St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Parish

Growing as Disciples and Growing Disciples in Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Contact Us
  • Home & Welcome Page
  • Prayer Request
  • Give
  • About Us
  • New Here
  • Youth
  • Get Involved
  • Events
  • Blog
  • Archive
Deacon Steve Meyer

Socially Confused Not Politically Correct

December 2, 2016 by Deacon Steve Meyer

Dear Fellow Pilgrims,

Just for kicks, I recently compiled a list of things that were considered unsavory, taboo or even immoral when I was a kid but now, just thirty years later, are often considered mainstream in western culture. My, how our world has changed. I’ll leave it for you to decide whether each of these items has had a positive, negative or neutral effect on our culture.

Here’s the list of things we were taught are “unacceptable” but now are often a common part of our landscape:

▪ Wearing jeans and/or t-shirts to church

▪ Leaving a baseball cap on your head in a restaurant

▪ Premarital sex

▪ Living together (which we called “shacking up”)

▪ Vulgar language on television or in public

▪ Leaving food on your plate

▪ Entering a theater after the show started

▪ Homosexuality

▪ Exposed underwear and bra straps

▪ Atheism

▪ Skipping Mass

▪ Casino gambling

▪ Marijuana

▪ Carrying a handgun

I’m sure you can add to this list.  At first I felt a bit shocked at how easily simple inconsequential things like wearing jeans to church interlaced with much larger issues such as sex and guns. There is obviously no cause/effect relationship in play, but it does paint a picture of sorts, doesn’t it?  Have we become socially confused, no longer able to distinguish between trivial issues and major concerns?

Generally speaking, many of the items on my list either contribute to or resonate from a breakdown in the level of respect we have for each other and for ourselves. In fact, we should probably add “behave disrespectfully” to the list.  Recently, this deterioration of respect for ourselves and for one another seems to have been oddly catalyzed and re-labeled with the term “politically correct.” Thirty years ago, no one ever spoke of being “politically correct” because we didn’t have to. We refrained from saying harsh things about other people because doing so was simply offensive.

political-correctnessIn the house where I grew up, we were taught to be respectful of others, all others.  So we didn’t refer to people in racial terms, make comments about their physical appearance, or insult someone else’s religion.  We practiced the idea that if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.  Forty years later (and yes, I know I’m sounding old to everyone born after 1980), one almost gets the sense that being rude and insulting is viewed in some circles as bold courage, or even praised as “telling it like it is.”

There are times when it feels like we have shelved the concept of respectfulness and replaced it with this strange idea of political correctness. In doing so, are we trivializing the idea of respecting and valuing all God’s people? Whenever someone says, “I’m sick of having to be politically correct” what inevitably follows is self-assumed permission to disparage a whole category of people. By rejecting the idea called “political correctness”, we have found an ironically politically correct way to be disrespectful and offensive.

It was, indeed, very politically incorrect for Jesus to dine with tax collectors, advocate for Samaritans, heal people on the Sabbath, forgive sinners, and speak with the woman at the well. He never worried about being politically correct because he acted and spoke with respect and reverence for all others all the time. As disciples, shouldn’t we do the same?

Journey well.

Filed Under: Blog

Mass Times

Mass Schedule

Saturday: 4:15 p.m.
Sunday: 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Monday: No Mass
Tuesday: 8:00 a.m.
Wednesday: 8:00 a.m.
Mass on Thursday, September 28, is at 9:00 a.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m.

Confession: Saturdays from 3:00 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.

Click Here to Find Other Masses Near Me

From Facebook

Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish
7 hours ago
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish

October 2 is the Feast of The Holy Guardian Angels. ... See MoreSee Less

October 2 is the Feast of The Holy Guardian Angels.
View on Facebook
· Share
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
View Comments
  • Likes: 2
  • Shares: 0
  • Comments: 0

Comment on Facebook

Parish Pages

Parish Pages

Parish Office Closes
Tuesday mornings for a meeting
Fridays at 12pm

Parish Office Hours
~Monday through Thursday~
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(except Tuesdays, see above note)
~Friday~
8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

@stelizabethannsetongreenbay
Bulletins
Sign Up to Get Emails & Texts From Us
Ministry Schedules
Annual Report
Staff Directory

About us

Vision Our Patron Saint Sacraments Adoration Contact Us

Get Involved

Buildings & Grounds Dignity of Life Faith-Formation Committee Faith in Action Finance Council Human Resources Knights of Columbus Ministries Multi-Media Parish Life Committee Pastoral Council Stewardship Women's Guild Worship

New Here

Seeking Holiness Connect with Our Community

Youth and Education

Religious Education Youth Ministry Learning Institutions
ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON PARISH

2771 Oakwood Drive, Green Bay WI 54304

1-920-499-1546 ~ email: seas@seasgb.org

  • Facebook
  • Youtube
MENU
  • About Us
    • Vision
    • Adoration
    • Our Patron Saint
    • Office Hours
  • New Here
  • Get Involved
  • Youth and Education
  • Give
  • Online Prayer Request
  • Blog
  • Contact Us