We hear a lot lately about the term “binary”. It of course is especially coming from the radical trans activists whose hatred of binary has gone ballistic: ‘How dare you say there are only two sexes – stop being a hateful bigot!!’ They insist that there is no such thing as male or female, and people can identify as whatever sex they want, with not just two sexes but an endless number to choose from.
This is of course anti-science, anti-biology, and anti-reality. But it also reflects the wider secular culture where all sorts of genuine polar opposites are rejected out of hand. In an age which does not believe in black and white, but just 99 shades of grey, folks have a hard time thinking in terms of true and false, right and wrong.
I wish to speak a bit more about this notion of binaries. There are indeed some real binaries that must be insisted on. And there are also some false dichotomies that we need not accept. Let me give a few examples of each. Both somewhat involve comments from folks I have never met but have enjoyed their company on the social media.
Both of these believers had said things which I can basically go along with, but I would say a few more things about them. One example had to do with a post I had put up about how Christians need to get involved in engaging with our culture and not just sit back and await the end of the world.
One friend replied to me by saying that ‘framing things in binaries is not a good idea usually’. He said there can be other reasons why people make choices like that. Yes, that is all true, and in this case (as with the next example I will provide), there can be many good reasons why someone might want to bow out of certain activities that normally a Christian can be involved in – eg., the culture wars.
So I have no beef with what this fellow had said, but his use of the word ‘binaries’ got me thinking again. Sure, many things, including various theological debates, involve a lot of nuance and there can be room to move along a spectrum. But that of course does not rule out all binaries.
The truth is, Scripture is full of them. Here are just a handful: You are either a child of God or a child of the devil. You are either lost in your sins or alive in Christ. You are either going to heaven or to hell. You are either walking in the flesh or walking in the Spirit. You are either seeking glory for yourself or glory for God.
Sure, we can be a bit of a mix in some of these areas. For example, while we are either born again or not born again, as believers we can fluctuate between fleshly and spiritual aspects of our Christian walk. Hopefully over time there is a lot less flesh and a lot more of the Spirit of God calling the shots!
And Jesus of course was offering contrasting binaries all the time as well. He insisted on all sorts of binaries, such as:
-He who is not for me is against me.
-You cannot serve God and mammon.
-If you believe, you are not condemned; if you don’t believe, you are condemned.
-The wheat and the tares will be separated.
-Those who seek to save their life will lose it; those who lose their life will save it.
So I get what my friend was saying, but some believers with a proper concern for nuance can allow it to override the place for necessary binaries. And for some related discussion about this, especially in terms of those who are either lost or saved, see this piece: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2017/06/07/two-humanities-two-destinies/
In another social media post a Christian posted about how he was now steering clear of political involvement. He said he was ‘feeling uncomfortable with engaging in political activism’. Well, a few things can be said about this.
If a believer comes to some conclusion based on careful and prayerful thought and reflection, I will not judge him. For example, perhaps a believer was gung-ho in political activity, but came to see that he was letting his spiritual life slide. If he senses that God wants him to ease up on the political work and focus on other matters, then he better go ahead and do that.
So I have no probs with what this fellow said either. But in a more general sense I would keep saying that this is not usually an either/or situation, but a both/and one. That is, normally a Christian can both pursue God and holiness and a deeper spiritual life, AND be engaged with the world around him. It need not be a case of choosing one or the other.
We should be both growing in Christ and being salt and light. We should be both seeking God more and working to see the Lordship of Christ extend to all areas of life. We should be both concerned about our spiritual condition and our walk as believers, and in the condition of the world around us.
As for false dichotomies, I always keep coming back to William Wilberforce. Some of his colleagues, including fellow Christians, wanted him to get out of politics, or at least ease up on his abolition work. Thankfully he did not take their advice. Sure, he pursued his own walk with God, and he pursued sharing the truths of the gospel with others. But he also devoted his life to work against the evil slave trade, along with numerous other social and political causes.
But as mentioned, there most certainly can be a time and place for some believers to perhaps take a breather from political and social involvement for various reasons – or even possibly to not get involved much at all, if God so leads them that way. They would not be wrong to do so. But hopefully they also would not insist that all believers must choose between one or the other.
In sum, let me reiterate: I find nothing amiss in the two examples I shared here. I simply found them to make for a good platform to explore these matters just a bit further. And I am sure these two saints would not find much amiss here in what I have said.
The point is, believers need not be shy about binaries – at least legitimate biblical ones. Yes, in many areas we need a more full-orbed understanding, and nuance can be called for. But in some other areas things really ARE black and white. In those areas, seeking to run with 99 shades of grey is not helpful, and can in fact be sinful.
Moral of the story (short version): legit binaries do exist and are necessary, but not for every situation.
