Because I want to be conscious of the log in my own eye, I have been examining the times when I have called people animals. And I have narrowed it down to two scenarios. The first is at sports competitions when people are achieving spectacularly. I would call someone an animal to lift up their extraordinary speed or strength, in astonishment and awe. In other words, it was a compliment.
The other time was when someone committed a particularly heinous crime, like hurting a child or being a serial killer. I would call these people animals to indicate the lack of humanity towards other people, the lack of human characteristics like compassion and empathy. This was not a compliment.
Now that I hear the President calling people animals, I am ashamed. I have done this, and so I cannot sit on that comfortable moral high ground. I realize that any time we dehumanize anyone, make them seem less that we are, take away the responsibility of being a person, we pave the way for even greater sin. If I don’t see someone as human then when their rights are taken away, when they are treated with disdain and disrespect, when their children are put in cages, I won’t pay attention. I won’t care.
We can only have a safe, holy and dignified world if everyone is my brother and sister, if everyone is equal and regarded with respect, if everyone is held accountable and considered trainable. The minute we treat people as less than people, I can be treated that way. My children can be treated that way. Because the problems and challenges for person at the bottom of the ladder is my problem, because we are part of the Body of Christ together. And any slope that leads to dehumanizing anyone is a slippery slope.
We have to fiercely hold on to each other’s dignity. We have to rigorously protect human rights for every person. We promise this in our baptismal vows. Do not let yourself be goaded into being less than you can be. Do not let someone convince you that any person is not created in the image of God and therefore does not deserve compassion and love. Taking away someone’s dignity demeans your own dignity.
It has to stop somewhere. Time to step up to being a bold Christian.