Baie mense sien verkeerde dinge raak en bly dit passief toekyk. Daar is verskillende redes daarvoor:
- Hulle is bloot eenvoudig net lui en is in ’n gemaksone.
- Hulle heg ’n lae prioriteit daaraan
- Hulle voel dat die bydrae wat hulle moontlik kan maak nie groot genoeg is om ’n verskil te maak nie
- Hulle is bang om hulle hande vuil te maak. Met ander woorde, as hulle betrokke gaan raak gaan daar negatiewe gevolge wees vir hulle.
Daar is egter nie so iets as om op die kantlyn te sit nie. Deur passief te sit en toekyk oefen jy ’n keuse uit waarvoor jy verantwoording sal moet doen.
Die ou Romeine voor Christus het al die probleem raakgesien van hierdie lewenshouding. Hulle het die volgende spreuk daarvoor gebruik:
Latyns: error qui non resistur approbatur
Afrikaans: ’n fout/onwaarheid/dwaling wat nie weerstaan word nie, word (per implikasie) goedgekeur.
Daar is ook Latynse spreuke wat dieselfde waarheid tuisbring:
Latyns: qui tacet consentit
Afrikaans: Stilswye beteken toestemming.
En ook:
Latyns: Qui tacet consentire videtur
Afrikaans: Hy wat stilbly gee die indruk dat hy saamstem of toestemming gee.
En ook:
Latyns: “Supressio veri expressio falsi”
Afrikaans: Onderdrukking van die waarheid is gelyk aan die uitspreek van valsheid/leuens.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ‘n Duitse Luterse predikant, het ook hierdie beginsel verstaan. Hy is op 9 April 1945 gehang weens sy teenkanting teen Hitler. Hy het die volgende gesê:
Silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.
Om stil te bly in die aangesig van die bose is self boos; God sal ons nie onskuldig verklaar nie. Om nie te praat nie, ís om te praat. Om nie op te tree nie, ís om op te tree.
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Hier is nog voorbeelde:
Edmund Burke
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Al wat nodig is vir die bose om te oorwin is dat goeie mense niks doen nie.
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.
Niemand maak ’n groter fout as hy wat niks doen nie omdat hy slegs ’n bietjie kon doen.
Jordan Peterson
As jy iets het om te sê, lieg jy as jy stilbly.
When you have something to say, silence is a lie.
Martin Niemöller
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Eers het hulle vir die sosialiste gekom, maar ek het niks gesê nie, want ek was nie ‘n sosialis nie.
Toe kom hulle vir die vakbondlede, maar ek het niks gesê nie, want ek was nie ‘n vakbondlid nie.
Toe kom hulle vir die Jode, maar ek het niks gesê nie, want ek was nie ‘n Jood nie.
En toe kom hulle vir my, maar daar was niemand meer om namens my te praat nie.
Onbekend
There were 18000 churches that were in existence during Nazi Germany’s reign. 3000 churches were for Hitler, 3000 churches were against Hitler. 12000 churches said “o, we don’t want to get involved”. Because of their indifference, the moment that Hitler was voted into office, remember het was elected into his place, which could have been changed and stopped had the 12000 churches actually taken their place and being the light that God had called them to be. But because of their cowardice and their being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God was nullified and that demonic creature raised his head and killed millions of people. But the moment Hitler became in power he took the 3000 churches that stood against him and he killed them. Killed the pastors, incarcerated them and killed them. And then the 12000 stood up and said: “Well wait, this isn’t right.” He went after them next.
You better stand when there’s time to stand. You better be a voice when there is time to be a voice. You better rise when you can still stand. You better shine while there is an opportunity your you to shine the light of Jesus Christ.