Opinion: The Dehumanization Of People

PANAMA CITY, FL – For many years, I have watched in horror as people have done the unthinkable to those with ideas and beliefs different from their own. Following the terrorist attack on 9/11, I watched videos of Palestinians celebrating in the streets after nearly 3,000 people’s lives were destroyed in America, “the Great Satan.” How could people rejoice in the murder of thousands?

When President Trump narrowly escaped death in Butler, Pennsylvania, people were disappointed to find him still alive. This past week, we have seen the callous celebration of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

How can people deny their own humanity by displaying such disregard for the sanctity of life? I was recently on a Bible tour in Turkey with Christian author and speaker, Joel Richardson, who said something that brought things into perspective for me. “Whenever you demonize a person, you dehumanize them and reduce them to being nothing more than an animal.”

That’s how the Nazis were able to commit horrendous, inhumane acts in the Holocaust. They became accustomed to the repetitious dehumanization of the Jews, reducing them to the status of animals in their minds. After all, there’s nothing wrong with killing a snake or coyote that encroaches on your property.

In the early 70’s, abortion proponents demonized pro-life advocates. They dehumanized babies in the womb to a mere clump of unviable cells. They celebrated the passing of Roe v. Wade. We would protect the eggs of sea turtles and eagles, but a tiny, unborn human baby would have no protection. It wasn’t considered a human life. In 2019, New York Governor Cuomo celebrated the legalization of abortion beyond viability by lighting up the World Trade Center in pink. Why? Because dehumanized people are no longer people at all. They don’t deserve to live. 

In 2020, the polarization of opposing views reared its ugly head to new heights of hatred. I cried, “Why can’t we just agree to disagree? Why should we hate someone only because they disagree with us, to the point that they are not worthy of life?” Unfortunately, our society has promoted this polarization of opposing views. The news and social media have repeatedly bombarded people’s minds with videos and quotes of freakish fringe beliefs of a few, both right and left, heightening the demonization of entire groups of people who disagree with us. They are no longer human, and their deaths should be celebrated. Regard for the sanctity of life goes out the window.

We must recognize that the battle is not against right and left, but against spiritual principalities, relentless in their pursuit of lies and chaos. Every human, whether they agree with us or not, was created in the image of God. Although we may think that those who oppose us are demons, they are not. They may be afflicted with demons, but they are living human beings. Jesus still loves them and wants to deliver them from demonic lies and bondage. Only the truth, spoken in His love, will set them free. If more of us got behind Jesus and His mission, we would have more respect for our fellow man.

Be on guard. Watch what you listen to and watch. Popular media is by design, but not divine design. Guard your heart. Try loving your enemy and overcoming evil with good.

---The opinions expressed in the Bay County Coastal are solely those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Bay County Coastal, its owners, or its contractors. We strive to provide a platform for diverse perspectives and encourage respectful and thoughtful discourse among our readers.