.
What is going to happen as society moves more and more to a laissez-faire attitude and less founded on the Bible. We are in a collision course, where and when the Christians stand up they are going to be targeted and persecuted.
Are we as believers next on the list to lose our jobs, homes, and employment because of things we believe in whether we say them in private or public. Are my personal thoughts and opinions going to be used against me in getting a promotion? Or rather are my very public thoughts about Christianity going to stop me from going places?
This is already happening in North Korea now. They are using even children to be spies in their own homes and report on their parents. They are executing Christians for their beliefs. (Check out more info about persecution of the Christian church at www.vom.com.au)
In the West, Pastors are being fired from their churches because they are taking a stand for the Bible and its teachings. They are not giving in to the political correctness of society and are losing their jobs for it.
Yes, this is extreme to compare the comments of a racist man to those who proclaim Christ, however look at how Donald Sterling was treated. He is being forced to sell his NBA team; he is banned for life from attending NBA game and fined 2.5 million dollars. This happened in the so called freest nation in the world.
We need to be weary of how they treated a racist because the fact is that they are not going treat Christians any better. In Biblical times Christians were fed to the lions.
This is why I am appalled that they can do this to one man. Does this mean that we are to be silent about our beliefs and the Bible? By no means, NO!!! It just means that we need to be prepared that we may and in fact are losing our rights to proclaim the truth in free countries like Australia. That we need to be aware of what is being taken from us and we need to pray for boldness.
Genevieve Wilson is married with two children who served with YWAM for eight years in Brisbane and now serving in mission in Canada as a modern day abolitionist.
Genevieve Wilson's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/genevieve-wilson.html