The Cowardly Lion

For most of us, politics and government are things we don't think about until we file taxes or see flashing red lights in our rear view mirror. Sure, we put bumper stickers on our car, vote in elections (hopefully), watch our respective politically aligned news program, and complain about the current president (whether we voted for him or not). In reality, though, most of us operate day to day without a thought about personal rights, government's role in society, and personal responsibility.

That is, until we join Facebook. Then it's an all-out offensive of sharing posts, opinions, stacking facts like cards in a deck, name-calling, unfriending someone who's too extreme, friending another whose posts we admire, and generally having a free-for-all. This is a battle that I have been content to quietly observe for years now, even though I am keenly interested in politics and culture.

Why? Because I'm a coward who knows only two extremes when it comes to disagreements: fight or flight. Sure, I enjoy attending conferences and reading political philosophers, but I don't really enjoy debate unless it's with people who think like I do, or people for whom I have a deep respect and a relationship with. Either way, debates, for me, are few and far between. 

I was raised to be a conservative who unquestionably clung to his Bible (which I never read), his God (who I didn't follow), and his guns. Anyone who didn't agree with me was a free-loading liberal idiot, and I didn't even want to be associated with them. Then I grew up (a little bit), my worldview expanded, and I was very libertarian. I firmly believed in personal responsibility and the fundamental human right to be absolutely, unquestionably, face-palm stupid. Let every man do as he wishes, as long as it's in the privacy of his own home and doesn't hurt anyone else!  

But then I started following Christ in a very serious way and reading my Bible. I discovered that God is very concerned about treatment of the poor, the down-and-out, the widow and the orphan. In others words, the fringes of society. I struggled for years to settle these concepts in my mind, and I began reading political philosophy and economics, as well as theology. I did it mostly to learn, not to reshape my mind or change my political views.

I did realize a few things. First, a society does need a certain amount of law in order to flourish, and that law may infringe upon our guaranteed human right to stupidity when absolutely necessary. Some type of moral framework is necessary for individual rights to be protected, and sometimes the law must force someone to recognize the dignity of the human person, even if they don't recognize it themselves. 

All this to say that I'm one of the few people I know who has actually become more "liberal" as I've gotten older, unlike many who become more conservative. 

But what does all this have to do with Facebook? Needless to say, over the years I've collected a number of friends of all stripes and creeds. I've read post after post in which they proclaim their stances (even ones I disagree with) and quietly sought to understand their point of view.

Enter my friend Victor. He's a guy who helps his parents with their small business (the backbone of individual liberty and a free society!) on his days off, which means that most Fridays he comes through the church offices as he cleans the place. For some reason, we've always covered these deep topics (even hot-button issues) and tried to uncover all sides, viewpoints, etc... I don't know that we ever reach a conclusion, but I enjoy the conversations we have. Even when we disagree, I still like Victor and respect his opinion. I've mentioned several times we should get a group together to discuss ideas and cultural issues in a setting of respect and discovery of other's viewpoints without judging them.

So on Good Friday afternoon, while the office was closed, I snuck in to work on sermons for an upcoming mission trip. Since it was a holiday, I didn't think anyone else would be there. While I was sitting there, typing away, the lights come on and in strolls Victor. It had been several months since I'd seen Victor, so we greeted one another and he said, "Dude, I'm glad I ran into you! I want to get your opinion on the stuff in Indiana." We began to discuss the issue of religious freedom, discrimination, totalitarianism, civil disobedience, and the like, both on opposite sides, yet having a civil, even fun discussion. At some point in most conversations we have, one of us will ask how we can disagree on things, yet still have these really cool conversations. The other usually answers that it's because we respect each other's opinion and viewpoint and are seeking to understand, not condemn. Of course, we bring the discussion to the national level, wondering why America seems to be so divided.

Last Friday we stumbled upon the answer: As a nation, we've lost the ability to dialogue with one another in a civil way. We're so busy "asserting our rights" that we don't even listen to opposing viewpoints; we smear, slander, and insult those who disagree with us. Instead of looking for the common ground, we immediately dismiss ideas that are foreign or scary to us. Division always leads to isolation, and isolation to destruction. (Not to pull out my “follower of Jesus” card, but that’s biblical. See Proverbs 18:1) That's where we're headed as a society if we lose the ability to dialogue with one another.

I have a good friend who was a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in his working career. I like help him with farm chores on the weekends, in essence bartering counseling for labor. The last time I was there, I was telling him about problems I have with individuals whom others have written off 9me. He made a statement that stuck with me. He said, "Whenever we encounter a problem, we have two choices: we can either move closer to it or we can move away from it. Generally, problems are solved when we move closer to them." (At the time, it didn't seem like the profound statement it was.) 

This is the deal: for years, I've been watching my Facebook feed, quietly posting my jokes and family pictures while ignoring other's posts that I disagree with. Fortunately, my friend Victor helped me by forcing me into the open. Monday night, he posted a video of a political debate from 1986, tagged me and another guy, then asked, "What do you think?" YIKES. I'll tell you what I thought, "I'm supposed to answer this? In public, where others can read it and judge my opinion?" Then I thought (because I read it somewhere), "A philosopher who never debates is like a boxer who never spars; because he's not one!" So I began typing. Not with the intent of winning, but with the intent of dialogue and discovery. Of pressing into the "problem," and moving forward in respect. It wasn't so bad, and I didn't find my inbox full of scathing comments from others. (I even put my opinion in another conversation between two friends with extremely different opinions than mine.) I'm sitting here a few hours later, still alive, and doing fine.

So back to RFRA. (I know it's old news by now.) Do I believe in the right of free association for both service providers and consumers? Yes! Do I believe hateful discrimination is okay? No, but I think we need to have a conversation about what discrimination really is. Do I think we're moving towards a totalitarian government? Yep, but that's the nature of any bureaucracy, especially one with an army. Do I think that Jesus, if he were a baker today, would make a cake for a homosexual wedding? Maybe he would and maybe he wouldn't, but I do think a) he would have kept the lines of communication open and b) called sin what it is: sin. 

But one thing I do know. Jesus, instead of dismissing people, ignoring opposing viewpoints and pointing fingers, would have moved closer to the problem, built a relationship, and spoken truth into the situation. After all, he did come from Heaven to earth, setting aside his position and authority, and died for humanity's sin, to solve the problem. Did I mention that he was wrongly convicted and given a punishment greater than the crime he was convicted of? You might even say he was discriminated against.

So maybe we need to quit pointing fingers, throwing out arguments, and enter into honest, civil dialogue with fellow human beings who are made in the image of their creator. Several on both sides on the aisle (no pun intended) are already doing it. I’ve decided to join the conversation! How about you?