The Myth of Neutrality

"Value-neutrality in social affairs is impossible. To demand 'neutral discourse' in public life, as some still do, should now be recognized as a way of coercing people to speak publicly in someone else's language and thus never to be true to their own." Os Guiness, The American Hour

Hardly a day goes by that I don't hear someone, usually in the media, make reference to people "imposing their morality on others". This sort of statement is usually directed at "philistine" Christians, who have dared to propose that there are moral standards that people in our society should abide by.

Unfortunately, those opposed to these measures are rarely honest in their critiques of the Christian's involvement in politics. Many critics like to pretend that there is some sort of objective or neutral stance that one can take regarding political or moral issues. But this is pure folly.

We would be much better off as a society if we truly discussed our differences and sought common ground rather than try to put our opponents in a "rhetorical box" as it were.

As an evangelical Christian myself, I don't always agree with the positions put forward by the so-called "leaders of the Religious Right". In fact, I often don't. But I am willing to debate the issues on the issues rather than pretend my opponent has no right to even bring up the issue.

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