First, let me post a link to the article I'm referencing:
http://www.liberalamerica.org/2015/02/11/28-reasons-im-done-talking-to-most-of-my-conservative-friends-and-family-members/
I commented via a social media site on a comment posted by someone else who was referencing the above article. (Whew, that's a confusing sentence....)
Now....here's the comment I posted to social media:
"I'm a very liberal person living in a very not liberal place. (I have not read the article Tom posted, but I'm responding to a comment above). I can't really try to go from empathy to changing someone's mind. I'm deeply hurt when folks, especially in a religious setting, try to change my mind. Therefore, I feel that it is important for me to not try to change their mind. So what do I do? If asked how I feel on a topic, I answer as honestly as possible. But, I also expect others to answer honestly as well. What becomes interesting is in the 'why'. Why do I feel the way I do? Why do you feel the way that you do? When an honest and open discussion of the 'why' happens, then I believe learning (on both sides) can happen. It's in the situations where no one is interested in the 'why' or even hearing the 'what' to begin with that the communication breaks down. I can be very good friends with those who don't feel as I do on certain topics. It's when someone tries to change me that a relationship will dissolve." - Me here at Fish are Friends
I have since read the whole article. Parts of it I think are spot on. Other parts I feel are a stereotype of the conservative side of things. For instance,
"7. You care more about your guns than you do about children." Sorry, but I feel that this is a stereotype. I know lots of people who own lots of guns - duh I live in the South! However, those same people also desperately love their families and do lots of awesome work in their communities AND help others in need. I'm sorry but owning a gun doesn't mean someone cares more about guns then kids. Am I for gun control? Absolutely. But I believe that number 7 is just too broad a statement.
Moving on. #6 on the above article:
"6. You question my faith." This is one of the hardest things for me to deal with as a liberal Christian living in the American South. I couldn't function without my relationship with Jesus. But it blows me away mentally when I have my faith questioned in my own church when I refuse to say that someone of another faith is 'wrong'. I just don't feel it's right for me to think that just because I'm of 'my' faith that everyone else who's of 'their' faith is 'wrong'. Just because I have amongst my friends people who are not Christian and I don't strive to convert them, please don't accuse me of 'not being Christian'.
#24 on the above article:
"24. You think our religion is the only one." This kinda leads back to my comments from #6. We live in a global society. We won't survive peacefully unless we agree to coexist. It's when we strive to push and shove to make others like 'us' that extremism grows. When someone feels marginalized and without hope, how are they likely to react? In my not so humble opinion, the greatest weapon against religious extremism is tolerance and the understanding that coexistence is vital.
#25 on the above article:
"25. You are lazy and you refuse to read." I don't characterize not reading the news as laziness. I do however, think it speaks volumes about the state of education in our country. Someone who's liberal might say, "Oh, they don't read at least three printed news sources therefore they are lazy." Well, many people see what I read and how much I read and they are amazed. "How do you read that? How do you read ALL of that?" Many Americans don't have a high enough reading level to absorb a lengthy article from say 'Time Magazine' let alone something like 'The Economist'. Many Americans don't have enough understanding of geography to even understand where some major news stories are taking place. It's not always laziness; it's frequently a lack in education.
Being a democracy is hard work. You have to really want it and want it badly. The hardest part is allowing those we disagree with the most the right to their freedom of speech.
Peace.
http://www.liberalamerica.org/2015/02/11/28-reasons-im-done-talking-to-most-of-my-conservative-friends-and-family-members/
I commented via a social media site on a comment posted by someone else who was referencing the above article. (Whew, that's a confusing sentence....)
Now....here's the comment I posted to social media:
"I'm a very liberal person living in a very not liberal place. (I have not read the article Tom posted, but I'm responding to a comment above). I can't really try to go from empathy to changing someone's mind. I'm deeply hurt when folks, especially in a religious setting, try to change my mind. Therefore, I feel that it is important for me to not try to change their mind. So what do I do? If asked how I feel on a topic, I answer as honestly as possible. But, I also expect others to answer honestly as well. What becomes interesting is in the 'why'. Why do I feel the way I do? Why do you feel the way that you do? When an honest and open discussion of the 'why' happens, then I believe learning (on both sides) can happen. It's in the situations where no one is interested in the 'why' or even hearing the 'what' to begin with that the communication breaks down. I can be very good friends with those who don't feel as I do on certain topics. It's when someone tries to change me that a relationship will dissolve." - Me here at Fish are Friends
I have since read the whole article. Parts of it I think are spot on. Other parts I feel are a stereotype of the conservative side of things. For instance,
"7. You care more about your guns than you do about children." Sorry, but I feel that this is a stereotype. I know lots of people who own lots of guns - duh I live in the South! However, those same people also desperately love their families and do lots of awesome work in their communities AND help others in need. I'm sorry but owning a gun doesn't mean someone cares more about guns then kids. Am I for gun control? Absolutely. But I believe that number 7 is just too broad a statement.
Moving on. #6 on the above article:
"6. You question my faith." This is one of the hardest things for me to deal with as a liberal Christian living in the American South. I couldn't function without my relationship with Jesus. But it blows me away mentally when I have my faith questioned in my own church when I refuse to say that someone of another faith is 'wrong'. I just don't feel it's right for me to think that just because I'm of 'my' faith that everyone else who's of 'their' faith is 'wrong'. Just because I have amongst my friends people who are not Christian and I don't strive to convert them, please don't accuse me of 'not being Christian'.
#24 on the above article:
"24. You think our religion is the only one." This kinda leads back to my comments from #6. We live in a global society. We won't survive peacefully unless we agree to coexist. It's when we strive to push and shove to make others like 'us' that extremism grows. When someone feels marginalized and without hope, how are they likely to react? In my not so humble opinion, the greatest weapon against religious extremism is tolerance and the understanding that coexistence is vital.
#25 on the above article:
"25. You are lazy and you refuse to read." I don't characterize not reading the news as laziness. I do however, think it speaks volumes about the state of education in our country. Someone who's liberal might say, "Oh, they don't read at least three printed news sources therefore they are lazy." Well, many people see what I read and how much I read and they are amazed. "How do you read that? How do you read ALL of that?" Many Americans don't have a high enough reading level to absorb a lengthy article from say 'Time Magazine' let alone something like 'The Economist'. Many Americans don't have enough understanding of geography to even understand where some major news stories are taking place. It's not always laziness; it's frequently a lack in education.
Being a democracy is hard work. You have to really want it and want it badly. The hardest part is allowing those we disagree with the most the right to their freedom of speech.
Peace.
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Be peaceful and respectful.