Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Ideology Censors Truth

Fiamengo’s arguments weren’t going down easy, this one—her best—in particular: women’s studies “can’t be about the pursuit of truth” because it has an “ideological base.” Its goal is to push the ideology that women are victims and men are perpetrators. Therefore, any evidence to the contrary, regardless of its veracity, is unwelcome. In other words, ideology censors truth. “If you believe you are righteous,” she said, “you don’t challenge other views.”

Although this was a lecture about the failures of Women's Studies programs in higher education, it could be applied to contemporary mainstream Protestantism, as well.  Which do we choose, political ideology that is driven by transient secular standards, or a truth that has served for over 2000 years?  Thus is the tension of our times, although it does appear that transient ideology is not the firmest base for any institution.