By Richard Allen – April 4, 2022
For many years, I periodically heard Radio Host Rush Limbaugh reference a principle he called “O’Sullivan’s Law.” It originated from John O’Sullivan, a former Editor of the National Review who had once commented: “Any group that is not explicitly conservative will become liberal over time.” Like many of you, I can validate that I’ve often observed O’Sullivan’s Law in most segments of American life, especially over the past decade. Virtually all academic institutions, corporations, police forces, media conglomerates, medical institutions, military branches – and even churches appear to be subject to this law to some extent. It’s almost to the point where O’Sullivan’s Law feels like it’s a norm of physical science, just like the Law of Gravity. I’d like to propose an additional concept to O’Sullivan’s Law – Rich Allen’s Corollary:
“Any Christian organization that does not fight to protect gospel truths as they were taught by the Apostles of our Lord through the scriptures, will eventually compromise that truth to conform to the world’s system – and follow another gospel!”
I know that Allen’s Corollary sounds very similar – because it is. But the question we should be asking is: “Why does either happen with almost absolute regularity?” It’s like there is a downgrade principle in the moral sphere – just like Entropy, the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is in the physical sphere. I’ve thought some about O’Sullivan’s Law and Allen’s Corollary - observing both and trying to determine what the contributing factors are which make these laws kick in with such regularity? The best analogy I can come up with is to compare O’Sullivan’s Law and Allen’s Corollary to principles we learn from physics. I think it might help to understand the causes on a physical plane, and then move on to consider the spiritual / moral plane. The analogies that can help us are the analogies of both Light and Heat!
As science tells us, there are corollary opposites to many physical properties in nature: Right and Left, Up and Down, Sweet and Sour, for example. But when we consider Light and what we commonly think of as its opposite - Darkness, we discover that these two are not really opposites or corollaries. Darkness doesn’t actually exist; Darkness is the absence of Light. In the same way, Hot and Cold appear to be opposites or corollaries - but again science tells us, that Cold doesn’t really exist – what we call Cold is just the absence of Heat. Even as Christians, we often think of the world in a dualistic sense, with Good (God) triumphing over Evil (the Devil). Be warned, scripture does not teach Dualism, nor for that matter does it teach that Evil does not exist. What I am saying is that Evil is imbued with qualities that don’t fit with any Dualistic Ying or Yang concepts. Speaking of the Ying and the Yang, here’s a definition from Wikipedia: https://wiki2.org/en/Yin_and_yang
"In Ancient Chinese philosophy, Yin and Yang in Chinese: Yīnyáng, literally "Dark-Light", "Negative-Positive" is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes how obviously opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected and interdependent in the natural world and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another."
Contrary to Chinese Philosophy, the Biblical definition for Evil, like Light and Heat is: EVIL IS THE ABSENCE OF GOOD! Or speaking more directly: EVIL IS THE ABSENCE OF GOD! There are probably a variety of ways I could relate this fact to both Allen’s Corollary and O’Sullivan’s Law, but the way I’d like you to think of it is simple: Cold, Darkness and Evil are the Defaults in life. They are the given that’s always present. It takes intentional effort to provide Heat and Light, or to do Good! This is most easily seen in young children, even in new born babies. Ask any parent: “Did you have to teach Johnny to be selfish and self-centered when he was a crying infant – wanting his mother’s attention at 3:00 am, even though he’s fed, dry and feeling fine?” “Did you have to teach little Mary to be selfish with her toys, or to lie when she wants to get her way?” I think all of us as parents would say: “No, those behaviors just came naturally to my children without any prompting or training!” That’s my point, doing wrong is the Default in our fallen world. It’s the easy road, the gutless choice that requires no effort – except to give in to your fallen nature and its appetites. Jesus said much the same thing when he told his followers to:
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
No one has to work hard to be on the road to destruction, just following our own selfish appetites, emotions and desires will automatically lead us down that path. Jesus made it clear that to find eternal life, we need to enter through a narrow gate. Mind you, Jesus is not teaching works or personal righteousness, salvation is only by grace. But He is sadly attesting to the fact that we are born in a state of depravity and if left to our own devices – will follow the easy road that will lead to our own destruction. Godless Wokeism is built upon these same fallen appetites, emotions and selfish desires. This is just another way of describing the “wide and easy way.” Everyone gets to do what feels good or whatever they want, regardless of any consequences from their behavior. But here’s where the bait and switch comes in. Just like faulty advertisements that promise a product will do one thing, then when you get it home, discover it’s completely different than advertised, Godless Wokeism appeals to every failed human weakness: Greed, Laziness, Lust, Theft, Power and Pleasure, promising a Life of Ease and Plenty, or to be in Control - all with no consequences! But in the end, Woke Laws and Programs actually deliver: Slavery, Poverty, Broken Relationships and Death!
All of us have marveled over the past few years as Wokeism has swallowed up institution after institution. People are being canceled, fired, slandered and destroyed publically and professionally by Woke Mobs, for standing for any principle or view that just a few years ago was considered to be the acceptable norm. And just the threat of a ruined career or losing one’s livelihood has cowed most people into keeping silent in the face of this bullying and injustice. This cowardice is not just on a personal level, it also runs rampant at the corporate level in most institutions. Many institutions are heavily influenced – if not completely controlled by the legal profession, that is Lawyers! And if there is one thing that institutions and companies don’t want, it’s being sued, boycotted or even receiving the bad publicity for a false accusation – whether it’s true is irrelevant. Just accused of being: Racist, homophobic, using the wrong pronouns, insensitive to LGBT issues, speaking against a Woman’s right to kill her unborn child or as we now realize, EVEN BELIEVING THAT GENDER IS BASED ON BIOLOGY -- these are all Capital Offenses in the World of “Woke Justice.”
Black Lives Matter, a group started by three Marxist Activists – Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi is a great case in point. They freely admit that BLM’s goals are to bring about the overthrow of the U.S. Government, and facilitate the New World Order that also happens to be Marxist. Yet most major corporations, schools, media outlets, government officials and many churches jumped on the band wagon overnight. What a shame to see so many venerated institutions falling all over themselves to be the first to denounce America’s police departments and proclaim that the United States was founded by Racists, and continues to be a Racist Society. Without so much as a whimper, many hallowed institutions nodded their heads admitting that a country which fought a civil war to end slavery, was now encouraging the police to routinely hunt American citizens down to be executed – just for being black! Again, they didn’t require any proof, debate or even dialogue – IT WAS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION. You just had to go along, or be CANCELED!
Which gets to my point, just going along with the faceless mob is the same as being funneled into the wide and easy gate. It’s a gutless choice that takes no principle or deliberate effort. Don’t offer any resistance and it will just happen. The activist leadership that incites the mob is highly motivated by money, power and a desire to drastically change America. They are actively working to get people to side with their cause. But the general population and institutions that “acquiesce,” don’t necessarily buy into the woke issues. They just make the easy choice! Don’t make any waves. Don’t be seen as an outsider and don’t disagree – even the woke agenda is contrary to your own long-held beliefs or values. That will only make it worse and prolong the pain. Can’t fight ‘city hall,’ this movement is snowballing and you don’t want to be caught on the wrong side disagreeing with the majority who are on the “wide and easy way.“ I don’t think we have any idea how powerful Woke-Mob pressure is, or how it pressures our children, teachers, employers, government leaders and even some of our clergy, to go along to get along. But life, just like the scriptures, teach us an important rule: Only living fish can swim upstream, dead fish float downstream with all the flotsam and refuse.
Jesus, in the longest sermon preached in the New Testament, spoke for three full chapters on what the Church historically has called, “The Sermon on the Mount.” It’s amazing that He didn’t start out with: “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Or, “Here’s how you can be fulfilled, successful and blessed every day of your life.” No, He started out talking about being blessed if you are “poor in spirit,” that is – spiritually bankrupt. Then goes on to say: “Blessed are you who mourn,” and “Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” and being “persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” It’s pretty apparent that Jesus was not teaching His disciples to “take the broad and easy path that leads to destruction,” but He was calling on them to take up their cross and follow him: “Enter in at the straight and narrow gate.” Sad to say, even among our “big-name Christian leaders,” many are jumping on the “Critical Race Theory” and “Transgender Rights” bandwagons – bending over backwards to be sensitive and to show the love and tolerance of Christ. Some are even hesitant to call homosexuality a sin – lest they offend someone.
The irony of all this is, that those who take the easy unprincipled path of “going-along-to-get-along,” and make gutless choices as they float downstream with all the other dead fish – call themselves “Woke.” Whereas God in His Word actually refers to those who walk in unprincipled darkness and sin, as THOSE WHO ARE ASLEEP! And those who stand for truth and strive to enter the narrow gate – no matter how unpopular – ARE THOSE WHO ARE TRULY AWAKE! Paul, probably quoting Isaiah 60:1-2 tells the Church at Ephesus:
“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:11-16).
Some might say to me, “hey, we’re not supporting the Woke Agenda, we’re just trying to live our lives in peace and quiet, and we just want to be left alone. So, to those sincere souls I say, I totally get it. But this is the time we can no longer be neutral and watch helplessly as our community and culture sinks into darkness. Jesus commands us to be “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16), so we need not only to depend on God for deliverance, but as Christians in our coarsening culture, we need to take a stand! And I’m not talking about armed resistance or using violence. No, that’s not the way. As believers in Christ we need to stay informed, and in the best sense to actively match this Woke Minority and let our voices be heard. I also pray for our leaders and those in power across this great land, to really wake up, so that Christ might shine upon them and they might not sleep like those who sit in darkness.
As it’s been said before: “All that is required for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing!”