Conclusions

In a YouTube video, political commentor Konstantin Kisin reported:

They did an experiment with a group of women and they put scars on their faces. They told these women that they were going into a job interview and that the purpose of the experiment is to find out whether people with facial disfigurements encounter discrimination. They showed the women the scars in the mirror and the women saw themselves with the scars.

Then as they led them out of the room, they said, “We are just going to touch it up a little bit.” As they touched it up, they removed the scarring completely. So, the women went into the job interview thinking that they are scarred, but actually were their normal selves.

The result of the experiment is that those women came back reporting a massively increased level of discrimination. Indeed, many of them came back with comments that the interviewer had made that they felt were referencing their facial disfigurement.

This is why this ideology of victimhood is so dangerous. Because if you preach to people constantly that we’re all oppressed, then that primes people to look for that.

You can view this 60 second video here.

Possible Preaching Angle:

The Bible does recognize the reality of innocent victims, but it stops short of affirming a victim mentality. While the Bible promises that we will experience innocent suffering for the cause of Christ, it nowhere speaks of our being “victims” in the contemporary sense of the word. Rather, the Bible speaks of us as “victors.” You can overcome victim mentality through a relationship with Christ and the Word of God. Christ (1 Pet. 2:22-23), Paul (Phil. 1:12-14), and Joseph (Gen 50:19-21) all show us an example of someone who was victimized but overcame a victim mentality.

A 20-year-old woman with cerebral palsy was pronounced dead by paramedics, and placed in a body bag. Three hours later, she was found alive. The ordeal started when Timesha Beauchamp was found by several relatives with pale lips and difficulty breathing, and called 911. When paramedics with the Fire Department arrived, they found her unresponsive and not breathing, according to family attorney Geoffrey Fieger.

After paramedics pronounced her dead, however, Timesha’s godmother, who works as a registered nurse, told the medics that she detected a faint pulse. Fieger said, “They told her the movements were involuntary. It did not change their opinion as to the fact that they felt she was dead … [but] when the body bag was opened and they were getting ready to embalm the body, Timesha's eyes were open and she was breathing.”

Fire Chief Johnny L. Menifee released a statement corroborating many of these details. "They checked multiple pulse points on the patient." He expressed disappointment that his medics missed the signs. Menifee said of the first responders, "They feel terrible that this happened. They can't imagine how this possibly happened. They're emotionally upset that this happened … and rightfully so.”

Possible Preaching Angle:

Even in situations that appear hopeless, there is always a possibility for a miracle. Don't stop believing just because experts tell you it's impossible.

I had an Uncle Van who was given to many rash statements, and one of the little things he said was, "There ain't nothing as over as Christmas." What he meant was that when all the poinsettias are removed and all the candles are put up and the tree is taken down, there is a kind of emptiness, because our feelings are accentuated. But Christmas should never be over. Things long forgotten, stirred in us once more, out to be kindled and kept.