If you follow any social media at all, no doubt you have come across posts that can be hateful, discriminatory and exclusive. So many people have many varying ideas, which is normal, but the problem is when they require that you agree with them or else.
Obviously, we all have opinions and personal views, we all see things differently, and that really is a good thing. We would not want a world where people all think exactly alike. Diversity is exciting. Different ideas, opinions and beliefs can make life interesting.
The sad part is that it is getting to be a less tolerant world and people can get mean and ugly when dealing with someone who sees things differently. If you do not believe the same with others on different topics, you will quickly have someone make sure to tell you where you are wrong.
Politics, religion, immigration, abortion, women's rights, LGBTQ issues, racism are just a few of the topics that people seem to have a wide variety of opinions and feelings.
For instance, for me coming from a Christian perspective, it seems I often hear people say you cannot be Gay and be Christian, you cannot be Democrat and be Christian, you cannot be Liberal and be Christian. Personally, I disagree with each of those statements. If we do what Jesus said, love God and love one another, we are Christian, or as I like to put it, followers of Jesus, no matter what term people use to define us. In other words, we are Christians who are gay or straight, Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative. Our faith is not determined by the labels placed upon us.
We all have our personal opinions and beliefs, but I do not think it is right to force those beliefs on others. I think each person should be able to decide for themselves as to what they believe and how to live. Many people want to force their beliefs on others, and Christian Nationalists want to legislate their interpretation of Christian values on the entire country.
Just as my atheist friends, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu friends will not agree with everything in this article, that is OK. We can disagree with each other's opinions and still accept one another while allowing each to have their own opinions and beliefs. We just need to remember not to force our opinions or our faith on others.
Jesus said to love God and love one another. He said love your enemies and love your neighbor. Who is our neighbor? As the story of the Good Samaritan tells us, it is anyone who needs our help, encouragement, our compassion, kindness or acceptance. Just because they believe differently, have different political views, different nationality, different skin, different political views, different sexuality or love differently than you, they are all our neighbors and they are to be loved as fellow human beings.
There is enough division in our world today. It is sad to see how we treat one another just because we have different opinions, views and beliefs. So many people can become so hateful to others rather than accept that we are all different. We need to learn to accept people the way they are and appreciate their differences. We are all free to have our opinions and believe as we feel is best. We should give that same freedom to those who see things differently.
Great post...thanks for sharing your obvious heartfelt views...love is the one single thing that can overcome all division. You said it well.
thanks Michael for that well-written and honest post.
My focus of study lately has been trying to understand how so many Americans have fallen under the spell of Donald Trump. I'm beginning to understand that there are subsets of MAGA loyalists, each with their own reasons, but the group that baffles me the most is the so-called "Christian" following that seems unbreakable in their faith in Trump, a man for whom lying and cheating is a way of life, a man whose lifestyle of greed and narcissism and adultery and criminal behavior should be anathema to true Christians who might be willing to forgive him his trespasses, but not to follow him blindly. I don't understand how they don't see through him, that he'll say anything to get their votes, and at a deeper level their approval. My neighbor is an evangelical minister and he tells me that Trump is their hero for one reason - abortion. But all his life Trump was a pro-choicer; it was only when he went for the Republican voters that he did a 180 and became a pro-lifer. And a hater. And an insulter of all the people that Jesus would have felt compassion for.
Trump is a spiritual fraud, holding up a bible for photo-ops, and yet millions of people of faith have fallen under his spell, some even worshipping him as a new Savior.
When the spiritual base of a nation falls for a false idol like Trump, I believe the nation's soul is lost.
So thank you for raising the issue.