Taliationism: Cause, Effect, Solution
Since the manifestation of sin in the world, man's actions have been full of suffering. Whether we sow the pain or reap it, the tribulation exists. It hurts. Hypocrisy, the irony of human nature, hits us regardless of our role in it. Each duplicity builds in the hearts of those touched by it, and the irony worsens. As we writhe in self pity at what has been done to us, a seed is planted in the depths of our hearts. Our compassion turns sour and our love runs cold. Our tragedy and irony foster hypocrisy, and in its midst, Taliationism.
Like I poetically stated above, deceitful sin is a breeding ground for Taliationism. That's a term I'm sure you've never heard before, because it's my own discovery. I didn't invent it, and I definitely don't endorse it; I simply gave it a formal name and definition. The latter is something I'm sure you're curious about. The crux of Taliationism is this: a cause, rooted in sin, resulting in an effect with reversed circumstances that empower the previously powerless, enabling them to perform the same wrong as was committed in said cause. It's a mouthful, I know, but the best way to explain and understand Taliationism is through examples.
Say a rich, white, American man owns a sweatshop in India. In that sweatshop are Indian children being worked to death with no pay. Not only is the rich man discriminatory towards the children in a racist manner, but also in a classist manner. The children grow to hate the white American, and as an adult, one of the children manages to arrive in the land of opportunity, America. Upon arriving, that now grown child builds a business empire. Within this empire, the rich, Indian man is discriminatory towards all of his white workers, especially males. He offers more raises, bonuses, and kindness to his workers of foreign ethnicity. This instance seems outlandish and unlikely, but let me elaborate with a modern American crisis: feminism.
I have a lot of feminist friends, and I have experienced first-hand Taliationism. As was explained in prior paragraphs, in order to experience the effects of Taliationism, one must have been the cause. I own up to my former behavior; it was unruly and ungodly, but I was unsuspecting. I never realized how sexist I was when I spoke towards my feminist friends, and female friends in general, until the most headstrong of all my companions spoke out against me—Rachel Shelton. I won't go into detail about my transgressions, or hers. That's partly due to my memory, but also due to newly found mercy. However, when Rachel raised her arm against me, she didn't do so kindly. She reciprocated my same hateful attitude, and it resulted in a frayed relationship full of bitterness. The effect of my outspoken, unknown, sexist anger towards women was outspoken, unknown, sexist anger against men. Throughout the history of mankind, womankind has been underprivileged and unappreciated. Some blame the patriarchy, some blame men, but the true culprit is sinful distortion of God's original design. Whether it be a misinterpretation of "submission" or the inert desire for a woman to revolt against her husband and exceed him, as was spoken of in the early chapters of Genesis, feminists have managed to misconstrue perfection. However, this isn't an ad hominem attack on feminism; it's an attack on Taliationism.
It has existed as long as time. It's incredibly common. It's unknown by the general public. Whether rooted in racism, classism, or sexism, it's got one solution. I hate to overuse a cliché (and pardon me for calling him a cliché), but the solution is Jesus. His mercy is the only existing antidote to endless hate. I see it everyday on Twitter and Instagram and I hear it in the hallways: revengeful slander. If we have grace for those we hate, we can learn to love. Genuine compassion for our enemies can solve any number of problems. If you find yourself gossiping, loathing, and constructing walls meant to destroy relationships, examine your heart and ensure you aren't repaying sin and upholding Taliationism.
