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Chaplain\'s Corner: Political Correctness

May 16, 2022

Recently, I was reading the book of Jeremiah.

It was a time when Judah was being invaded by Babylon and was about to take the city of Jerusalem. The army was at their doorsteps and Jeremiah came to give the king a message from God. , 


“Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.” - Jeremiah 38:4 (NIV). No one wanted to hear the truth of God; it was easier to put their heads in the sand and pretend that everything was okay. Jeremiah’s message was politically incorrect. 


The definition of Political Correctness (PC) from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is: "conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities should be eliminated". Jeremiah’s prophecy, which was from God, was considered politically offensive. No one wanted to hear that God was upset with them and was going to punish them if they did not change their evil ways. They wanted to hear that everything was going to be okay. 

We see a lot of this in modern day society. We live in a time and age when comfort is not just the normal but is expected. We live in a culture that does not want to hear the truth that the only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ. People today do not want to be burdened with rules and expectations that cramp their lifestyle. If you say something that does not suit me and my political view, then that is not politically correct and is offensive. 


Paul wrote about this political correctness in 2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV) when he said, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”


While researching the origins of the term “political correctness” I found that it has been around since 1917. The term originated in Russia during the Russian Revolution. It was used to describe adherence to the policies and principles of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. 


We must avoid the world’s theology of political correctness and stand up for the truth of God. This does not just apply to our speech while at church but at home, with our friends and neighbors, with our co-workers, and while on the job. Speak the truth of God and be bold like Jeremiah. Some people will not like it but we are not man pleasers, we are God pleasers.

  1. Merriam-Webster online dictionary, accessed 7-30-2021. https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/political/correctness
  2. Roper, Cynthia. “Political correctness”. Accessed 8-10-2021. https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-correctness

Charles (Chuck) Gilliland, Chaplain to the National Board and Executive Director

In addition to being a veteran police officer himself, Chuck is also a past president of FCPO-USA and the author of the Through the Eyes of a Cop daily devotional book series. Chuck can be contacted at [email protected]

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