A little over a week ago the CBC was reporting on a Supreme Court decision in a case involving former employees of a Wal-Mart store in Quebec that closed seven months after the store had been unionized. As with most all CBC stories on-line, readers have the opportunity to comment. The very first comment was indicative of the mindset we are living in today. This is what the writer said, “Hmmm…not a fan of Unions…but that then again not a fan of Wal-Mart and their beliefs either.”
I took note of this comment because it indicates how we tend to line up on different “sides” of an issue. The question this person was asking was, “who am I a fan of?” or perhaps “who/what do I dislike the most?” The decision to choose one side over the other became a matter of what the writers feelings were towards the two parties involved instead of which of the two parties is actually doing something right or wrong. It was a matter of who I “like” instead of who is right.
My interest in writing this commentary has nothing to do with what I think of Wal-Mart or the union; it is about how we make decisions. The question should not be how I feel about the two or more parties involved. The question should be if one or both of the parties involved did in fact do something wrong. In the case of Wal-Mart and the union, I can be the most passionate supporter of unions, but if a place of business didn’t do wrong, then I couldn’t support the union’s “side”. On the other hand, I can be the most determined critic
of unions, but if a business did do something wrong, then I would need to support the union. So in essence, who I am “a fan of” has nothing to do with who is actually right or wrong and who should have my support.
What’s the big deal about this? What does this have to do with us? It has a lot to do with us because much of the decisions that are being made every day, are not based on what is true and right, but based on what the majority of people feel. That’s why we have so many opinion polls. You can not turn on the news without hearing about some opinion poll. You would think that opinion polls rule the world! They have become our god. Whatever the majority of people think, that must be right.
It’s a good thing that Elijah didn’t commission an opinion poll on Mount Carmel. Let’s see; 450 or so prophets of Baal telling him that they were right, with Elijah pretty much standing alone believing that the prophets of Baal were wrong. If that happened today, no question about it, the prophets of Baal would have “won the day”, at least in the newspapers. But right and wrong are not a matter of opinion, they are a matter of truth. And truth is not subject to how we feel about something or someone, it is subject to God’s created order and design.
In our post-modern world we want to take charge of everything, even truth itself. But we can not manipulate truth (at least, not successfully), we can only accept (live by it) or deny it. In answering those who were questioning Him, Jesus said “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
Next time you are asked your opinion on a matter, instead of responding on how you feel, consider for a minute who or what is actually right.
Pastor Norman
I took note of this comment because it indicates how we tend to line up on different “sides” of an issue. The question this person was asking was, “who am I a fan of?” or perhaps “who/what do I dislike the most?” The decision to choose one side over the other became a matter of what the writers feelings were towards the two parties involved instead of which of the two parties is actually doing something right or wrong. It was a matter of who I “like” instead of who is right.
My interest in writing this commentary has nothing to do with what I think of Wal-Mart or the union; it is about how we make decisions. The question should not be how I feel about the two or more parties involved. The question should be if one or both of the parties involved did in fact do something wrong. In the case of Wal-Mart and the union, I can be the most passionate supporter of unions, but if a place of business didn’t do wrong, then I couldn’t support the union’s “side”. On the other hand, I can be the most determined critic
of unions, but if a business did do something wrong, then I would need to support the union. So in essence, who I am “a fan of” has nothing to do with who is actually right or wrong and who should have my support.
What’s the big deal about this? What does this have to do with us? It has a lot to do with us because much of the decisions that are being made every day, are not based on what is true and right, but based on what the majority of people feel. That’s why we have so many opinion polls. You can not turn on the news without hearing about some opinion poll. You would think that opinion polls rule the world! They have become our god. Whatever the majority of people think, that must be right.
It’s a good thing that Elijah didn’t commission an opinion poll on Mount Carmel. Let’s see; 450 or so prophets of Baal telling him that they were right, with Elijah pretty much standing alone believing that the prophets of Baal were wrong. If that happened today, no question about it, the prophets of Baal would have “won the day”, at least in the newspapers. But right and wrong are not a matter of opinion, they are a matter of truth. And truth is not subject to how we feel about something or someone, it is subject to God’s created order and design.
In our post-modern world we want to take charge of everything, even truth itself. But we can not manipulate truth (at least, not successfully), we can only accept (live by it) or deny it. In answering those who were questioning Him, Jesus said “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
Next time you are asked your opinion on a matter, instead of responding on how you feel, consider for a minute who or what is actually right.
Pastor Norman
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