When Tolerance Seems Impossible: Hacksaw Ridge and The New Civil Discourse

“Man, if there were only a few more lions back in the time of the Romans, we would not be dealing with all the issues Christianity has brought us.” A colleague muttered while setting up for work.

It was January 20^th, just a few short weeks ago, and Donald Trump was being sworn in as the 45^th President of the United States. An inauguration brings a sense of new energy and hope. I was excited, mainly because I saw in the new administration the potential to further protections of religious liberty, freedom of speech and the unborn.

This comment by a co-worker caught me off-guard though. It soon followed with numerous colleagues bashing not only the new president elect (everyone is free to disagree with their leader), but the Christian Faith and Principles this nation was founded upon.

More negativity came when protests turned violent in Washington, DC. Two hundred protestors were arrested and now face felony charges. Stores were vandalized, property damaged, people harassed and police officers injured.

Boiling Over

The culture war, which pits the Judeo Christian Values this great nation was founded upon against progressivism which cloaks itself in the guise of social justice and equality, is boiling over. As Catholics, it is our duty to defend life, traditional marriage and values, freedom of speech and religion. However, our presentation of these values has become a laundry list of "Thou Shalt Nots." Instead of presenting society with what they cannot do, we need to show them what they can do, so they may enjoy the true freedom this nation allows us to enjoy.

Because of this "Thou Shalt Not" mentality, when both sides come face to face with a disagreement, a shouting match ensues. During the Sunday Mass, the Seventh in Ordinary Time, the priest said when we answer violence with violence all we do is up the ante.

I have to confess, when I heard my colleagues bashing religion, did I want to verbally bash them? Absolutely! I am a guy and it is in my blood to defend what is dear to me!

However, this “eye for an eye” attitude is tearing our great nation apart. Division is the new unity.

Sadly, this instance of rioting in DC is merely the tip of an ever-divisive iceberg and if America continues to remain blind to it, we will go the way of the Titanic, ignoring the warning signs until it is too late.

The Conscientious Objector

What can we do in the face of ever-increasing violence, aggression and anger being perpetrated from the left? What can we do when our own family members are swallowing these lies under the banner of “social justice”? How can we be charitable with our arguments and learn from theirs to bind the wounds of division this nation is experiencing? A huge element to the equation can be found in Mel Gibson’s most recent movie, Hacksaw Ridge.

Hacksaw Ridge is the story of a young army private, Desmond Doss, who dealt with abuse, anger, intolerance and brutality from his own unit. However, he overcame all of it to rescue his platoon from certain annihilation in the Battle of Okinawa. If you have not seen this film, do yourself a favor and watch it. It is an incredible story of heroism, perseverance, charity and forgiveness.

Desmond Doss, a native of Lynchburg, Virginia enlisted in the army at the outbreak of World War II. He had one stipulation, as a medic, he would never pick up a rifle.

He quickly became a target for his beliefs. A fellow soldier, Smitty, ridiculed him in front of his platoon. Five soldiers jumped him in the middle of night, leaving his face bruised and bloodied. He was harassed by his commanders and encouraged to quit. When Doss refused, he was thrown in the brig on his wedding day, then court-martialed and nearly thrown in prison.

Only through the intervention of his father, a World War I Veteran, was Doss allowed to remain in the army.

Within a few months, Doss is shipped out to the battle of the Pacific to take the island of Okinawa on the Allies’ advance to Japan. The goal of his platoon is to take a ridge named “Hacksaw.”

The Modern Day Hacksaw Ridge: Civil Discourse

If you have seen the movie, you will remember the brutality portrayed in Gibson’s film. The battlefield of Hacksaw Ridge is littered with dead bodies, torn limb from limb. The field is covered in blood, rats are feasting on human remains. A thick, foul smoke hangs in the air. Just when it seems all too quiet, the Japanese attack.

When the battle of Hacksaw ensued, Doss could have run from the fight and abandoned his platoon. How many times have so many good-hearted men and women avoided heated discussion in the name of political correctness? I know I have, more often than I can count.

Instead, he ran straight into the heat of battle and rescued his men from the enemy. In my next article, I want share a few ways in which we can run into the heat of this cultural battle and save souls who have bought into these lies so they, like us, can come to know the Truth and the person of Jesus Christ, who can set them free.