There is nothing wrong with the term “Liberal” or that one is “Conservative.” They are merely terms that help us understand one another’s position on various issues impacting our nation. (And they are not just political issues.) Unfortunately, to justify their/our position, each makes a case in the negative about the other which rarely convinces anyone. Showing people how wrong they are encourages deeper entrenchment. That is why we are so divided over our government. We are prone to “face” someone with their wrong headed approaches to problems that plague us all and we tend to be convinced that if the “other side” would only listen to us and our position all would be improved. It will never happen.
The goal of a democracy is to work with and manage a wide variety of opinions while seeking to implement the majority view. All of this is done while trying to respect the views of the minority. A very tough job. If, in the middle of majority implementation one is criticized the party criticized tends to put up barriers to communication so as to deflect the arrows of discontent. There must be a better way than crossing swords each time we disagree on how to run our government. I believe open communication and compromise are tools that can make this happen. Without them it is impossible to move forward. We need to listen to each other. Barbs, expressing frustration and discontent with someone else’s position, accomplish little.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
About Ed Anderson
I am "non-religious", not an atheist as some suppose, since after reading what I have written many wonder if I believe in "God", I just don't have a name for the concept, "God", nor do I have an origination story or theological mystery tour to stretch your faith. (I have no proof of what I believe and I wonder if my belief in "God" is supportable as I have increasing doubts.) I just can't accept an inflexible point of view that says, "I know what you need, and I know what you should know and here it is, you can have it too." Religionists present yet another obstacle to finding "truth" as they claim to have succeeded exclusively in finding it.
Having been a part of the religious scene for years it is clear to me how easily duped we are to believe in something we have no proof of, has caused an abundance of divisions, and "territorialized" people into believers and non-believers.
Furthermore, my belief in "God" equates to the larger perspective which includes an awareness of "God" in everything. I speculate at times whether or not consciousness is "God" So, my belief in "God" does not necessarily match up to the Christian/Judaeo tradition of a being existing somewhere in the beyond or in one's "heart". If there is a "God" he/she/it could be anywhere and in anything.
Though I believe in God, it is not a belief in the God of Scripture. Too many “holes” in Scripture to satisfy my inquiring mind. It may indeed point me in the right direction but I find it not only unreliable but full of plagiaristic thought and re-writing of some of history’s interesting solutions. I much prefer to trust the minds of men and women who conjecture on the basis of what we now know of our universe than those men and women who trust the minds of ancient spiritual guides who, in turn, contributed to a book allegedly “inspired” by God. It is all unprovable, either side of this argument, but I prefer to invest most of my thinking in current ideas rather than those that show little support in logic. Do I hear an "Amen"?
View all posts by Ed Anderson
Thoughts on Thoughts 
Leave a Reply