Recently, Stanford University released a list of harmful language and suggested alternatives to avoid what is the worst act in modern society – offending people. Of the 160 words or phrases mentioned, only 6 were truly offensive, while most, in the context they’re used, don’t refer to the racist or sexist comments Stanford claims them to be. Many are even used in the Bible, and its only a matter of time before God’s Word and its condemnation of sin is considered harmful and banned.
Of particular interest to me, and not used in the Bible, the name “Karen” is on the naughty list, replaced with “Demanding or Entitled White Woman.” For those who don’t know, women referred to as “Karens” tend to say, “I want to speak to your manager,” and can be any race, but it refers to rude and destructive behavior from customers, so don’t be a “Karen.”
Matthew 15:12-14 reads, “Then His disciples came and said to Him, ‘Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’ But He answered and said, ‘Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.’” Stanford claims that calling someone blind or handicapped in any way is insulting those with disabilities, but we know Jesus loved and healed many people with all kinds of physical ailments. This comment was against the Pharisees, who followed their own traditions and were spiritually blind to the truth. Matthew 5:29 also compares blindness to protection from sin, when Jesus says, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” This is not literal disfigurement, but it’s better for us to be blind and pure than see and commit sin,
Another term in Stanford’s document is “straight” when referring to heterosexual behavior. The reason? “This term implies that anyone who is not heterosexual is bent or not ‘normal.’” Genesis 2:24 tells us, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” When man ignores the natural laws God made, he commits sin. The opposite of straight is crooked, and if we don’t straighten up by God’s standard, we will receive the penalty of Hell for our sins.
The last word in Stanford’s list is “submit,” which, “Depending on the context, the term can imply allowing others to have power over you.” Let’s see what the Bible says about this.
- “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
- “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh” (1 Pet. 2:18).
- “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22).
- “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Rom. 13:1).
God commands submission, and no matter how powerful you are, there’s always someone more powerful than you and, therefore, someone to submit to.
We know that the truth will offend those who hate it, but as Christians, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:31-32, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God.” We cannot compromise the truth to avoid offenses, but we also cannot spread the truth without love and patience, even if non-believers see our concern for their souls as “judgmental” or any number of “-phobic” suffixes. People are addicted to sinful acts, but Stanford says we should call addicts “hooked” or “devoted” to their problems. Instead of redefining evil, Paul says in Romans 12:9, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”
If you haven’t obeyed the gospel and become a Christian, now is the time to submit yourself to God. Believe His word, repent of your sins, confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and be baptized, immersed in water to contact the blood of Christ, and wash away your sins. If you’ve done that, and allowed the world’s influence back in your life, repent.
[Note: David Leonard is a member here at Knollwood. This is an invitation he delivered on a Wednesday evening a few months ago. It has been edited slightly to be turned into an article.]