Is Free Speech Dying to Cancel Culture?

Cancel culture. We hear so much about it these days—I wrote a blog about it a few months ago—but did you know it actually goes back a little ways?

When these cancel culture incidents first started happening years ago, you could usually shame the accusers back into whatever safe space they crawled out of. Their attempts to bring people down for shallow reasons or vengeance or whatever were so obvious and ridiculous. But then, bringing people down for any reason became all the rage. Those pushing cancel culture today know no shame, so you can’t shame them anymore. Cancer culture has run amok now and threatens to undo the victims and protect the not-so-innocent who wield it as a weapon.

The Origin of Cancel Culture

It’s a very dangerous place we find ourselves in society today. Believe it or not, though it’s been with us a long time, and certain foundational elements of it are actually good for any society. A recent New York Times article on the origins of modern-day cancel culture shared that, in the early 21st century, a decade into the experiment of the public Internet (which was introduced in 1991), a new phrase slipped into the Chinese slang, which literally translated as “human flesh search.” The wording was meant to be whimsical, suggesting the human-powered equivalent of what were then fairly novel computer search engines

So, how did it work back then? Well, a request would go out for wingmen, web citizens, or in this case, web friends—internet users sharing a common passion or cause. The request was for them to come together as a kind of ad hoc detective agency in order to ferret out information about objects and figures of interest. It was just an outlet for fandom, but very soon, attention turned toward supposed wrongdoers, those thought to exhibit moral deficiency. Once these offenders were identified and their personal details exposed online, they were hounded, verbally flogged, and effectively expelled from the community—in that case, good thing. Again, when you put it that way, it’s rather helpful to a culture and society.

 

But as I said earlier, cancer culture has morphed right past its origins and intentions and done a complete flyby of all that was once good about it. Today, it looms as one of the greatest threats to free speech. Real men, real women, real marriage, certain races and genders even existing (i.e., white males), job security, religious freedom, and even (if not especially) truth itself. So, this is obviously damaging.

Courage Culture – Cancel Culture’s Opposite

I want to suggest we flip the script on cancel culture to what I’m calling courage culture. I didn’t make it up. I believe it was first something that appeared in the Bible in the Book of Joshua (starting in Joshua 1:7). God said to Joshua, “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all that the law of Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.”

I want to focus on two words. The first is obvious, courageous, but the second seems to be overlooked, and that is the word only.

Consider this. Before Joshua had seen all the mighty works God was going to do through him, he was basically told to act like you’ve already seen and act like it’s already happening (right there in Chapter 1 as the book starts). Joshua could only be strong and very courageous, though not by his own might or intuition or smarts or wisdom or power, but by God’s Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6).

Teaching Culture – Another Alternative to Cancel Culture

I read an interesting exchange regarding cancel culture recently on Quora. Are you familiar with the 90s show Boy Meets World? It mainly consisted of white cast members, but in the last two seasons, a black woman was hired to portray the main love interest of a main character. Her name is Trina McGee, and her character became a beacon of hope for black women and mixed-race couples. However, unbeknownst to the audience, she experienced racism on the set. Her costars were cold and distant with her, and one, Will Friedle, called her Aunt Jemima backstage. She’s spoken out about how deeply hurt she was by this behavior. When it was brought to their attention, her costars apologized to her. And she says that she was met with genuine remorse and that they were misinformed back then. She’s glad to have been able to teach them. And all of this caused McGee to suggest her own alternative to cancer culture, which was dubbed teaching culture. I love that! It teaches people that their behavior is wrong and hurtful when they may not know. While I admit, this isn’t an exact opposite of cancel culture like courage culture, I believe it still applies.

Cancel culture is recognizing the wrongdoings of others and then just punishing them for it. But teaching culture is seeing a person’s behavior and attempting to teach them that the behavior is wrong and hurtful. And if they refuse to listen, perhaps cancel culture comes in at some point. But McGee’s definitely on to something. If the bottom line isn’t to grow and learn, then we’re left with few options.

Reconciliation vs. Retaliation

What are we really saying when we just want to cancel people and punish them? That reconciliation isn’t the heart of what people should be after? Well, to be blunt, no. Reconciliation isn’t what a lot of people are after. And they’re not even trying to hide. They don’t want reconciliation; they want retaliation.

Want to learn more about how to live a more authentic life, free of the stranglehold of social media and comparison culture? Pre-order a copy of my new book, Overliked, and learn how to be all that God has created the real you to be.

 

But we know from Deuteronomy 32:35 and Romans 12:19 that the Lord says vengeance is His. If we take this role of vengeance upon ourselves, then all we can expect is to usher in an endless cycle of retaliation. If you can find a member of the Hatfield and McCoy families alive today, ask them how that worked out in their family history. Better yet, talk to any Palestinian or Israeli, and they will talk to you about an endless cycle of payback that’s been going on for thousands of years.

Cancel culture just doesn’t work. And the consequences are far-reaching, even silencing some Christians for speaking out the truth and sharing the gospel for fear of just getting canceled. Can you imagine Christianity even getting off the ground if the early disciples and believers lived in fear of something like cancel culture? No. It would have died with the first disciples. Well, praise God, they developed a courage culture instead. They spoke the truth with grace but never cowered to the mob. For many of them, it cost them their very lives, but it brought salvation to millions (and perhaps billions).

Listen, Christ-follower, God is saying the same thing to us today that He said to Joshua. Be strong and courageous, and remember, you’re never alone. Jesus is with you to the end of the age.

Until next Thursday, when I’ll be back to discuss another hot topic, check out my video series, Ask P-Ro, on my YouTube channel. You’ll find many engaging, timely, and topical discussions there. I also invite you to check out my upcoming book, Overliked: Finding Direction, Courage, and Meaningful Relationships in a Society Crippled by Social Media, where you’ll find ways to break the stranglehold that social media can have on your life and get to the freedom that authenticity brings. (And if you pre-order now, you can immediately download some pretty cool free bonus gifts.)

~Pastor Rob

aka, P-Ro

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

Make It the Best Year

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

The First Three Chapters

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.

 

Make It the Best Year Devotional 

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

 

Exclusive Private Virtual Event – “Narcissism and Breaking Its Hold”

Narcissism is at an all-time high. And it’s not just because we’ve become a society obsessed with how we look and making sure we’re #1. It’s because we’ve put ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God. Join Pastor Rob in this 45-minute private event, where he will discuss the challenges facing society today and how we can make powerful changes in our lives to break the self-centered hold and embrace a God-centered life.

The First Three Chapters 

Why wait until the book is released to start reading it? With your pre-order, you will receive the first three chapters immediately, so you can begin reading it right away. Pastor Rob sets lays the groundwork for all that he will be sharing, and you will get to start on his end-of-chapter “Change of Heart” exercises.

 

Out of Egypt Devotional

In this 6-day devotional, Pastor Rob will walk you through Scripture, much like the Israelites following God out of Egypt, and show you that God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary and how to discern the truth over all the noise. You can also join the private Out of Egypt Facebook Group where you can connect with Pastor Rob and others in a supportive and encouraging environment.

 

Social Media First Aid Kit

Every home, office, store, church, and public gathering place has a first aid kit. Something to help patch up those bumps and scrapes we get from time to time. So it seems only appropriate that we treat the bumps and scrapes we sometimes get from social media. In Pastor Rob’s Social Media First Aid Kit, you will find valuable tools to not only treat the wound but to also prevent the wounds from coming in the first place.

 

Included in the kit you’ll find:

  • 5 Bible Verses to Look at Before Engaging Social Media Today – Get the Scriptural foundation you need before checking in with your social media platforms.
  • 3 Decisions to Make TODAY to Protect Your Mental Health When Engaging with Social Media – Having a more positive experience with your social media platforms can be as easy as 1-2-3. These three simple tips, when implemented consistently, will help keep social media in its place…and move you closer to God.
  • The Age of Narcissism – Narcissism, a personality trait that we all possess to a certain degree, has become a major problem. Not just because we’re obsessed with selfies and making sure we look—or at least appear¬¬ to look—good, happy, successful. But because the focus is on self and not God. Take this seven-day journey to putting God—and not you—at the center of your life.


Make It the Best Year Devotional

Everybody wants this to be the best year of their life—who wouldn’t?! But making this year better than the others means making some adjustments—changes. This 21-day devotional is the jump-start you need to do just that. Filled with scriptures, insight, and encouragement, Pastor Rob walks with you on this daily journey. Don’t wait until next New Year’s Day, make this the best year of your life…starting today!

 

Exclusive Private Virtual Event – “Narcissism and Breaking Its Hold”

Narcissism is at an all-time high. And it’s not just because we’ve become a society obsessed with how we look and making sure we’re #1. It’s because we’ve put ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God. Join Pastor Rob in this 45-minute private event, where he will discuss the challenges facing society today and how we can make powerful changes in our lives to break the self-centered hold and embrace a God-centered life.

 

Exclusive Live Webinar – “How to Help Your Teen Break Free of Social Media Addiction”

While it might not (yet) be considered a clinical addition, many in society can’t go 5 minutes without checking their phone to see how many likes they have for their latest post, or how many comments people have left. And our teens are especially susceptible. After all, they’ve been all but raised with a device in their hands. How do we help this next generation deal with the debilitating side effects social media can have on us? In this 90-minute webinar, Pastor Rob will discuss the issue and provide practical ways we can help our teens navigate these formative years in a positive way. There will also be a live Q & A session at the end. (A link to the recorded webinar will be provided after the live event.)

Overliked by Rob Singleton is a tome for such a time as this. Even though I work on television, I also make a living through social media. Coincidently, right before I started reading the pre-release copy, I had checked my "Likes'" and numbers on social media! How was I doing? Were my numbers growing? Declining? Did a few drop off?  
 
It's so easy to get our self-esteem and self-worth tied to those likes and numbers.  
 
Through Pastor Rob's book, we learn how frivolous and fake it can all be and ultimately, how it can lead to a miserable and unfulfilled life if left unchecked. The tools, scriptures, and "change of heart" takeaways that Pastor Rob provides at the end of each chapter help considerably shift the focus from there…to in here. He gently, but with statistics and examples, gives us a guide us to live a more authentic life.  
 
In the book, Pastor Rob says, "Honesty is what sets us up for authentic relationships," and isn't that what we really all want? 
 
As a woman over 40 in Hollywood, the expectations have never been higher. Overliked sites that, in one 12-month period, YouTube logged 169 billion views just for beauty-related content. Beauty is good… perfection is lethal. And don't I know it? I am on high-definition TV with glaring set lights, standing next to 20- to 30-year old young women daily; it's a test to stay solid and secure in your own skin.  
 
I was posting perfectly lit and curated pictures of my "Beautiful" (heavily filtered) life; people followed and viewed but scrolled right along. However, when I let down the curtain, turned off the filter, and decided to share my real-life sorrows and struggles with cancer, the comments, words, notes, and numbers flooded. People want to see my honesty and weaknesses because they can relate.  
 
Overliked shows us that when we pretend to be perfect, the only person we are hurting is ourselves.  
 
Pastor Rob's easy and relatable storytelling draws the reader in. We find that our weaknesses become our strengths to help us touch, encourage, and heal others, not just impress them.  
 
Thank you for this very needed and essential book that helps us realize that being real is the only way to have a true connection with our Lord and our friends and family. 
 
In Overliked, through story references of David, we learn the Lord encourages us all to ignore appearance and stature. "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
 
This book is an important message for developing authenticity in our lives, which is far more critical than adding strangers, getting fake followers, and creating a heavily-filtered life experience. I promise you will really "LIKE" it.