Have you ever sensed something was up with your body, then welcomed the clarity of a clear diagnosis, even if it wasn’t what you’d hoped for? You may have dealt with that in a very serious manner, but I’m being cheeky with the following:
I’ve been diagnosed, courtesy of Dr. Benedict Beckeld and his article, Islam and the West: Culturally and Theologically Divided, in Merion West:
I am oikophobic and allophilic, and it’s probably terminal.
To be clear: Dr. Beckeld is smarter than me, probably by an order of magnitude. But, even though he’s much better looking, he’s also very wordy. I didn’t make it to the end of his article!
If you’ve even dabbled in Greek, you can parse the words, right? Oiko and phobic = you’re afraid of your house. Allo and philic = you love the other. In common usage, oikophobics aren’t actually afraid of their literal houses, but are given to criticism and rejection of their home culture. Allophilics have an inordinate love for “the other,” those outside their culture or homeland.
As you might imagine, Dr. Beckeld uses these terms pejoratively, and, with others, tends to equate oikophobia with academia, the liberal elite and political correctness.
Me? I’m going to print stickers and fridge magnets!!
I’m kidding. Fridge magnets are expensive.
Two things I think (seriously, for a moment):
We should consider these words and their popular use a warning to mobilizers. I can give the impression that I only care about people if they’re non-white and worship Allah. It’s a peculiar risk for people who care about Muslims, immigrants and refugees. But the label shouldn’t stick.
Secondly, we must be critical of our own cultures, particularly in ways that will render them better. If doing that in biblical ways gets us labeled oikophobic and allophilic, so it goes.
Finally, is it possible that Jesus by reaching out to Samaritans and sinners, not playing nicely with religious leaders and saying his kingdom was “not of this world” could have been allophonic and oikophobic? He was called worse!
PS: If you’ve got 30 seconds, please hop over to Denison Forum and comment on the article I had published there today! I’d be big time grateful! Thank you.