Help For Those Who Suffer From Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome

Help For Those Who Suffer From Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome

I know, I'm going to sound a whole lot like a pharmaceutical company TV commercial right here in the next few sentences, but what I'm discussing this week, needs to be discussed and I will share more about the title of this week's article a little later. But for now, see if you know who I am talking about here... “Do you or someone you know suffers from Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome? Many people do and yet don't realize it. Why ? Because they can't either see the disease of Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome or are in complete Denial that they have this disease. Symptoms most associated with Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome are, telling others what they are doing wrong but the accuser refuses to look at all at the morally wrong activities they are also involved in, possibly also gossiping and or spreading rumors about others while they themselves also partake in the same morally wrong or similarly sinful(according to the Bible) activities. Also, one may be suffering from Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome if one sticks there fat, sticky fingers in a “sinner's eye” but that accuser very well refuses to acknowledge that they themselves have just as many, if not more morally wrong issues than whom they are accusing of wrong doing.” So, sound like anyone you know that carries this disease ?

The reason for writing this article at all, is to answer more completely a few critics of the article that I wrote last week discussing the (im)morality issues of the West and members of the terrorist group ISIS. In that article, I specifically expressed how very difficult it is for many in the West to do a self examination, or a self-check of one's moral compass when confronting others of what they believe as their “immoral behaviour.” Some folks expressed to me that they didn't “get it” and in my article last week, I gave some very good examples of immoral behaviors of not only those who belong to ISIS which I also specifically called “evil” and those also in the West(Europe, US, Australia, etc.) and their immoral behaviours as well. Yet, some in the West(Americans) became hostile to the thought that some Americans can and or are immoral in their hearts and actions. In fact, It would seem that my several times sharing in last week's article, that checking one's own morality before judging others was just a horrible suggestion and “liberal”(politically) to make. Even when I quoted Jesus in the Bible from Matthew 7:1-5 which declares, “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye”, some folks still didn't “get it.” Nope, not even when I explained quite thoroughly that Muslims and ISIS are certainly not “our brothers” as to Christians, but yet there is still a desperate need that all of us should still take a “good and hard long look at ourselves before judging others of their evil” including ISIS.

To that end, that is, for those who continue to focus on others before themselves(if really ever !) of immoral behaviour, they indeed suffer from what is the heart and title of this article, they “Suffer From Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome.” What exactly is “Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome” anyway? Well, I described some of the disease's symptoms earlier, how about I explain Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome as how I also described it without using it's specific name in last week's article. Here, read this portion and quote from last week and see if you “get it”...“Many Americans as well as Westerners are quick to stick their finger in someones face when they see someone else doing wrong. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is an entirely evil thing to stick your finger in someones eye and tell them they are evil when you-yourself are doing the same act or similar act of evil yourself. It's called being a hypocrite folks.” For this week's article, I wish to add thus...And to take that act of “when you-yourself are doing the same act or similar act of evil yourself”, being a “hypocrite” by calling others “evil” yet “you” yourself act evil, is indeed a negative matter. I know no one(no one I know anyway) who enjoys being called a hypocrite. Hypocrisy however is at the very core of having the heart and mouth disease of Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome, because those who have the disease condemn others yet, without ever or very rarely ever, look at evil or admit that they partake in evil acts themselves. Yes, as also perhaps you have already read into the whole matter of Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome and fully understand the Biblical precept I am point to-if that is you, Thank you. For those others however, further explanation is yet needed So let's talk about Denial. Denial is also part of this disease because who after all, enjoys looking at the(truly and what the Bible calls)negative and harmful attitudes we project upon others ? Refusing to look at one's own negative issues is part of Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome and as I shared earlier, it's much easier to point out other's faults then your own isn't it ?

In an article I wrote in the past entitled “Removing Evil Through The “P” Process” way back in 2010, I listed Eight(8) steps on how to remove evil. In step number one(1) I mention “repentance” of one's own sins and how “Once we have repented individually and corporately, God will heal our land.” In that first step, I also gave Bible Scriptures to back-up every bit of the reasons why each of us needs to repent and have the humility in doing so. The mention of humility in that article as well as now in this article is important because without humility, those who have the rid evil of the world(which is a wonderful quest) must have the character quality of the humility to examine themselves of wrong doing first. If one does not have that quality, the disease of Selective Moral Outrage Syndrome replaces that quality and that person cannot(at least not on their own) see that they have a problem and that problem of sticking their finger in other people's faces with the attitude of judgement and condemnation, is wrong because they as the accusers also are involved in immoral acts also. Here's my more important point about bringing up that article from 2010, God Himself demands that our hearts are right first before addressing other's issues related to acts of evil. No community, no province, no nation can ever recover from the grips of evil of others nor the effects of rejection of God's Word at home if immorality runs rampant at “home.” The Bible is very clear, all people who point out the evil of others have the first responsibility of making sure that they themselves are clean from sin and wrong doing.

Not only as an ordained Christian minister but also as a counselor, I learned many years ago that because of the deep rooted Denial of many, their own issues that many of those same folks will have within themselves, will figuratively speaking, give God the “middle finger” when it comes to doing anything that is right before Him including self riddance of hypocrisy regarding acts of evil and sin. That said, the act of denial on those same folks should never dissuade any of the rest of us from seeking out to destroy evil. Beware of this however, anyone who picks up the axe to cut down the evil of others(whether through word or deed) should first take it upon themselves to destroy evil within themselves. If we have any sense of morality, especially in the “judging others department”, we had better make dern good and sure before we put our sticky, fat finger in someone else's face(like ISIS or any other evil person or group)that we ourselves, are not also justifying our own immoral acts. Another heart issue I shared in last week's article, and I believe is appropriate and well worth repeating here... I firmly believe that all of us should get our “lives squared away(with Jesus of the Bible) first. If you decide not to get your life right first before attacking ISIS, then you sir, you madam you yourself are no more than an evil pimple who is also in need of removal, just like ISIS. Indeed, you are an evilist. How does that truth hit you? “

I leave you with this to sum up(in real hopes that I have answered those few critics of last week's article and everyone “get's it” by now) and also in sharing the thoughts of a Higher Authority than I on this whole subject matter... Romans 2:1-3 declares...“Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?”

Hope all this helps those who need it....

Rev. Paul P. Waldmiller~Black Robe Regiment Pastor