Multiculturalism - the good, the bad, and the ugly (Introduction)
“As the first country in the world to adopt a policy of multiculturalism, Canada has long recognized that we are all better off when we respect and unite behind our differences.”
—Pierre Elliott Trudeau, former Prime Minister of Canada
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” —the apostle John
The title of this blog series is intentionally provocative! Many readers, particularly believers in Jesus, would say, “Obviously multiculturalism is good!” After all, according to the Bible and consistent with the apostle John’s vision, Jesus gave his life for everyone regardless of cultural background. As a result, by believing in Jesus, every individual from every culture can be reconciled with God and enjoy an eternal relationship with Him.
The foregoing truth doesn’t mean, however, that multiculturalism is intrinsic to God’s kingdom on earth. Indeed, I will argue hereafter that, at its core, God’s earthly kingdom is not multicultural but rather monocultural and multiethnic.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines culture as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.” For the purposes of these blogs, I will focus primarily on the core beliefs and practices that affect the treatment of others within or outside a particular culture.
Might the injection of some new cultural features be toxic to the host culture?
Many western political leaders as well as those in the business world, service professions and academia regularly tout the intrinsic goodness of multiculturalism with slogans like “diversity is our strength.” However and notwithstanding Trudeau’s statement to the effect that multiculturalism is an obvious good, might there be cultural differences around which we should not unite? Put differently, might the injection of some new cultural features be toxic to the host culture? As it happens, real world experience suggests that unconstrained multiculturalism is not inarguably good but can be demonstrably bad.
These blogs address three basic questions:
Is multiculturalism always a good idea? Or can it be a bad, even ugly, concept?
Is God’s earthly kingdom multicultural in the deepest sense?
How should Christians conduct themselves within other cultures?
When is multiculturalism good?
Most would agree that every culture has its positive attributes. For example, in my travels I have observed that dress codes, cuisine, dancing, horn honking, and music in India are quite different from these same items in Brazil! In my view, these dimensions of culture are interesting and enjoyable (except the horns) and I have happily participated in all of them from time to time.
Moreover, the foregoing examples can be easily integrated into the culture and values of Canada and, in particular, our emphasis on respect for others. Indeed, these cultural distinctives add positive diversity and vibrancy to our country if blended together under the banner of allegiance to Canada and its core values. Finally, the exchange of different ideas based upon cultural differences has the potential to create a more resilient, prosperous and cohesive society.
However, other aspects of individual cultures can be very problematic to the smooth functioning of any society and should be strongly resisted for the common good. In the next post, I will expand upon the thesis that unrestrained multiculturalism can ultimately undermine the cohesion of any nation.
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