Cultural Evil

“Seeing this movement growing, the unconvinced Jewish people became protective and angry. They found some ruffians hanging out in the marketplaces and convinced them to help start a riot. Soon a mob formed, and the whole city was seething with tension.” (Acts 17:5 VOICE)

The recent news that a militia group has been plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan is shocking but not entirely surprising. For years now, militia movements across the United States have been gaining power. These groups see themselves as non-professional soldiers who are needed to protect cultural mores. Their ideology often includes an anti-government stance, an affinity for conspiracy theories, and a passion for guns and explosives. In certain parts of the country, militia groups are admired, and their methods are embraced as necessary evils. 

"Before it becomes personal and shameable, evil is often culturally agreed-upon, admired, and deemed necessary. The apostle Paul already had the prescient genius to recognize this, and I believe he taught that both sin and salvation are, first of all, corporate and social realities." (Richard Rohr) 

Collective evil is often hard to recognize for those in the midst of it. Like those who live in polluted cities and breathe in smog, we get acculturated to ideologies and justifications that surround us. We become protective of our traditional perspective and resentful of anyone who questions our priorities. Certain ‘necessary evils’ are accepted as a way of lifestyle preservation. This malignancy spreads through our communities, shaping our thoughts and behaviors. If unchallenged, it pervades every echelon of society. The perpetrators of hate and their supporters are identifiably malevolent. Yet, those who ignore it and go about their lives as usual are equally culpable.