All You Need Is Love!

"Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so."- Ronald Reagan

It's no secret that I love to enter the liberal blogosphere and do my best to correct the stinking thinking that runs rampant in their world. It's a method of personal growth I use to combat my urges to walk all over someone I disagree with. There is a course of action that just may bring results, worse case scenario I'm planting seeds that just might sprout somewhere in the future in that fertilizer rich environment. Here's what I've notice about the confrontation with those who view the world differently from me.

Confrontation confuses people and causes irritation and anger. Every stinking one of these blog posters insists upon dominating another's opinion. You can tell when their level of total frustration has been reached when they let the other party, "have it." They allow anger to distort the issue being debated, then resort to name calling. I use the confrontation as an opportunity to enlighten. They may not be open to the truth at that particular moment, but hopefully at some point down the road, common sense will open their eyes to the obvious. It's also a great opportunity to remind those who lose their tempers and resort to name calling that you can never raise yourself above another by demeaning that individual.

Poor data gathering leads to incorrect assumptions about the facts derailing the discussion. Truer words have never been spoken. I refer you to the Ronald Reagan quote that begins this article. I firmly believe that one of the most misunderstood aspects of our Constitution is as follows. "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." I've been told for example that says religion has to stay out of government. Of course I gently course correct those confused individuals and remind them of the text. "Congress shall make no law establishing religion," it doesn't say religion is forbidden in Congress. I've also been told it says religion cannot be practiced if it offends another. Again I remind them although they might wish it says that, the text actually says that Congress cannot prohibit the free exercise of religion. It's not uncommon for the debater to quickly switch the subject shortly after that. Like assigning a motive......

Confrontation is often marred by a judgement of motives. Exactly! The truth has no agenda, while most all of those debaters do. My purpose is to speak truth into their lives, nothing more. You can imagine what I've been accused of born out of frustration. But then it's hard to argue against the truth. In any case they are simply gently reminded of the truth in a loving manner, which just leads to more frustration on their part.

Inflammatory words, condemnation, and a lack of emotional maturity stains the confrontation. You can always tell when a debater has reached the end of their ability to present their point as it often turns nasty. The worse thing any individual can do is inflame their frustration. Make your point in love, backed by truth, and allow it to do it's work. Which leads me to my next point.

Confrontation often demands that change be an immediate event rather than a process. What I've found is that people are very protective of their opinions. They rarely change them overnight, as they spent so much time defending them. Yet if you speak a little truth into their lives and allow those seeds to grow, they might just move toward your point of view. If they find favor with the truth you present them, and their ego will allow, they will at some point adopt it. Mainly because the truth is easier to defend.

Anyway it's been a great exercise in personal growth. The old me would have told them where to go, exactly what route to take, and ensure they wasted no time in the journey. Now I present truth in love and patiently allow those thoughts to mature and become their own. It's a healthy form of venting for a former raging choleric.

God Bless!
Capt. Bill