Punch and Duty
Why and how the direction we punch matters
Have you ever heard someone complain that a writer or public figure only “punches left” or “punches right”? Or have you heard people demanding that someone spend more time “punching left” or “punching right”?
If you are unfamiliar with these phrases, then congratulations! You have probably found more productive things to do with your time than doom scrolling social media. Sadly, this use of the word punch has nothing to do with a drink one enjoys at parties, or a satirical magazine of British origin, or even a type of action perfected by Bruce Lee.
To “punch right” is to criticize those to the right of you ideologically, while “punch left” signals the opposite. These may not be particularly new terms, but they seem to be used increasingly in the United States and perhaps beyond. Often, they are used in reference to political ideology, but in the strange world that is American Christianity, theology too is seen to be left or right and align roughly (though not perfectly) with politics.
Surely, you can think of a commentator of some sort—whether a writer, media personality, or even your neighbor Bob—who tends to only punch in one direction. Single direction punching is the best way to ensure a stable career for those who offer opinions for a living. Yes, you must sacrifice the patronage of those you constantly punch, but the people on the opposite side will flock to you in droves to have their own opinions constantly validated. The support of even a small part of the U.S. population, if stable and strong, is enough to sustain the careers of many commentators.
Of course, there are some who choose to punch both left and right: to criticize anyone and anything that falls short of the perceived moral standard. Here I do not mean those who punch in the opposite direction once a year to appear unbiased, but those who genuinely and regularly critique both sides of the divide. It is not impossible to sustain a career this way, as there will be some who admire honesty (or at least the appearance thereof). But being willing to criticize anyone’s flaws means that at some point or another, you will punch everyone. This strategy therefore carries an inherently high risk of complete cancellation.
I do sometimes wonder if I am guilty, perhaps not of only punching right, but of punching right more often than left. Sadly, it would require a great and tedious effort to go through all my articles, social media posts, and private comments since my opinions have come of age. You the reader are likely a better judge of what I typically do.
If I do punch right more often, I believe it is due to another dynamic at play: the in-group vs. out-group divide.
I have spent my life surrounded mostly by conservative Christians, with the majority also residing on the conservative side of the political spectrum. There have been some exceptions, such as the year I spent as a student in London, but in general, I am surrounded by conservatives. I currently live in a state that grows deeper red by the day. Most of my liberal acquaintances are primarily digital acquaintances. The Christian organizations for which I have written are also conservative theologically.
Ironically, while I am theologically conservative, I am less so politically. I have throughout my adult life considered myself a political centrist, or perhaps just right of center. Given the collapse of the political center in the United States, with few elected representatives at the federal level holding what could be deemed centrist or moderate views, it is difficult to discern the boundaries of my personal in-group. But given how surrounded I am by conservatives, I would say they are closer to my in-group and liberals are closer to my out-group.
Therefore, if I punch right more than I punch left, it is not because I am a leftist who is only willing to criticize my ideological adversaries. It could be because I have more exposure to the failings of those on the right, or because their errors seem more dangerous to me, given their proximity.
But there is another principle that is helpful to keep in mind. Much of the writing and commenting I do is related to theology and the Christian life. There is an important sense in which the Church is my in-group and everyone else my out-group. Given the wide divergence of views within the Church, such that it is hard to believe we all share the same religion, it is not surprising that I feel my in-group consists of those most closely aligned with me theologically.
This is where the Apostle Peter’s words become critical: “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17, NASB95)
I take from this statement that Christians should concern themselves first and foremost with their own failings rather than those of the out-group. To use Jesus’ famous metaphor, we should take the plank out of our own eye to see clearly the speck in our neighbor’s.
This does not mean that we cannot warn people about the dangers presented by opposing views or make clear the distinctions between righteous and unrighteous behavior. There is much evil in the world that needs to be critiqued. But I for one do not expect those who reject Christianity to follow the teachings of Christ: I expect Christians to do that.
I therefore offer most of my moral critiques to those who, at least in theory, share the same moral standard as myself. If sin is the deadly enemy of humanity, then I want it as far away from me as possible, and that means banishing it first from my in-group.
Still, there is an inherent misunderstanding in that conclusion. The evil is never “out there.” It is within me, even as it is within you. This does not mean I do as much evil as the most bloodthirsty dictators, but it means I am tempted to evil even as they are. At the root of all evil is human pride and selfishness, displaying itself in arrogance, abuse of others, deceptions, and the like. Therefore, the thing I always long to punch most is pride.
The great thing about punching pride is that it is both right and left, in and out. Wherever I look, even deep inside myself, I find pride lurking in wait, ready to devour. If you must criticize the direction of my punching, dear reader, let it be that I have not punched enough at pride. For pride is the enemy of grace, and therefore the enemy of God and his salvation.
My rambling complete, I will now punch out.
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PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE:
“Living as Christians in an Election Year” at 1517
There is a delicate balance between opposing evil and being self-righteous. I'm not sure that "punching" is ever the answer. "Speak the truth in love." I do agree that if Christians policed themselves and churches lovingly held certain standards, the Gospel would appear to have more power to the unbelieving world.
"I take from this statement that Christians should concern themselves first and foremost with their own failings rather than those of the out-group. To use Jesus’ famous metaphor, we should take the plank out of our own eye to see clearly the speck in our neighbor’s." Yes, yes, yes.