I just read a Facebook post in which the author lamented the condescending, “superior” attitude of what she calls open-minded liberals towards those of more conservative belief. I couldn’t help thinking, “Look in the mirror.” Both sides act condescendingly towards others who do not believe as they do, it seems to me.
I thought about that tendency we have to think highly of ourselves and judgmentally toward the opposition, and wrote up the following reply:
“We are all deeply invested in our ideas and almost always value them over opposing opinions. Pretty universal. Religious people value scriptural definitions of right and wrong; non-religious/”open-minded” people let their hearts decide. Ideally, we’d learn to discuss ideas respectfully without attacking the character of our theoretical opponents. People are of worth, even if their current ideas are perverse. (I can’t think of one person, myself included, devoid of at least one bad ideal. Let’s judge bad ideas, not people.)”
If any of you feel that I have attacked you personally with what I write, please inform and/or correct me. I want to attack bad ideas, bad actions, but not people themselves. I believe we are more than what we happen to think or do, there being a divine/spiritual core to us that is unencumbered by our mistakes and false traditions. God knows and loves us completely, and I want to love others unconditionally, as he does. Help me to know and love you well, even if I persist in believing that some of your ideas are worthless. I hope others will do the same with me.
Good friends correct rather than condemn one another, if there are real problems. If we care, we help.
Shalom to all my friends,
Shaunalei
