BE A DISSENTER BY BEING DIFFERENT SUBMITTED BY JIBIN C BABY, M.

DIV III

BE A DISSENTER BY BEING DIFFERENT

Though the term dissent seems to be a kind of revolutionary, but it has some kind of stigma associated with
it since the person who dissents will be eventually categorized as a “Bad-guy” in the course of time which
might not necessarily be the dissenter’s intention. It is quite normal that a dissenter will never be appreciated
or approved by anyone, but it is awfully traumatic that the dissenter would be categorized eventually as an
agent of rebellion consequently for the sake of expressing his disagreement. The thin line between the
dissenter and the rebel can be breached at any time since human emotions have the supernatural
authoritative power to supersede rationale of an average human being to turn around his good intentions
behind disagreement to a factor for rebellion. There may be a worst chance for the split of communities, by
the contradictory work of an emotionally high rebel, who would be a dissenter at the beginning but was
changed as a rebel in the long run for the unpleasant circumstances he passed through. Or in the other
extreme, dissenter would might become a pacifist and a strong proponent of non-violence for a safe and
peace living after learning so many bitter lessons subsequently by playing the role of a dissenter. In every
aspect dissension seems to be a bad choice, since it always carries a high level of collateral damage rather
than bringing forth the intended good radical change.

At this point, somebody could raise this question that whether dissension really a bad thing or not?” If we
analyze history with neutral perspectives, surprisingly the answer would be no. Because it is historically
evident that dissension alone was the sole propelling force in bringing forwarding the major developments
to the human kind in the course of time. Humanity would have still be continued to be existed in the primitive
stage itself, if there weren’t any dissenters in the past. But it is an unfortunate veracity that there were some
dissimilar voices of dissents too which had been influenced heavily with personal propagandas for
accomplishing their own selfish motives. Nevertheless all these dissenters expressed their views in various
ways, where most of them chose the way of violence, but a few chose the non-violent way. Though all these
history makers tried their best to bring a change in the social settings they disagreed with, but were not able
to bring forth permanent solution to the problem they encountered with. Jesus too was a dissenter who
raised his voice against the duplicitous religio system which was existed in those times. But Jesus differed
from all of them by being the perfect solution and the change instigator to the social and religious issues he
dealt with.
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 BE A DISSENTER BY BEING DIFFERENT SUBMITTED BY JIBIN C BABY, M.DIV III

It was impossible for Jesus to compromise with the wrong teachings and false traditions of Pharisees and
teachers of law whom He confronted with. But it doesn’t mean that He adamantly repelled against the
Pharisaic community, rather Jesus was against their teachings alone, in order to make them apprehend
about the wrong things they do. But He himself had no personal grudge against the Pharisees and teachers
of law such that he was even ready to visit their homes too. He even advised people to obey what the
Pharisees teach to the people, but with a reminder that do not to follow what they do. In fact the Pharisees
misunderstood Jesus as a rebellious voice, such that they themselves thought Jesus as a threatening factor
for their safe existence. But Jesus himself gave little care to those indifferent voices, since He had the strong
convictions about his own identity and His mission. Dissenting against the evil was part of His nature since
Jesus being the Son of Most High God. Dissenting with people was never Jesus’ agenda, rather his
personality was being expressed in His deeds which found to be offensive to a particular people group,
but was a comfort and hope giving thing for the majority of the people who were contemporaries to Him.
It was not personal afflictions received from opposing party for Jesus to get motivated to react against the
evil, but He Himself was revealing His divine identity through whatever he did in His life.

Being the son of God, Jesus fought against all those forces of evil as a one man army with a new strategy
which had never been used by any leader in the history of mankind. Without hiding himself in His safe zones,
Jesus went into the people to be identified to be like them. Unlike the secular dissenters, He neither
gathered people to protest against the existed corrupted systems nor did a campaigning for people to be
on his side to make a mass movement and thus overthrow the evil political powers. It was unnecessary for
Jesus to make use of persuasive words or fake promises, rather he spoke to the people tenderly about what
He is and what He was going to do for Kingdom sake. His deeds and life substantiated His unique claims
which made people to follow him. In fact Jesus was a down to earth reality for the first century Palestinian
community. They saw a great leader in Jesus, a man who really followed what he preached, which they
couldn’t find in their religious leaders. He even loved his opponents and even prayed for them even when
they torture Him to the extent of death. It was not in His itinerary to make any kind of people movement,
but people followed him for what He was, but a few opposed him for their own reasons whom Jesus never
hated. In fact Jesus was giving his life as a ransom for many to show His true essence that is “LOVE”.

Dissenting sound to be a wrong choice for a person of self-seeking since it will cost a lot and could bring a
lot of harm in his life rather than achievements. A radical shift may not be possible in the cases we disagree
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with. There might not be any possible solutions to solve those issues too, in a humanistic way. But it should
 BE A DISSENTER BY BEING DIFFERENT SUBMITTED BY JIBIN C BABY, M.DIV III

be remembered that the life of the dissenter would be suffocative and agonistic if he does it for His own
sake to get popularity, with the aid of self-strength. Expressing ourselves as a dissenter would never bring a
change, rather it would only bring destruction because we need to comprehend that Human Dissension is a
seed which would bear destruction alone. The emotional struggle which the dissenter pass through should
be ventilated first to get released from burden which he or she carries. Word of God ensures that our God is
a God of justice and righteousness by which He redeemed the entire humanity to be His people, to be his
beloved children irrespective of what they really are. God accomplished it through Jesus to give spiritual
freedom to the people, by giving them the new identity called “Child of God”. Living in this new identity
would bring difference in people’s life by giving them freedom of life to make them a “different person” in
Christ rather than the “disturber’s negative role” which had been imposed by the surrounding the dissenter
deal with.

Though dissension is an essential element which is inevitable for the progress for every human enterprise,
but the role of a dissenter would be the most difficult task with which a person of this world could never do
very well. Rather a person whose old self had crucified with Jesus to reflect the true nature of Christ, could
only become a true dissenter without any hidden agenda or without having any kind of bias. Such a person
cannot behave like what a common man does, rather He would be different from his fellow beings since he
carries the image of Jesus within him. Identifying ourselves with the worldly patterns by being conformed
to it certainly will distort our Christian identity. But a Christian is expected to express his dissension by being
upright in his words and deeds in his daily life by holding tight the righteousness and justice, which the world
commonly cares insignificant. A Christian should be a dissenter among his fellow brethren who fights for
positions, by taking the role of servant by serving everyone. A true Christian must express his dissension
against factions by loving and forgiving unconditionally, which the name sake Christians fails to do. Christ’s
followers should dissent against those who believe in retaliating counter actions by praying and doing good
to those who make them suffer. In fact a Christian is ought to redefine the common misapprehension about
dissension by being a different person in the societies he belong to by allowing others to taste Jesus in him.
A Christian must be a dissenter in this sinful world by being different, like Jesus Christ, to reflect His divine nature
which is “LOVE”.
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