Of course, Machen himself believed that the church should be intolerant. But the kind of intolerance he advocated was theological, not political. He believed that the church’s primary task was to proclaim the Gospel, and that this task required careful attention to theology. In fact, the Presbyterian Church’s witness was circumscribed by the Westminster Confession. A Presbyterian minister’s ordination vows prohibited him from preaching anything contrary to the confession. But when it came to public matters, Machen recommended the course of civil liberty.
Thus emerges one of the conundrums of Machen’s career. While an outspoken foe of theological liberalism, he was a strong advocate of civil liberties and religious pluralism. In addition to his stand against prohibition, for instance, Machen also opposed prayer and Bible reading in public schools, child labor laws, and the creation of a federal department of education. These policies, he believed, often infringed upon the religious liberties of non-Protestants and increased the size and power of the federal government. The way he resolved the tension of supporting intolerance in the church and tolerance in public matters was to argue that religious intolerance was thoroughly compatible with civil freedom. According to Machen, the state was an involuntary organization whose duty was to protect the freedom of individuals, families, and other private associations. In fact, because the state represented the interests of all citizens, it was an interference with civil liberty for it to prescribe any one opinion. The church, in contrast, as a legal entity, was a voluntary organization composed of individuals who united for the special purpose of proclaiming the Gospel. Because no one was forced to join the church, the principle of religious liberty was not violated by requiring ministers and church officials to hold definite theological views. In fact, the activity of individuals organizing for such a religious purpose was one of the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The church’s intolerance was simply a manifestation of civil liberty.
Machen’s distinction between public and private institutions is instructive for understanding current debates about “political correctness.” Machen objected to the inconsistency of the Presbyterian Church being tolerant about doctrinal matters while restricting debate on political issues. In much the same manner, current discontent within the academy stems from the incongruity of universities that champion the inclusion of minority students, faculty, and minority perspectives in the curriculum but also reprove those who challenge the fairness of affirmative action and question the wisdom of expanding the curriculum. This is not to say that academic conservatives are necessarily correct. Deciding who should teach and matriculate, and what should be taught in our universities are difficult and divisive issues.
Rather, the problem of political correctness concerns the public character of American higher education. If the academy hires minorities and teaches courses about people of color on the basis of serving the public and American egalitarian ideals, then it has moved, using Machen’s distinctions, in the direction of an involuntary institution where on principle no opinions may be excluded, even those that oppose such practices. But if the academy advocates and teaches a specific perspective about the superiority of oppressed groups and the inferiority of dominant groups then it has moved, again using Machen’s distinctions, in the direction of a voluntary organization, not unlike a church, where its members are dedicated to propagating a particular opinion or worldview. Read more»
D. G. Hart, “J. Gresham Machen: The Politically Incorrect Fundamentalist,” Tabletalk Magazine, March 1, 1992.
Dr. Clark & D.G. Hart,
Thank you. Resolving these conflicting ideas clearly involves not only a cost but the intelligence to navigate the conflict and pay the price.
“Of course, Machen himself believed that the church should be intolerant. But the kind of intolerance he advocated was theological, not political. He believed that the church’s primary task was to proclaim the Gospel, and that this task required careful attention to theology. In fact, the Presbyterian Church’s witness was circumscribed by the Westminster Confession. A Presbyterian minister’s ordination vows prohibited him from preaching anything contrary to the confession. But when it came to public matters, Machen recommended the course of civil liberty.”