I disagree with Foster Friess’s prescription for restoring civility to our culture, expressed here at RealClearPolitics, in one particular:
We are NOT a nation of negativity. The world looks to America, but–just like we are encouraged to put the oxygen mask on ourselves before we put it on our children in a domestic airliner–so too we need to get our act together as a nation before we can start rescuing the little kids outside Nairobi digging through the dump looking for food.
Perhaps, our Christian community can lead this mission using the Bible’s example: never return evil for evil, pray for those who persecute you, Forgive seven times? No, seventy times seven. Always consider other people more important than yourself. Vengeance is mine says the Lord.
We can see the impact of this world view through Mr. Heyer’s forgiveness toward the young man who killed his daughter. Despite his pain and sorrow, he chose to forgive. He is returning civility to our nation.
Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church provided our country with another example of civility. When misled hate shot and murdered nine innocent worshippers, their relatives and the church responded with forgiveness, and Charleston had vigils and hugs, not riots.
Contrast these two reactions to Ferguson and Baltimore, where in the latter instance the mayor said, “we needed to give them room to destroy.”
The only thing necessary for evil to thrive is for good men and women to do nothing. Each of us can decide to be a well poisoner, or someone who keeps their yard’s white picket fence well painted and retreats to the comfort of their home. Or, we can take a third route to being an encourager and someone willing to take the risk to confront evil.
So, here’s my challenge: invite someone to coffee!
While Mr. Friess’s prescription may be necessary it is not sufficient. It’s not enough to sit down to coffee. We’ve also got to stand down. Inviting someone to coffee only to screech at them how awful they are or use the opportunity to beat them with clubs or run over them with your car will not restore civility. My advice precedes sitting down. The actual pursuit of evil is quite rare. In real life people pursue good ends using evil means. If you can’t understand the good in the other guy’s views, lay down your weapon, go home, and think about it until you do.
Every person regardless of his or her views is entitled to respect simply as a consequence of their being human. Denying that respect is not merely politically counter-productive, it’s fallacious and sinful.
I believe our problems are varied including that social media act as a force multiplier for people at the extremes. I don’t think our problems are just those between left and right. I think the more grievous problems are between the radicals and the moderates. Radicalism admits of no compromise.
I take live-and-let-live seriously and I try to consider the validity of other viewpoints as much as possible. So far it’s worked out well for me.
I kind of like George Carlin’s comment. Before you punch somebody, walk a mile in their shoes. Then you’re a mile a way and you’ve got their shoes.
I always try to remember that I could be wrong. It helps to have a wife who tells me I am wrong all of the time. I will have to say that I think there is little chance of the “Christian community” salvaging things. They have become much too politicized.
Steve
Plus the “Christian community” hasn’t agreed on things in over 500 years.
Since 1054 if then.
That’s part of the advice I frequently give to young married men. You’ve got to be prepared never to be right ever again. It should be in the marriage vows. They should be “You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be held against you.”
LOL. My variant is that I tell them if they are wrong, apologize. If she is wrong, apologize sooner.
Steve
You guys all have wise and sensible attitudes, the problem with humanity is that we’re not born that way. We’re all born cold, wet, and angry.
No, it requires effort. By all accounts I was angrier than most right from birth and for years thereafter. Twenty years of training helped me tame it.
The mayor of Baltimore did not say “we needed to give them room to destroy.â€
The verbatim quote is that “we gave those who came to destroy space to do that as well.” It probably isn’t what she meant but that’s what she said.
At the time I took her comment to mean that people who came to destroy took advantage of us. But I can understand that someone else might interpret it differently. But if there is some confusion about what somebody said we can ask them what they meant. In this case the mayor posted a statement on Facebook.
“There has been some discussion about my remarks on Saturday, some of which were taken out of context. I want to clarify—I did not instruct police to give space to protesters who were seeking to create violence or destruction of property.
Taken in context, I explained that, in giving peaceful demonstrators room to share their message, unfortunately, those who were seeking to incite violence also had space to operate. And we worked very hard to put ourselves in the best position to deescalate those instances.”
I suspect that if I sat down for a cup of coffee with Mr. Friess most of my time would be spent arguing against alternative facts.