Well, yesterday was something about arks and brothers, but today its about politics and getting along.
Before you think too much into this – nothing about my particular stances on whatever subject – I don’t feel like this is the place for that.
But what I will say my stance is: if you go to great lengths to intentionally cause division in this country (or anything for that matter), you are just as bad as the worst criminal or evil historical figure. Not only is it un-American and un-patriotic, its un-biblical, un-Quranic, un-Zen, un-whatever you might subscribe to. Many of you with western sentiments may already be familiar with the verses in Corinthians and Romans concerning divisions in the church, the family, and other worldly divisions. You may not know that just about every other religion – from Islam to Shinto – speaks of getting along and making as few apparent divisions as possible… warning against both religious divisions and secular divisions.
There are even people – some I know personally – in the world that think: “Republican” = conservative = Christian.
I find it sad that the polarization in this country is largely based on politics. Most other countries laugh at us because of it, in fact. They see our ridiculous squabbles, our talking heads on TV yelling, “You’re an idiot!” then “No, you’re an idiot!” and just sigh. It would not be unusual to hear this from someone in many places in the world: “You think these political parties are so important with your health-care and your equal rights for homosexuals, if the wrong person gets in power in our country, he’ll kill the ethnic minorities!”
By the grace of God go I, I say. But that’s just because I wake up every day not having to worry if my family is going to have enough to eat that day or myself forced into military service.
I’m all about the First Amendment – all parts of it. But I’m also about using the gifts that we’ve been given by being born in a free country for the betterment of humanity as a whole. How many billions and billions of dollars are – I definitely say – ‘wasted’ in this country come election cycle?
Yeah, its a “free country” and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but when you use that liberty and freedom to cause more problems than you solve… you are the problem.
Cal Thomas and Bob Beckel, two talking heads of opposing viewpoints, came to the University to speak on political polarization and getting along.
Anyways.
Of course, it was touted as a debate – something they did not actually end up doing – they discussed a few poignant issues from both sides of the political agenda. However scripted it was, it did leave the largely conservative audience feeling pretty positive about both sides, as best as I could tell.
So, the moral of this story is: you think its okay to burn a Quran, so did Hitler. You think its okay to get on the radio and spew hatred of the “other” side and trying to convert people to your side by telling all the extraordinary lies and partial assumptions you can dig up, so did/does Bin Laden (How do you think he gets people to blow themselves up!?).
There are always going to be people on both sides of an issue. Stem cell research? Yep, you have the families who have had loved ones healed by the research done… then you have the people who mistakenly believe that all stem cells are embryonic and believe you’re killing fetuses.
Or any number of things, of course…
But you know what, that’s what makes the world go around. There’s that really loud 1-2% on the top and bottom of the bell curve. Then there’s that NORMAL 97-98% in the middle who go about their every day lives thinking, when they pass certain talk radio people spewing hatred: “Wow, you sound like a moron” and move on.
Thank goodness we live in a land that allows for us to do such things. The same First Amendment that allows me to be a free journalist, allows you call our president a fool just because he belongs to a different political party… and then allows me to say, “I think the same about you.”
[pullquote author=””]By the grace of God, go I… and so do we all.[/pullquote]
Stay tuned,
-Noah D.
