Cancel Culture: Why We Cannot “Cancel” Fellow Christians

A couple weeks ago I experienced what many might call Cancel Culture.

I posted on my personal FB page about one of the many “conspiracy theories” out there that I’d been researching. I welcomed all links, thoughts, and friendly commentary on the subject. The comments ranged from one end of the belief spectrum to the other … it was actually a fun and enlightening conversation.

Until it wasn’t.

(In related news: That same evening all over the country there were people sitting silently behind their device screens eating popcorn.😆)

One person quickly came out with charges of my responsibilities “as a Christian author.” How I was an irresponsible Christian leader for discussing the topic.

Yes, there is responsibility. And yes, there is always responsibility as a Christian.

So I tried to engage with this person, because… wait for it… responsibility.

I honestly wanted to hear their side, understand their opinion, and move forward… together. Regardless of whether our opinions aligned or not. Regardless of whether I stayed firm in my opinion or was open to changing my own mind. I tried to aim for restoration and to understand.

But I was quickly shut down.

Cancel culture has become a quick and easy solution to justify our own opinions and make a bold personal statement for others to notice.

There are lots of layers to this whole concept, but the basic premise to “cancel” someone means to stop giving support to that person and usually includes public shaming on social media. (Most often this happens to celebrities, which — thank you, Jesus — I am not.)

In my personal case, I was publicly denounced, unfriended and blocked.

Don’t get me wrong … there is a time, place, and way to go about blocking and unfollowing. I’m not talking about that. I’m talking #CANCEL.

I won’t lie, after an internal freakout I was okay with the unfriending. It made me feel like a jackass weird at first, but ultimately I do not know this person in real life. We’d never directly interacted with one another before this string of social media comments, so the removing of themself from my Facebook, well … while it was initially enraging surprising, I was okay with their decision.

What made me go “hmmmm” was how this person called out my responsibility as a “Christian author,” saying it was my responsibility to not engage in the conversation at hand. To not use critical thinking and my network of people to wonder and question what was true and what was not.

What in the actual hell?

When did we get to a place where all matters of life are black and white?

When did we get to a place where we can’t live peacefully in the gray and messy, confusing middle?

When did we get to a place that our ideas, opinions, and personal convictions all have to be the same?

Can’t it be “both/and” sometimes?

The Facebook comment also made me think about our roles as Christ followers.

As Christians, are we actually called to “cancel” other Christians?

To “cancel” someone because we disagree with them? To “cancel” someone we who holds different opinions than our own?

I don’t believe so.

Because if we don’t support and engage with one another, who will? Lord knows the world won’t.

Scripture actually tells us to welcome others who disagree with us (Romans 14). While disagreements are not what it’s about, it is about building each other up in righteousness, peace, and joy.

Those are the important things. Those are why disagreements are welcome … to get to that place of righteousness, peace, and joy.

So I don’t believe we should succumb to Cancel Culture with our fellow Christians.

I don’t believe we have the authority to “cancel” someone who is truly in Christ.

HOWEVER, that said...

We do have authority and are told not to associate a brother or sister if they are guilty of several things.

But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

1 Corinthians 5:11 ESV

These are the reasons for not associating with a fellow brother or sister in Christ:

• sexual immorality
• greed
• idolatry
• reviler
• drunkard
• swindler

As far as I can find, these are the only reasons we would be allowed to “cancel” a fellow believer. And even in these scenarios, Matthew chapter 18 gives us explicit direction on how to best navigate these situations and what to do.

So my conclusion on Cancel Culture as a Christian is this:

We do not have the authority to “cancel” a fellow believer for anything other than what is listed 1 Corinthians 5.

And we never have the authority to pass judgement or publicly denounce or shame them.

We do, however, have these options:

1. Love, encourage, build one another up, and bear one anothers’ burdens.
2. Pray. Pray for that believer and your relationship with them.

When we do these things, God will work out and/or show us how we are supposed to interact and engage (or not) with that person we disagree with.

I believe in doing these things, then we won’t feel we have to “cancel” our fellow believers.

And that’s the type of culture that I want to be a part of.

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If you are looking for a practical way to pray for other people, download these scriptures to pray effectively and powerfully.