Deadly Viper – Southern White Man’s View

I posted a response to Skye Jethani’s blog about the controversy surrounding Deadly Viper: Character Assassins before there was a meeting of offended parties and publisher. With it blowing up and resulting in pulling the book from the shelves I thought it might be worth placing these thoughts here as well. For context feel free to check out what Skye had to say.

Skye,

Let me preface what I am about to respond with the fact that I agree that some kind of apology or palm branch might need to be offered; however, I want to push back a little bit. My question is, “Should The Church be involved in this conversation about tolerance of cultures and differences?”

While I appreciate your concern, and while my critique may be excused because I’m a Caucasian male (some have already quit reading), I would argue that Pharisees and Sadducees were stereotyped and by no one more than Jesus. And we pastors and teachers continue to stereotype them, but I have a feeling that our understanding of the stereotypical Pharisee could not speak for each and every Pharisee.

Do we really want to reject the cultural distinctions that occur with regularity? Are there no generalizations that can be made about a society? Is there no parody, or comedy in who we are and in from where we have come. If not, then how can you in the same way stereotype “The Church” as being tolerant of this behavior? I may be more likely to listen if you have made a survey of “The Church” and found most of us to be tolerant of the behavior. While at the same time, I also think that your generalization may, in fact, be accurate it still begs the question, “Shouldn’t you now apologize to “The Church” for stereotyping us?”

I doubt that the author’s intention was to offend, and if educated as to why there has been offense I might give them credit and expect a shift. However, might it also be the responsibility of “The Church” to push back and say, “Why are you taking yourself so seriously?” Jesus wants to bring His Kingdom, which I would argue involves His Culture, and His Culture should subvert every culture. Every culture in the world, including the Western one is but filthy rags compared with the culture that Christ calls us to build with people on this planet. If that be the case is it worth getting upset over some used tampons? While I do not believe that in His culture we would condone intentionally hurting someone’s feelings I would also think that we would be more tolerant of unintentional behavior that did hurt feelings. I would hope that we would choose to forgive the offense without demanding that someone ask for it first.

Where does it stop? Maybe we should now confess and repent of stereotyping Pharisees and Sadducees. At Story 2009 did you find Thomas Fluharty’s art guilty of the stereotyping of Democrats, or government workers and should we also beg him to stop making such generalizations? I wonder how many southern white males were offended by Rob Bell’s parody of a Velvet Elvis? Yet you condone Rob’s stereotyping. Maybe it’s because Rob is white and it is ok to make fun of those of us who grew up with a Velvet King hung on the wall of our single wide trailer. By the way I loved Velvet Elvis.

I’m pretty sure that if I wanted to I could find offense in how Asian-Americans, and even Christian Asian-Americans have portrayed we white people, but in reality I understand that it doesn’t matter. I could get upset at being stereotyped as loud, brash, insensitive, and cocky with an insatiable thirst for power, or I could just brush it off and recognize that it’s a stereotypical depiction, and most of the time we white males would be correctly identified. And in the south I wouldn’t even be offended to be stereotyped as a member of the KKK or Skinheads (I’m also bald), because that is sadly a part of my legacy as a white southern male. I would be ashamed; however, that men (and women) behaved in such a way that it would cause people, especially of a different skin color, to stereotype me in that way. Instead of asking for an apology maybe I would ask for their forgiveness for the sins of a past with which I have little connection. Being from Kentucky I might also be stereotyped as someone who doesn’t wear shoes, and my dialect may immediately lead someone to believe I am ignorant. It’s really immature to get really upset when someone mocks my accent. While I may want to punch that someone in the face for damaging my pride, it is not the way of the cross. It is neither worth my time or effort to demand an apology for demeaning Kentuckians, nor does it benefit Christ in my opinion.

The way I see it is that I am no longer a Caucasian Male, but an adopted son of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. It is because of this distinction that I must refuse to allow my damaged pride to make me a victim, and instead take the blow and admit that I may in fact sound illiterate and possibly show people Jesus by admitting my weakness in the combining of words into Kentucky slang, like Ya’ll. It’s almost comedic for me to think that I would need to ask for an apology from a Christian for having a little fun at my expense. What there is left of me should be made fun of and ridiculed in the light of the glorious life that now lives in me through Christ Jesus.

I wish that I might have seen just as much accountability for those who chose to make their criticism as I would demanding an apology.