Labels
Labels. They are dangerous. They stop the thinking process.
They solidify a preconceived notion of someone or something in which a person
bases their opinion or judgment on.
The labels I’m speaking of are those we place on our self
and other people to identify who and what they are. In politics we have
Republican and Democrat, conservative and liberal. In religion we have evangelical,
conservative, liberal, orthodox, and fundamental. Of course, we have the range
of religions such as Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu, etc.
Other labels we use on people include Yankee, southerner,
redneck, country, urban, queer, straight, black, white, and the list of labels
goes on and on.
We put labels on people so we can quickly identify who they
are, what they represent, and how they think and act. Once we have labeled
someone, we now think we know them, and we treat them according to the labels
we have placed on them.
One of the big problems with labeling people is our idea of
what that label means. Someone’s preconceived notion of let’s say, what a
liberal is or what a Roman Catholic is, could be way off base. So now we must
deal with someone who is prejudiced with false and erroneous notions of a
person all the while that person who has been labeled has no idea of the error.
I was having coffee with a Pastor recently. During our
conversation I was mentioning some books that I have read and theologians I
have studied. When I mentioned John Calvin it automatically evoked a reaction from
the Pastor, and I was pegged a Calvinist. I quickly pointed out that I have
read the Quran as well but that doesn’t make me a Muslim. I then asked him what
does being a Calvinist mean. I knew, I just wanted to see how he defined the
label. A little later in our conversation he asked me what I thought of
Reformed Theology. Again, I asked him to tell me what it was. I knew, I just
wanted to know what his idea of it was.
I read an article today about the problem of (not with) Fundamental
Christians. The author, a PhD, never defined fundamentalism, but judging from
the article, a Fundamental Christian to him is a cross between an idiot, a
baboon, and a heretic. Now imagine the problem we would have if I identified as
a Fundamental Christian upon meeting this gentleman. He has me labeled, he has
his preconceived notions, he thinks he has me pegged theologically, and I haven’t
even opened my mouth yet.
There has been a lot press over the past several years about
the rise of the religious, “Nones”. These are folks claiming no affiliation to
any particular religion. A lot of people assume that the label of “None” means
that you are an atheist or an agnostic. Nothing could be further from the truth
in many cases. There are millions of God fearing, Jesus loving, church
attending Christians that do not belong to any denomination. They are by
definition, a none.
Think of the nightmare I would create for many if I had to
label myself. I would be an evangelical, fundamental, none. Peoples brains
would melt trying to figure that one out.
Another problem with labels is that sometimes it becomes a
mold that some try to squeeze them self into. Or worse, the person doesn’t know
all of what a particular label entails. For example, someone identifies as a
conservative Republican not realizing that this group is pro-life all the while
he is pro-abortion.
I don’t like labels. Thinking stops and biases and
prejudices begin when they are used. Folks are multi-faceted and rarely can be
all the different points that a label represents. Often times you will find
yourself defending a point of a label not because you agree with it, but
because it is part and parcel of the label you identify with.
I have learned to ask people to define any label they mention.
It helps to avoid a lot of misconceptions and opens up a clearer and more
substantial dialogue.
Bill Hitchcock
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