How do we evangelize the reprobate mind in light of our Leadership? Virtue Signaling?

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We have become something that shouldn't have or shall be. Perverts are the rule of the day. Perversity is a terminology that is left to insignificance.
 
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This article will assist me with a level of acceptance and dependency in a rapidly expanding culture of outrage and political posturing - it’s a realm in which I’ve gradually removed myself and seek not to burden others with.


Masters of Self
CULTIVATING GENTLENESS IN AN AGE OF OUTRAGE

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/masters-of-self
Brother, that is a very good article. May I caution you not to allow the pendulum to swing back too far. There is no need to have any level of acceptance of the godlessness that permeates our society. If we accept anything it should be the peace of God that passes all understanding. Being able to remain calm in the midst of a raging storm is a gift of God's grace. Except in those rare instances when the Spirit of God allows us to withstand such storms alone, we need the strength, love, and fellowship of God's people. It's so easy to internalize and turn away from the help that the fellowship of the saints provides. May God give rest to your heart.
 
There was nothing wrong with Steven’s address. I’ll clarify further tonight or tomorrow but I’m on my phone now.

I found Steve's remarks courageous and compassionate. It was not virtue signaling. If so, who was he signaling and what did he have to gain?

To explain my thoughts on this it helps to use a few examples. These examples mostly come from the Left though as I said before the Left doesn't monopolize the practice.

When I think of virtue signaling and virtue signalers, I think of the following:

1. Vitriolic, grave statements while possessing little knowledge of an emerging situation. Often with only an idea or headline to go on. A prime example of this was the Covington High catholic boys' incident in DC last spring. This story broke and within a few hours thousands of people including national politicians, celebrities and professors ruthlessly condemned a bunch of kids. Within days the narrative was sorted out and only a handful of the bigshots who condemned the boys retracted and apologized. Some merely deleted their insulting and virtue signaling Tweets. The Jussie Smollet non-event is another example.

2. Related to the above point but a strong desire for some heinous event or series of events to be true in order to serve a narrative. An example of this playing out was reaction of the Left when the Russian-Trump investigation revealed nothing criminal. Folks were sad when has was announced to not be a traitor.

3. The refusal or inability to make basic distinctions. The growing pro-immigration movement that refuses to see the differences between; allowing no immigration, varying levels of immigration, deportation of illegal immigration, and refugees vs economic migrants. Condemning anyone as 'racist' that suggest these considerations should be made is a form of virtue signaling.

Another example of this is the pile on former biology professor Bret Weinstein at Evergreen State College a few years ago. If you don't know, Weinstein is a self-described left-progressive who supported Sanders in 2016. His wife's, also a biologist, career at ESC ended at the same time. Fortunately they left with a juicy settlement. ESC had rolled out a intersectionality/Critical Theory program to weave through the fabric of college life. It was and is a disaster on many fronts. Getting back to virtue signaling, one of the 'controversies' was that Weinstein refused to observe a day of absence for white people. For decades ESC had held a day of absence for minorities to voluntarily protest social inequalities. That year they reversed it and made it mandatory. Weinstein refused while clearly elucidating the difference between the two activities. Google it if you want more info but be warned of utterly vile language of those students.

4. Virtue signalers confuse admiration of virtue with the possession of it. This has become even more easy with technology. The street-corner prayers and vocal alms givers condemned in Scripter at least had to pray and give. Virtue signalers only need to retweet someone saying how great it is to give or a socialist politician youtubing about how much he cares as he gives away others' money. Look at his financials, despite his considerable wealth, you'll notice he gives little to nothing. A chickenhawk can be a rightwing example. There is always a war that he'd like to see started... but of course for others to fight and die in.

5. Reasonable, mature evenhandedness is rejected. People prone to virtue signaling have unrealistic views of people. Take the example of the death of Rachel Held Evans last summer. One of her former professor wrote a compassionate article about his departed former student. It was generally complimentary but expressed disagreement and sadness at the leftward turn her theology had taken. For most people, this sort of nuance is fully appropriate and in step with a memoir about real human beings. Not so for the virtue signalers. Demands for the article's retraction withered the spines of the websites leadership. Down it went. Anything short of a glowing canonization brief for RHE just would not do.

6. There is no growth or redemption possible. Even if the virtue signalers get it a particular incident or event correct, the damage to the subjects often exceeds what is due. An offensive tweet from 8 years ago by a then teenager is dug up to ruin a married, family man with a life that in no way resembles his bygone little punk ways. As discussed earlier most virtue signalers have no sense of proportionality. Everything seems to demand resignations or terminations. We think of the hapless Starbucks manager in Philly that suffered for doing nothing more than what hundreds of other businesses do daily--call law enforcement when not patronizing people hang out in a place of business. People wanted this lady's head and thought it scandalous that she was allowed to resign.

I certainly don't exempt myself of having ever virtue signaled. As Christians we are called to be slow to anger and bridle the tongue. Virtue signaling isn't conducive to either.
 
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