Okay, everyone knows that a significant percentage of American people rejected the very best science and expert advice about COVID to resist masking, reject vaccines, and renounce common sense. Today, we have the threat of the hantavirus and again stupid people are rejecting the expertise of science and medicine to cause a problem. Look, science is science. Is it perfect? No. Does it provide all the answers? No. Is it worth paying attention to? Oh yeah! Recently, our federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blocked the release of the best research findings on the COVID pandemic for, as they themselves admit, “it would not be helpful to release the full data.” What about the “full data” is not “helpful?” Well, essentially, it is this: the best medical voices who told us the truth about COVID were correct, and assholes who thought drinking bleach was an option were disastrously wrong. The most intelligent and experienced research scientists in the world actually knew what they were talking about and politicians, political pundits, social media influencers, and the other morons were wrong.

Oh, is moron offensive? Well, let’s spend a little time with language evolution to clarify. What do the words “ignorant,” “stupid,” “dumb,” and “moron” really mean? Let’s start with dumb, but keep in mind that the terms and concepts are very malleable and fluid. Dumb means oblivious, stunned, or detached. One who is dumb is unable to comprehend something and cannot be held accountable for not understanding.

Ignorance is an unawareness of something, either willful or not. This falls into the “we don’t know what we don’t know” camp. If I am not clear on what you think, feel, value, and admire, I very easily can offend or insult you, all because I simply am unaware of the things important to you.

Stupidity is intentional. People who are stupid actually decide to be stupid. Date someone who is bad for you and you know it? Stupid. Take a chance to do something slightly illegal? Stupid. Deny good science because you might not make money off it? Stupid. Ignore the advice and counsel of experts? Stupid.

Moron. This is special. A moron is essentially a selfish person, driven by greed and jealousy to make people think they are smart when they definitely and clearly are not. Morons make people roll their eyes. Morons make people question decisions. Morons never, ever know or acknowledge that they are morons, even though they vociferously defend their intelligence and aptitude. Some prominent people today may come to mind.

But what happens when stupid people gain power and use that power to try to persuade others that smart people really aren’t that smart and that we shouldn’t listen to them? There is a real problem.

You may think I want to focus here on 21st century politics in the good ole U.S. of
A., but you would be wrong. I want to focus on the Christian church and the evolution of our faith for the past twenty centuries or so. Historically, to our shame, we Christians have not displayed the highest qualities of intelligence, cognitive eloquence, critical thinking, and common-sense reasoning in most times, places, or spaces. We have often affirmed Forrest Gump’s assertion that “stupid is as stupid does,” the less we demand, the less we will be rejected. If we keep our faith simple and insipid, the more attractive it will be.

But stupid is not as stupid does. Stupid does as stupid is. The more actively ignorant, dumb, moronic, and fundamentally stupid we choose to be, the worse life will be for everyone. And we have a significant “Christian” coalition dedicated to keeping us as stupid, ignorant, dumb, and moronic as we can possibly be.

Our Chrisitan gospel is simple, yet not easy. It is not aimed at the ignorant, the stupid, or the moronic, though it offers incredible grace to the dumb. Our gospel actually calls us to engage the very best cognitive commitment, the highest intellectual standards, and the most intense intelligent engagement in the transformation of the world.

What are a few foundational and unquestionable aspects of authentic discipleship? Lifelong learning is one. Application of wisdom and common sense to our decisions are others. Rigorous questioning and introspection yet again. Humility before teachers and challenging teachings a must. Respect for expertise and authority essential. Speaking truth to power, especially corrupted power, is non-negotiable. Integrity, honest, mercy, and compassion? No question. Do we hold our political leaders to such standards? Why not?

Learning and sophisticated thinking are gifts to us from God. We dishonor God and reject God’s will when we fail to apply the very highest standards of learning, education, cognitive reasoning and intellectual rigor to our decisions, support, and commitments. There should not be such a thing as an “ignorant” or “stupid” Christian. Dedicated to the will of God, we know who we are, whose we are, and why we are here. Beyond this? We have no excuse.