Category Archives: conscience

A Way Forward

Dear friends of conscience from all parties or none:
It is time for a new conversation.
When racism is veiled in patriotism, it is time to call this evil.
When anarchism is veiled in justice language, it is time to expose destructive agendas.
When advocates for the Left propose things they know they cannot fund, it is time to say, “Get real!”
When advocates for the Right forget the serious historical and systematic injustices oppressing millions, it is time to say, “Repent!”
When we like someone or approve their agenda, we overlook often egregious faults.
When we dislike someone or their agenda, the smallest flaws are reason for rejection.
I am ready to converse, pray and roll up my sleeves with all that desire every person and community to flourish.
Yes, we will disagree on (sometimes eternally) important things.
I will defend the rights of others that I desire for myself.
What I cannot defend is hatred and violence.
The new conversation starts today – even in our posts!

 

 

 

 

Working toward Peace as We Live with Our Differences

Critical thinking is not a critical spirit.
Evaluating ideas is not judging people. Please, let’s grow up and think as adults. Agree or disagree with ideas and policies instead of lapsing into labeling and libeling.

To all defenders and haters of Presidents Obama and Trump:
I challenge you to make friends that differ and really evaluate what is said and done.
I was not a fan of the previous President and have serious concerns about our current leadership. I am praying, learning and above all working for genuine peace, justice and reconciliation.

I affirm for all others the rights I desire for myself. This includes self-critique, efforts to reform institutions I serve and the necessity of evaluating other applications of various faiths and philosophies.

Let’s stop trying to silence our philosophical opponents and have dialogue.
I challenge every public college administration to stop capitulating to political correctness and let all (peaceful) sides of issues be heard.

I challenge conservatives to confront historical and institutional injustice as well as individual iniquity.

I challenge progressives to assess honestly the issues of economics and liberty of conscience and stop defending perpetrators of evil as victims.

To all women and men of conscience I offer the hope that while we debate our deepest differences we can go and do good for the world together.

Shalom.

Observations

Observations on a Friday:

The human condition is summed up well by watching preschool children play. One minute they are hugging, laughing and sharing…the next they are crying, pushing and refusing to share.

Federal government leaders are like dieters confronting a box of doughnuts. They know they should walk away after eating one and sharing the box, but they end up eating all of them. Restraint is not an easy virtue.

“Redefining” marriage and family does not change the empirical and intuitive truth that humans are conceived by one man and one woman and children are best served by their biological parents staying together.

Just when I am about to embrace pacifism fully, Iran, North Korea and the Taliban do or say something that awakens a sensibility that we need military force in a fallen world.

But when the noxious odor of crusading and militarism appears, I realize that I am first a citizen of God’s kingdom and must love and pray for my enemies even as nations try to resist evil.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam see the world very differently, even as they share certain monotheistic and moral concepts. Civil discourse with love and respect is a must; pretending that “they worship the same deity” is intellectually and spiritually dishonest.

Academics are a funny lot sometimes. They love to rage against capitalism while teaching in buildings funded by people that were productive and employed others…and, gasp! – made a profit.

Why do so many environmentalists express deep concern for obscure animal species while allowing the elimination of unborn humans? Conversely, good ecology is good economics…if we care for creation, it will care for our posterity.

The local church can be the incubator of spiritual and social transformation. As people connect with God and each other, they become creative and productive and the world is better.

We cannot regulate all risk out of our lives.

Warm homemade bread and butter shared with people you love is profoundly gratifying.