Double Standards
During a press conference earlier this week, Lebron James asked reporters why they haven’t asked him any questions about the photo that recently surfaced of Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, participating in an anti-integration effort at his high school when he was 15 years old. Given his stature, Mr. James is regularly asked questions on a variety of hot-button issues, including most recently being asked his views on the decision made by his fellow National Basketball Association (NBA) star colleague Kyrie Irving to post the link to a reportedly anti-semitic film to his Twitter account, the resulting controversy, and Irving’s suspension. Mr, James expressed his frustration at how “quickly” everyone sought his views on Irving’s social media post, but how almost no one has sought his views on Jones’ photo. What Lebron was pointing out and pointing to are the double standards that dominate our public discourse.
According to one definition, a double standard is “any code or set of principles containing different provisions for one group of people than for another,” A double standard is when I apply one set of rules to one group that I do not apply to another. A double standard is when I hold one person to a specific criteria, but do not hold another person to that same criteria. Double standards are unfair, unwritten, unspoken, frequently unconscious, and universally held.
During that press conference, Lebron was pointing out and pointing to at least three double standards. The first double standard is how we respond to racist statements or actions towards Jews compared to how we respond when similar statements and.or actions are made toward African Americans. The difference is vast. The second double standard is how we respond when the status of the person is different. Mr. Jones is an owner. Mr. Irving is a player. And yes, we have two sets of rules for owners and players. The final double standard is how we respond when the class of the person is different. Mr. Jones is a billionaire. Mr. Irving is a millionaire. And yes, there is one set of rules for billionaires, but there is another set of rules for millionaires.
All of us use double standards…all of the time. Double standards are unfair, unwritten, unspoken, frequently unconscious, and universally held.
There is one set of rules for men. And another set for women.
There is one set of rules for the Boss. And another set for the employees.
There is one set of rules for husbands. And another set for wives.
There is one set or rules for the pastor of the church. And there is another set for those who are not pastors.
Double standards are unfair, unwritten, unspoken, frequently unconscious, and universally held. I was reminded of this a few weeks ago when I decided to make some changes to how our sanctuary is arranged. I made a decision to relocate the band to the center of the stage, directly in front of the congregation. Immediately after the first service featuring the new arrangement, I was bombarded with feedback from people telling me how bad an idea that decision was. When I asked why, I was told, “some of the band members were sleeping during your message,” “most of them were talking during the service,” and “all of them were on their phones.” I found that feedback absolutely hilarious, because almost every Sunday at our church, I see people sleeping, talking during the service, and on their phones—while I’m preaching! LOL. But as someone told me who was guilty of the behavior they were accusing the band of, “I ain’t on stage.” That’s a classic double-standard. There is one set of rules if you are on the stage, and another if you are not.
Double standards are unfair, unwritten, unspoken, frequently unconscious, and universally held. The Bible speaks to this issue. In James 3:1-2 (MSG) it says
Don’t be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you’d have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.
If you are a teacher, you will be held to a stricter standard. Any rise in status, wealth, power, position and fame includes a free upgrade in attention, evaluation and responsibility. Success and visibility moves you from being a judge to being judged. Period.
Since double standards are unfair, unwritten, unspoken, frequently unconscious and universally held, how should respond?
First, accept that they are exist, and are unfair. Do your best to be aware of the double standards that govern your environment, the role you occupy and the system that you move in. Every environment, role, and system has its own set of unwritten rules (how the place really operates) and to be effective in that environment, role, and system , you must play by the rules—even if they are unfair.
Second understand that they are unavoidable. There is no business, school, church, or family where double standards do not exist. And even if there were one, your arrival would change that. Yes—you and I both are guilty of holding and exercising double standards. The only way to escape double standards is to go directly to heaven. And while I want to go to heaven, I ain’t in no rush to arrive.
Third, realize that it is unwise to ignore them. God calls us to be change agents. But you cannot change what you will not accept or seek to avoid. In John 17:14, Jesus calls us to be “in the world, not of it.” That means that every Christian is a double agent! We live in one world but we represent another. In Luke 11:2,, we are instructed to pray that “his will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” But while we wait for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, let us follow the admonition of Titus 2:12 and live in this “evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,”