Bully Nation

Friday was the International STAND UP to Bullying Day. In the wake of dozens of youth suicides, “more than 2600 schools, workplaces and organizations representing more than a million people” took a pledge against bullying. In fact, in the saddest but very real turn of events, the latest suicide tragedy occurred while the community was viewing the anti-bullying film and hearing from the victim’s boyfriend.  

But I question how can we make a dent in the bullying epidemic in schools when we, at a national level, are bullies.

Bullying is the natural outgrowth of a climate where there is a moral ‘black and white’, a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ lifestyle, an acceptable and unacceptable way to exist. It occurs when judgment such as that is sanctioned by parents, national leaders, and those purported to speak for God.  When a child hears from elders that an individual’s way of life is wrong, and therefore unworthy of human dignity, compassion, or God’s love, that child feels free to bully.

We bullied our way into Iraq by talking about WMD – but it was only possible because we had been labeling Muslims as ‘jihadists’ and therefore a threat worthy of destruction.  We bully immigrants regularly by categorizing them as ‘illegal’, as if people, rather than actions, can be ‘legal’ or ‘illegal’ and so destroying families is valid.  Police (some police) bully people of color in neighborhoods of color every day with profiling and harassing, leading others to think it’s ok to copy that behavior.  And almost every GOP candidate for President has bullied homosexuals from a national pulpit, declaring their love and families unworthy.

Unfortunately this is more and more common in religion, and bolstered by our degrading political atmosphere.  Chris Hedges, in his book American Fascists: the Christian Right and the War on America, makes a strong case that people find Christian fundamentalism appealing in an increasingly changing, uncertain, unstable world as a refuge for ‘inability to cope with ambiguity, doubt and uncertainty’.  He says, “they are utopians who have found rigid, clearly defined moral edicts, rights and wrongs, to guide them in life and in politics” through this type of religion.  This type of religion leads to bullying. Not every religion sanctions Fred Phelps and his ilk, but too many faith leaders preach from the pulpit who will ‘receive the kingdom of heaven’ and who won’t.  Even the Vatican recently chastised it’s own devout for not focusing more on bullying the sinners. 

My God loves all the little children.  The Jesus I follow did not deny his grace to anyone of any lifestyle, but stood up against the bullying of his time – the purity laws.  He ate with prostitutes, sinners, tax collectors.  He did not withhold his healing powers to people based on their country of origin. He was banned from towns because he allowed contact with the ‘unclean’.  He cast his lot with the marginalized. 

Children’s behavior manifests the basest of human society.  If we are to stem the tide of bullying in schools, it will require that parents directly intervene in every message their child receives on who is worthy or unworthy.  Parents will have to remind them that every child is loved and worthy in God’s eyes, and faith leaders need reminding that what Jesus did do was admonish people not to judge.