Silence is Consent

Acts 7:51-8:1 “...Now Saul was consenting to his execution...”

Saul said nothing to consent to the execution of St. Stephen. His silence spoke for him. We do the same in the silence we speak each day in the sight of blasphemies, wickedness, and atrocities.

I was called gay starting in Kindergarten. The name-calling, queer, fag, homo, sissy, continued up until about 8th grade when I learned to defend myself with the sword of my tongue. Teachers stood by and said nothing as I was psychologically and sometimes physically abused. They consented to the torture that would push me into a lifestyle that I didn’t want but accepted because I thought those tormenting me knew me better than I did. I knew they may be wrong in tormenting me, but what they were tormenting me about must be true, or surely one of these adults in a position of power and authority would have said or done something. But they didn’t. I do not hold a grudge against them, but I hope they are aware of the damage they caused me through their silent consent.

Daily, I hear the Lord's name blasphemed. Sometimes in my immediate presence, but most of the time within earshot, but not in my presence. I say and do nothing to defend Him most of the time. By my silence, I consent to this disrespect. By my silence, I agree that His name holds no special place and is fine to be used as part of foul language. By my silence, I consent that blasphemy is no big deal, even to someone like me who is known as a follower of Christ.

Every minute of the day a child somewhere in the world is murdered through abortion or prevented from coming into existence through contraception and I say and do nothing. I stand by as their tiny bodies are thrown in the trash. I listen to people question why society is in such bad shape and what can be done about it, and I say nothing about the devaluation of human life that contraception and abortion have brought upon us. By my silence, I consent to infanticide.

There is a strip club on the corner up the block from my job where women and men are both degraded and commodified. Where the gift of our human sexuality is cheapened and abused. Most of my coworkers and clients think nothing of it. If people want to sell their bodies to someone who wants to use them, why not?  There are so many reasons why not, but what do I do and say to stop it?  Nothing. By my silence, I consent to the degradation of the human person.

Day after day, businesses are being looted and burned all in the name of racial justice. People’s livelihoods are destroyed. People are mistreated and abused. Many live in fear and anxiety. And people say nothing. They march next to someone throwing rocks or stealing from stores, and they say nothing. Through their silence, they consent.

Daily, women are harassed and accosted on public transportation in big cities across the world, and men stand by and do nothing to correct other men. They watch as women are forced to stare at the floor and turn up the volume in their earbuds to drown out those violating their dignity, and not a word is said to defend them by those who are close enough to do something. By their silence, they consent.

Children in schools are being taught that they have to choose their sex and sexual preference. That is not assigned but chosen. Many are being taught about perverse sexual behavior and encouraged to engage in sex outside of marriage, masturbation, and sexual exploration. And we stand by and say nothing. We allow schools to decide what our children learn rather than take action as parents and citizens to protect children from deception and corruption. By our silence, we consent.

When I die and stand before my Lord, He will ask me, "What did you do to be salt on the earth during the time I gave you?"  You were born at this time for a reason. What did you do to defend those who need defending? What did you say to those who blaspheme Me?  What did you do to share the truth with those in darkness? What did you do? If the answer is nothing, then you consented as Saul did to the stoning of Stephen. And there is a price to be paid for silence—a high one. For silence is a denial of the truth, and the truth is Christ. If you deny Me before men, I will deny you before My Heavenly Father. God help us all.

Human-Written, AI Spell Checked 4/19/21 AD

Image from The Cistine Chapel