You fought your way here out of conviction born of faith.
Conviction. It is indispensable to every good deed. It defies the forces of inertia -- the prevailing winds and currents that fight to keep everything the way it is, or worse. Without conviction, there would be no hope.
Conviction, however, is not all good. It can easily be corrupted by pride and greed and lead to hatred and division.
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These statemates proved that our political leaders don’t suffer from a lack of conviction. But in many cases, they expressed their conviction as would a bitter couple seeking a divorce, using all manner of coercion to get the best deal -- dismissive of the misery their hatred would create in their own lives, and the injury it would cause in the lives of the children.
Yet, we cannot responsibly blame this on politicians. The hostility they expressed did not originate with them. We in this country are in the midst of a social crisis, a harsh and deepening split between groups that are all too ready to see evil in each other. Each side has never been more eager yet more unable to dominate the other. Both sides call for change, but each believes it’s the other side that must change.
So of all the questions posed in this campaign season -- the most important one is rarely asked. Now, when the country is increasingly diverse, when the number of disputed moral questions is rising, when citizens have deep and opposing passions that neither side will give up for the sake of civility -- Can citizens of the United States learn to express their convictions in more skillful, more respectful ways?
We need an answer.
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Now, I would rather not admit any special intimacy with hatred. I would like to say that I am familiar with it only from hearing confessions and reading books. I must confess, however, that much of what I know of hatred comes from examining the temptations in my own heart. So here are some personal observations.
First, we cannot directly reduce anyone else’s hatred. If we were capable of reducing the hatred of others, we would already have done it. Most everyone would prefer there were less hatred in the world, yet there seems to be more -- which is indirect proof that no one apparently wants to give up any of their own.
Second, if we’re going to do battle with hatred, we have to accept for practical purposes that hatred is not out there. It is in here -- ready to rise in disguise inside of us, posing as virtue, sowing destruction.
Third, to avail itself of the most effective disguise, hatred often hides in self-righteous conviction -- where it can be seen as driving the effort toward a noble goal. This is why hatred is so hard to see. It can hide from our conscience by entangling itself in our most noble beliefs.
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A country whose citizens treat one another with scorn does not have a bright future.
we have to call on our conscience to explore our convictions and how we express them. Even in the case of my most noble belief, I must ask myself: am I trying to advance this belief through persuasion or coercion, with respect or contempt, by accepting sacrifice or imposing sacrifice? When I refuse to compromise, is it because I love a principle, or because I hate the people on the other side?
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And if we are determined to keep our convictions free of malice, then I propose that we strive to meet one simple test for public discourse: Our attempts to express our convictions should take the form of an effort to persuade.
If I am confident in my beliefs, and I have love and good will for the other side, then it would be my duty to try to persuade them. And if I want to persuade them, then how can I vilify them? People are not persuaded by those who attack their character.
But if I don’t try to persuade them, but only condemn them, then I am not showing the respect that love demands. To stand apart, proclaim my position, and refuse to talk except to judge does not reduce hatred or promote love. And if it does neither, how can it be inspired by God?
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The danger is all around us now. Hatred is rising, yet all sides feel more virtuous. We’re asleep to the threat. We can have the most sophisticated Constitution, a brilliant system of checks and balances, and a Bill of Rights to safeguard against the tyranny of the majority -- yet none of it can stand against the power of hatred. It can all be thrown down.
Горькие слова относительно политиков сказаны, по-видимому как реакция на очевидно недружелюбные к христианам действия Обамы и его администрации. Его пропихивание контрацепции и абортов в систему медицинского страхования и его недавние высказывания насчет поддержки им идеи гей-браков.
Сообщение отредактировал Ana: 17 May 2012 - 22:57