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Cynical Theories
“Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything About Race, Gender, and Identity—and Why This Harms Everybody” is a book by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay. The book explores the origins, evolution, and impact of various critical theories, particularly those that have become prominent in social justice activism and academia. The authors argue that these theories, while often well-intentioned, have become dogmatic and counterproductive. Here’s a detailed synopsis of the book:
### Introduction
The book begins by discussing the rise of postmodernism in the late 20th century, which emphasized the subjectivity of knowledge and the role of power in shaping what is considered truth. Pluckrose and Lindsay argue that postmodernism, with its skepticism of grand narratives and objective reality, laid the groundwork for contemporary critical theories.
### The Development of Critical Theories
The authors trace the evolution of postmodernism into various strands of critical theory, each focusing on different aspects of identity and social power dynamics. They identify key fields such as Critical Race Theory, Gender Studies, Queer Theory, Disability Studies, and Fat Studies. The book explains how these fields have moved from academic niches to influential roles in broader societal discussions.
### The Core Concepts
Pluckrose and Lindsay outline the core concepts of these critical theories, including:
– **Social Constructivism**: The idea that knowledge and categories of identity are constructed through social processes rather than inherent or objective.
– **Power and Knowledge**: The belief that knowledge is intertwined with power and is used to maintain oppressive structures.
– **Lived Experience**: The emphasis on personal experience as a source of knowledge, often privileging the voices of marginalized groups.
– **Intersectionality**: The idea that different forms of oppression (e.g., race, gender, sexuality) intersect and compound each other.
### Critique of Critical Theories
The authors critique these theories on several grounds:
– **Rejection of Enlightenment Values**: They argue that critical theories reject the Enlightenment principles of reason, evidence, and individual rights.
– **Promotion of Identity Politics**: They contend that the focus on identity politics leads to division and an emphasis on group identity over individual agency.
– **Dogmatism and Intolerance**: Pluckrose and Lindsay assert that these theories foster a culture of dogmatism and intolerance toward dissenting viewpoints, stifling free speech and academic inquiry.
– **Impact on Society**: They discuss how critical theories have influenced education, corporate culture, and public policy, often in ways they see as harmful or counterproductive.
### Call for a Return to Liberalism
The book concludes with a call for a return to classical liberal principles, advocating for an emphasis on individual rights, reason, and the pursuit of objective knowledge. Pluckrose and Lindsay argue for a liberal approach to social justice that seeks to address inequality without abandoning the principles of rational discourse and evidence-based policy.
### Reception and Impact
“Cynical Theories” has sparked considerable debate, with supporters praising its critique of what they see as the excesses of contemporary social justice movements, while critics accuse it of misrepresenting the theories it critiques and undermining efforts to address genuine social injustices.
Overall, “Cynical Theories” presents a comprehensive critique of the rise and influence of critical theories, arguing for a more balanced and liberal approach to social justice.
Mean Streets
Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. Raymond Chandler 1944
There is a great temptation to become bitter, to become harsh and mean. Our culture has made heroes of Hannibal Lector, Dexter, Jack Bauer men who are certainly mean indeed they are murderous. Alternatively, men and boys are encouraged to reject their masculinity to consider that being competitive and being strong is ‘toxic masculinity’.
I reject this there is a calling on men to be the hero, to be a great father (or mentor) to be able to stand.
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Cor 16:13
Unity In truth
Fantastic article by Stott [[Stott Unity.pdf]] on the need for unity that is based in apostolic truth. It is not possible to be united by ditching the truths and reality of the gospel. Unity is only possible by individuals being united by truth.
We cannot split the difference
It is tempting to propose that that answer to the issues that are currently engulfing the Western Church, particularly the recognition of same sex marriage and the acceptance of homosexual relationships as morally equivalent to marriage to attempt to split the difference to accept that people have different view and try and attempt some form of compromise. Such a view is impossible for two reasons.
Reason 1: The Woke lobby cannot allow it
If you believe that homosexual relationships are right and proper, blessed by God and that any dissent on this view is an act of violence you cannot possibly compromise. As surely any comprise is to accept the unacceptable. At best you can accept a win as a temporary staging post on the way towards your final goal. A blessing then is better than nothing but cannot be your end goal.
Reason 2: The Faithful cannot accept it
If you believe that same-sex relationships are a sinful act condemned by God. Then how can you accept it? There can be no compromise between a truth and lie.
The church needs to have the conviction and courage to declare the reality that God has set out a model for human relationships and that this model; Marriage between a man and woman. Is God’s best. Yes this best is damaged through sin but it is still the best and only sanctified sexual relationship.
A Rhythm of Prayer; A Collection of Meditations for Renewal
Very little to do with Christ with a strong flavour of Marxist tropes, activism and new-age spirituality. My personal ‘favourite’ is a prayer extolling the hatred of white people (see below).
Was Jesus Inclusive?
Nope.
23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”. He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
Luke 13
Without Jesus there is no hope, no redemption
Without Jesus there is redemption
Without Jesus there is no forgiveness
Christianity is an exclusive faith. You can only know God through Jesus, through walking through the narrow door.
The good news is that there are no barriers to the narrow door.
All are welcome to walk through the narrow door
You can speak any language
Be of any race
Be of any sexuality
And have committed any sin.
But you can only be forgiven through walking through the narrow door. Accepting Jesus as your Lord and saviour.
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.”
25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
Luke 13
It is not enough to sing about Jesus, to talk about him or even declare him inclusive. We must walk through the narrow door and accept him.
Hosea 4 – A Lament for the church
I have always loved contemporary worship music and was very rude in my younger days about the old fuddy duddies who said it was shallow and trite.
I think I was wrong, the worship music we have is not sufficient to protect us from heresy. We sing “bless the name of Jesus” but if the Jesus you are singing to is the inclusive safe and inoffensive Jesus you are blessing not the name of Jesus but a fiction.
Where is the repentance? Where is the call to holiness? To bless the name of Jesus is to put Jesus in the highest place it is to bend the knee to Christ. To pick up your cross and follow him. To state my identity is in Christ crucified.
I wish I was wrong. But how can people sing “Holy… lifted high” whilst wearing a rainbow badge. A badge that celebrates and holds up a lie.
Hosea 4
Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel!
The LORD has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere—
one murder after another.
Where is the knowledge of God? Where is the faithfulness, even the ‘kindness’ is corrupted. It is not kind to lie and deceive. And the consequence of the lie is heartbreak. The death of families, broken lives and the loss of hope. Under this lie children have their genitals butchered, Children watch extreme pornography and are told that they have no purpose and no destiny except to destroy the institutions that protect them. Does the church see this and shout “NO there is a better way. NO this is evil it is better to tie a millstone around you neck than to harm one of these little ones.” No rather than this the church celebrates sin as children are being destroyed.
My complaint, you priests, is with you. So you will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you in the night. And I will destroy Israel, your mother. My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me. I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children. The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. They have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols.
Where are the shepherds, where are the prophets? Where are the priests calling the people to repentance? They have stumbled, they have fallen they have become false prophets who preach another gospel. They refuse to feel shame to recognise the glory of God. The sins of the priests will be felt in the children. Not because God is evil but because the adults are sacrificing their children to the idols of wokism.
They will eat and still be hungry. They will play the prostitute and gain nothing from it, for they have deserted the LORD to worship other gods.
Does this not describe where we are now as a society people eat to excess, children have diabetes. We watch pornography but are not satisfied and the relationships we do have are ruined.
They ask a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! Longing after idols has made them foolish. They have played the prostitute, serving other gods and deserting their God. They offer sacrifices to idols on the mountaintops.
We may have stopped asking pieces of wood for advice but instead we ask a lost society for advice, preferring the views of Marx and Queers to the truth of the gospel. We sacrifice the truth, our children, our sanity to the idols of LGBTQ to the Marxists gods of equity, inclusion and diversity.
Be in no doubt the ideologies are evil. The queer ideology says:
‘Queer is by definition whatever is at odds with the normal, the legitimate, the dominant . . . “Queer,” then, demarcates not a positivity but a positionality vis-à-vis the normative. ‘ David Halperin
That is why your daughters turn to prostitution, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. But why should I punish them for their prostitution and adultery? For your men are doing the same thing, sinning with whores and shrine prostitutes. O foolish people! You refuse to understand, so you will be destroyed.
Only fans, pornhub, trans ideology we have turned our children over to prostitution and adultery. Yet we celebrate this, we say that this is freedom.
So should the LORD feed her like a lamb in a lush pasture? Leave Israel alone, because she is married to idolatry. When the rulers of Israel finish their drinking, off they go to find some prostitutes. They love shame more than honor. So a mighty wind will sweep them away. Their sacrifices to idols will bring them shame.
Your church glorifies in shame, celebrates sin and claims it is honourable. That sin is actually good.
Send your fire.