| permissive society, and tolerant. Recall the colloquialisms that speak to this aversion to judge: Who am I to judge? I am not one to judge; No judgment. Where does this reticence stem from? The West is founded on a bedrock of Judeo-Christian traditions and many assume, as per Christian theology, that judging others can be a sin. Several gospels contain edicts against judging others. In the Pericope Adulterae (John 7:53–8:11) Jesus says, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” in reference to the imminent stoning of a woman who has committed adultery), and in Matthew 7:1–2 one finds, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” In Luke 6:37 we have, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Finally, James 4:12 posits, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” Many people interpret these teachings as implying that the act of judging is divinely forbidden, a cosmic command to live and let live. But this is incorrect; these edicts are referring to moral hypocrisy. People who spew falsehoods should be judged. I do |
her alma mater Oberlin College served sushi in the cafeteria, a clear case of cultural appropriation. A self-described queer woman of color, chef Mithalee Rawat was aghast that white people had violated her Indian heritage by using bone broth, which she deemed colonialist theft. In the immortal words of the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld, “No soup for you!” Gastronomic appropriation is hardly the only road to bigotry. Sartorial bigotry can rear its ugly head at any moment, as evidenced by the singer Katy Perry, who had to apologize for having dressed as a geisha in her performance at the 2013 American Music Awards. Keziah Daum, a white high school student, wore a Chinese dress known as a qipao to her prom, and this triggered the faux-outrage brigade. Beware of how you wear your hair, especially if you are white, for this too could be a signal that you are a bigoted Nazi. Katy Perry made that mistake by wearing cornrows and later apologized for it. Kendall Jenner stirred controversy by sporting an Afro during a Vogue shoot. And a white male student at San Francisco State University was angrily accosted by a black woman who was outraged that he had dreadlocks. Other examples of faux-outrage over cultural appropriation stemming from the land of the insane (university campuses) include the University of Ottawa cancelling a yoga class, a resident assistant at Pitzer College angered by white people wearing hoop earrings, and Lynne Bunch, a student at Louisiana State University who wrote |
