If there was any group in society that I would broadly classify as anti-conservative, it would be those working in the arts and culture. You know artists, actors, musicians and the like.
One only has to look at Hollywood to see the strident anti-conservative views espoused by several actors and actresses and you are left with the impression that most Hollywood elites are the same.
But if the results of a survey conducted in England are any indication, this first impressions might be deceiving as it exposed the power and tyranny of a small minority of people who control the arts.
ArtsProfessional (AP), an organization providing a news service for those in the arts, recently surveyed over 500 arts professionals in England and discovered that over 80% hide their Conservative views to avoid being attacked by their colleagues and those in the public.
In other words, 20% of those in the arts have successfully intimidated the 80%.
And you can be sure of one thing, that not all those in the 20% were actively silencing the vast majority. It would only involve very small minority of this already small minority.
But despite their small size, their vitriolic, pack-like attacks have managed to silence the majority of those who don’t agree with the left’s politically-driven views.
The AP survey entitled Freedom of Expression further revealed that many of those in the 80% have purposefully self-censored themselves. They avoid making statements that would somehow put them in the sites of the radical left.
Forty-five percent admitted that they had been personally bullied because they dared to express opinions that did not fall in line with the radical minority and nearly half (44%) of them admitted they were so intimidated that they changed what they were doing to stop the attacks.
Speaking on behalf of this report, Amanda Parker, who serves as editor for AP’s magazine, wrote:
“Our survey shines a damning light on the coercion, bullying, intimidation and intolerance that is active in a community that thinks itself as liberal, open-minded and equitable.”
Amanda Parker, ArtsProfessional
One of the major ways this intimidation is expressed is through Social Media, particularly Twitter.
Back in 2018, Hollywood actor Mark Duplass sent out the following tweet:
“Fellow liberal: If you are interested at all in “crossing the aisle” you should consider following @benshapiro. I don’t agree with him on much but he’s a genuine person who once helped me for no other reason than to be nice. He doesn’t bend the truth. His attentions are good.”
Mark Duplass, Twitter, July 18, 2018
Ben Shapiro is an orthodox Jew and popular commentator who holds very conservative views. He is extremely smart and routinely embarrasses those on the left.
Notice how Duplass even added that he didn’t agree with much of what Ben Shapiro said. He was trying to play the leftist game. But it wasn’t enough.
Now there is an old expression that “cowards run in packs.” As soon as Duplass tweeted this statement, the radical, Marxist Twitter mob pounced like a pack of wolves. Within an hour, Duplass deleted the tweet and later fully recanted what he had done.
Fear and intimidation is a very real thing and of course many Christians are facing similar intimidation today.
The early church experienced it and here is how they dealt with it.
In Acts 4, we read how Peter and John were arrested by the Priests, and Sadducees. According to verse 4, thousands of regular people believed that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, and yet this small and admittedly powerful politically-connected group was determined to silence the early Christians.
After spending the night in jail, Peter and John were hauled before the Sanhedrin and ordered not to speak about this Jesus again. The threat was very real.
So what did the early church do?
Well they admitted to their fear, and then they prayed:
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:29-31 ESV
They specifically asked the Holy Spirit to give them boldness, that was essentially an admission they were scared.
But notice what they did next. They asked the Holy Spirit to also help them by providing miracles, signs and wonders.
Sources:
OpentheWord.org 