I’m glad this article got the most clicks from Monday’s post. I encourage you to read it and share it:
Civility, bullying, and same sex marriage
A few thoughts of my own to accompany a fantastic piece:
1. Disagreeing isn’t evil.
I’ve felt this way for a while. I believe that a lot of people who stand for traditional marriage are upstanding people and perfectly capable of loving everyone – even those they disagree with. I’ve even experienced people who are pro gay marriage (and know I oppose it) showing the ability to treat me with respect. To be called names and demonized for holding a position is wrong. I would never teach my children to demonize someone they disagree with.
2. Then how do we approach our “enemies”?
Last I checked, Jesus said to pray for them. In Proverbs we find that “a soft word turns away wrath”. And if I perceive something is evil, the Bible doesn’t command that I go around screaming and kicking about how evil I think it is. The Bible says I should overcome evil with good.
3. Please discern the media’s motives. They need high ratings to make money. Boring stories don’t get high ratings.
People respecting each other don’t get high ratings. Hatred, fighting, violence, and name calling are sure to influence people. I have a hunch they will sell ads for news programs also. Please think about this and realize that there are human beings on each side of every conflict.