No Talking Allowed

The subject of religion has always been contentious. People warn you not to bring up the subject. Wars are fought over it, on the battlefield and at the kitchen table. Someone said religion was the ultimate life insurance scam because no one can disprove an afterlife. So, they sell "faith" or, in other words, being hopeful. It is hard to debate one's chosen hope.

I have nothing against being hopeful. I consider myself a hopeful  person, but hopeful in humankind's ability to rise above its ignorance and selfishness to make a better today and a better tomorrow, not some belief that is not based on science or reason.

I prefer reason and science over the supernatural. I don't care to hear people blessing me at McDonald's or praising Jesus on every Facebook post, but it is hard to avoid. If we are going to live as a community, we need to be able to hear an opposing view without becoming unhinged.

People confuse politics and government. These are two separate things - politics is the game, governing is the job, the reality. One may believe in a certain ideology, but it can be proven or disproved by a set of facts. Remember facts? For example, one may believe the GOP spent their time on creating jobs since the last election just as they campaigned, but one only has to see the number of  House Resolutions  introduced to see the documentation of how much time and how many bills were introduced to stop Planned Parenthood and abortion, neither of which have anything to do with creating jobs. This is what is important to the elected officials during this low point in our economy? One may hold certain ideologic beliefs about the Democrats, but holding that ideology does not make it true because it can be proven or disproved by a set of facts. Whether one chooses to believe those facts is another story.

Certainly, how one perceives events forms that ideology. Facts will not matter. They will question the source of the information or the intention of the provider. Those things do matter and one has to carefully and critically look at the sources and the intentions. Most people will not take the time to do that and will cling to television or radio soundbites. Sadly, that approach may lead to bringing much more hate and unhappiness into their lives than love and peace.

Like it or not, some government is necessary in our lives. The saying goes that there are no atheists in a foxhole. Well, there are no libertarians in a crisis. In so many cases, we want government in our lives, we need government in our lives. Where were the police? You voted for the people who wanted to cut their budget. Why is our infrastructure crumbling? Ditto. Why is our air hazardous? Ditto. Why are our foods unsafe? Ditto. Why is the middle class becoming obsolete? Ditto. Voting for these people may seem like a good idea in theory but can be disastrous in practice. It won't matter what one believes in. And, praying for these problems to go away may make one feel better but it is useless. It is being hopeful but it does not require any concrete action to make a difference.

I reject the Us versus Them mentality, but I will still call it as I personally see it. Disprove it with facts and I will acknowledge it. Give me psycho babble and I will acknowledge it.

Debate is good. Debate on policy is great. When someone is unable to understand or debate policy, they attack. Few people are truly able to debate policy so people who can aren't allowed to talk and nothing improves and no problems are resolved. We become a lesser country for it and elect to blame then attack. We all lose.