Information Related to "Seeing the World Scene Realistically"
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Behind the Headlines |
Many readers are familiar with the old Hans Christian Andersen fable about the emperor's new clothes. The story was told about a none-too-bright emperor in medieval times who was visited by a tailor. The tailor told the emperor about a miracle cloth that was the most expensive and best-quality fabric ever produced. The miracle was that only the wise could see it.
The emperor asked to see the cloth. When the tailor pulled it out of his bag, there was, of course, nothing there. But the emperor, not wanting to appear ignorant, professed his admiration for the cloth and ordered a new suit for himself.
Some time later the emperor sported his new suit as he went out in a procession. Everybody in the empire had been told about the new miracle cloth, and the crowds lining the route shouted out their approval-except for one little boy. When the emperor and his entourage passed by, he exclaimed, "The king doesn't have any clothes on!"
Once the obvious was stated, the crowds saw the truth of the boy's remarks, and the emperor was ridiculed.
Political correctness is like the emperor's new clothes. Not wanting to seem unwise, the vast majority of people go along with it, few thinking for themselves and questioning the prevailing thought. As the apostle Paul wrote of a previous age, those who professed to be "wise" became "fools" (Romans 1:22). This was the fate of the fabled emperor. For the rest of us, political correctness could prove dangerous if not fatal.
Historic continuum
The attacks of Sept. 11 were the worst single terrorist action against any nation ever, but they are part of a historic continuum. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aptly described the goal of the forces of Islamic fundamentalism as "a war to reverse the triumph of the West."
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