Now I don't think we should bully or belittle others, but I do believe although we should teach people to be kind to each other we also need to teach people not to be easily offended. If you get upset over everything someone else says you are letting someone else determine your happiness and that is a sad thing. We should not just teach our children not to intentionally offend others, but also not to be offended by what other people say.
When I was in basic training there was another private who told me and a couple of other devout Christians that he was a devil worshiper. They were really offended by that. He also told some black people that he was a racist, and he thought they were inferior to him. Those soldiers were also offended. Personally, I never gave him much thought at all. See I don't think he was a racist or a devil worshiper. I think he was just pushing our buttons. I believe he was a jerk, but an equal opportunity jerk. Making us angry gave him power over us and took away something from us. So I never let it bother me. I refused to give him power over me.
I fear I we spend too much time on campaigns like You Don't Say and too little time emphasizing that we should not get offended by stupid things people say, or we will be training to get offended about things. Now I have never in my life called someone a b-tch and that term is obviously insulting and I hate it, but are we really comparing that to 'man up.' This is one of the terms I have never used because it is silly. I never much liked the saying and you can infer some misogynistic messages from it, but is it really worth getting offended by it? I believe you will be training people to get offended by something pretty silly here.
So here is my plan. I will teach my kids the golden rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If they follow that teaching of Christ they won't be intentionally offensive, or a bully. I will also teach them to turn the other cheek and to forgive others so they can receive forgiveness themselves. If they follow those teachings of Christ, they won't be easily offended by others and will achieve a greater level of happiness.
Now I have to admit I am certainly not perfect at this. Nobody's perfect and we all need to improve. I certainly know my own weaknesses, and they are many, very many, but I am trying to improve. I think that is one of the keys. If we understand how flawed and weak we are, it is easier to forgive others of their flaws.
I think our society is getting more and more offended and less and less forgiving and that is dangerous. If someone said a racist comment twenty years ago we seem try to paint that person as a racist today, but can't a person change? Shouldn't we be willing to give people a second chance? Can't we be more forgiving as a society and not less forgiving? I think that is so important.
So let all of us try to build others up with our words and not be offended so easily as well as be forgiving. If everyone tried to live the golden rule and was more forgiving the world would be a much better place.