CL Staff | February 10, 2020
Here we are once again, and it is awards season. If you are anything like this writer, you didn’t realize the Oscars were happening this past weekend much less tuned in with bated breath to see who would win the most coveted prizes or who wore what. At a time when more and more movies and actors are portraying heavily skewed viewpoints in one direction, the country in general is tuning out. Why? Because we already hear on a regular basis how the sky is falling, the next world war is just around the corner, or humans are at fault for the demise of … (insert whatever pet cause of the moment).
It’s not that celebrities shouldn’t have an opinion or voice it. As a matter of fact, they should express it. How else is the public going to find out what they truly think when they believe everyone wants to know? The more they proclaim their worldview the more information they give us as the consumers on whether or not we want to send our hard-earned disposable income in their direction. Let them talk.
Now, having an opinion and being correct about it are two different things. There is so much miseducation out there mostly because they don’t take the time to follow these arguments to their logical conclusions. Worse yet, the lecturing reaches fever pitch at these awards, but there’s little to no follow through in their actions. It would be easy to call out the hypocrisy, shake our heads, and call it a day. However, it is important to point out the inconsistencies or fallacies in their arguments and solutions precisely because there are some out there who also repeat these arguments.
There are so many points that could be highlighted but let us focus on just a few of them. Let us take for instance the latest revelations that some celebrities have recently made by informing us they will reuse or stop purchasing clothes in order to combat climate change in their attempt to preserve the environment. While it is commendable that they recognize the pitfalls of consumerism, they are only beginning to do what a lot of people (numbering in the millions if not billions) already do on a regular basis. Recycling one’s wardrobe is nothing new and that includes fancy gowns, dresses, or tuxedos.
While choosing to curb one’s retail purchasing is neither here nor there, there are some more troubling trends emerging. More and more we hear about how we must elevate animals and humans to the same level, and if we must choose one over the other, we must always choose animals because well, nature rules. We are reprimanded and lectured over milking cows and suffering calves so that we can satisfy our selfish behavior of pouring milk in our cereal or coffee. While this was meant to make us feel guilty and equate it as an inhumane practice, have any of these celebrities watched documentaries on National Geographic? Have they ever watched even for just a few minutes how a lion pride hunts? If the animal kingdom is far superior and the perfect example for humans to imitate, how do they account for this behavior? Good stewardship has always been a part of humankind’s responsibilities. As a matter of fact, in the biblical worldview, God instructed Adam and Eve to be stewards over all of creation right from the get-go (Genesis 1:26-28). However, if we glorify and elevate nature above humans, we create an imbalance and destabilize exactly what we are wanting to protect in the first place.
Speaking of suffering calves. If the mere separation of a newborn calf from its mother is cause enough for celebrities to rise up in distress, then why is the butchering of innocent, unborn children not reason enough to decry the practice of abortion altogether which causes a lot more damage than separation anxiety. Abortion is quite devastating on many fronts not to mention it permanently ends an innocent human being’s life. In a recent publication by two medical researchers it was discovered that unborn babies may be able to feel pain as early as 13 weeks of their gestation period (as opposed to the 20-24 weeks that is commonly touted). In an earlier Congressional testimony in 2017, Dr. Maureen Condic, a professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Utah, stated that an unborn baby’s nervous system is generally established by 4 weeks of gestation, and its neural circuitry is in place by 8 weeks of gestation. This is significant because most abortions take place around week 12 which means a baby’s capability of feeling the procedure of an abortion is very real. While no one should ever advocate for the mistreatment of animals, let us make sure that our priorities are in right order.
And then, of course, no awards show would be complete without the obligatory barb about politics. So much could be said about this but perhaps it can be addressed in 45 seconds or less. The posturing outrage about any given topic whether it’s income inequality, Democrats, Republicans, impeachment, Senate procedures, who’s a newfound hero and who’s the devil incarnate far from clarifying it only exposes the ignorance and hypocrisy among these enlightened celebrities. It would be interesting to know of all those present at the Oscars how many of them voted in 2016, or 2018, or shall we dare ask since they were eligible to vote? How many of them are aware of or involved in their local politics? You know, the grassroots level. Not the majority in attendance? Then, spare us. Practice what you preach.
This article could go on, but you get the point. Celebrities, there is such a thing as right and wrong, black and white, truths and lies. Don’t shy from speaking the truth, just make sure that you are indeed using your platform to spread truth. Do your research, follow each argument to their logical conclusions, hear what the objections are about your stance or worldview, and hold fast to the truth you find. But beware, where you start may not be where you end; and the end may firmly plant you on God’s side which means you will have to choose more than just whether or not to recycle your clothes or drink milk. Take courage though millions before you have walked down that road, and millions more will follow long after you are gone. Your voice and platform can matter greatly, but remember, before you can teach you must first learn.