c. 2003 Religion News Service

(David P. Gushee is an associate professor of moral philosophy at Union University in Jackson, Tenn.)

(UNDATED) I remember an evangelist who used to come uninvited every year to my university. He brought a box to stand on, set himself up at a busy campus crossroads, and went straight to preaching. He spent much of his time describing in luxuriant detail how most of us were going straight to hell, and how richly deserved that eternal destiny would be.

His angry tone stimulated a similarly angry response in many students. There were occasional shouting matches. Some simply mocked him. I remember an interview with the campus newspaper where he was asked about the bitter response he received. He replied that God’s representatives have always been mocked and persecuted, just like Jesus. In fact, it’s when you find people rejecting you that you can be sure you are doing God’s work.

The way you know you are doing right is when people attack, mock and reject you. That was his perspective. It is not uniquely his. I have seen it other times as well.

Sometimes pastors are rejected by their churches and forced out of their jobs, but remain certain they are blameless and are being persecuted for righteousness’ sake. It is certainly a common way Christians respond to criticism, deeply affected as we all are by the example of Jesus and centuries of Christian martyrs. I have found myself thinking along these lines at times.

Today our nation sits at the center of an increasingly bitter international storm of criticism related to our imminent invasion of Iraq. Hundreds of millions of people around the world think a U.S. invasion of Iraq would be completely unjustifiable, a profound violation of international norms. Vast majorities of global public opinion are opposed. Recognized moral leaders like Pope John Paul II and Nelson Mandela have spoken out against a war. There have been rallies and protests against us on many continents.

Erstwhile allies and other relatively friendly nations, such as France, Germany, Russia, Belgium and China, are dissenting forcefully. Saudi Arabia has leaked plans to ask our military to leave their nation after this war is over. We are unlikely to gain the support of either NATO or the United Nations. Our national terror alert level was temporarily raised due to threats against us from terrorist organizations, in part stimulated by the threat of war with Iraq.

Now, in the face of this rising tide of opposition _ and with the recognition that we do have supporters and not just opponents _ what are we to make of our critics?

There are really only two options when any of us is faced with substantial criticism. One option is to dig in our heels and blame our critics for their own misperception, folly, blindness, cowardice, evil, or whatever other charge we might want to hurl at them. For both individuals and nations in a sinful world, the easiest and most natural way of dealing with criticism is to dismiss the critics as fools _ or perhaps as persecutors of the good and the true and the holy. This enables us to continue to feel good about ourselves and to avoid the stress of having to reconsider our position.

We have another option. We can remain open to the corrective feedback offered by other people. When criticism comes, we can reflect on it carefully. Not committed to any notion of our own infallibility, but instead painfully aware of our limits, we can be eager to receive the feedback of other people.

If the criticism hits the mark, we can submit to the process of confessing that we have been wrong, asking forgiveness, and changing course. If, after careful reflection we conclude that the criticism we have received is not warranted, we can continue on our path, glad for the chance to have considered the possibility that we might be mistaken.

I do not claim to know for certain whether the Bush administration or its critics have the better argument concerning a potential war with Iraq. Just like in many other situations, it is possible to interpret the critics as simply misguided, and our side as the courageous minority doing the right thing despite opposition _ which does sometimes happen. Perhaps the only way any of us will know who was right will be after the shooting stops.

I do know, however, that the public stance of the administration looks more like option one (“dismiss all critics”) than option two (“submit humbly to critical self-examination”). This is simply a dangerous pattern, and I hope profoundly that it changes soon.

DEA END GUSHEE