To ask people to expose their innermost awareness of their existence to the eyes and the interpretation of anyone and everyone else, and to defend doing this by saying that it is the responsibility of each person not to take it personally, is like asking everyone to live without any clothes and if anyone stares to say that it is up to each individual not to take it personally. But where should we draw the line? Should we make all people, men, women and children to cover every inch of their bodies at all times so that no one can objectify them with their eye? Should we prohibit all speech about anyone's sincerely held world-view so that no one can violate another person's spiritual privacy with their mind, even unintentionally?
Ironically, it is possible sometimes for people to think that by insisting that modesty in matters of dress or in matters of privacy of spirit is entirely the responsibility of the beholder they are defending the sanctuary of the individual and of individual rights. It only takes the experience of spiritual brokenness or spiritual disability and vulnerability, (whether caused by child abuse, mental illness, or other hardships), to make us realize how callous this way of thinking can be. We can violate another person's spiritual privacy and cause damage to them in places where they are spiritually vulnerable simply by talking with them about our most deeply felt world-view. And no one, no matter how righteous they are or how righteous their world-view is, is exempt from this responsibility. What then if we come into an age of anything goes spirituality? It is not only the broken people who are in great danger. There are areas of spiritual brokenness and vulnerability in everyone.
To Be Continued...
