Can We Really Talk or Have A Discussion?

Can we talk, no really I mean can we as Americans have a discussion with one another?  I come to realize that people can’t have differing thoughts or opinions then others.  If someone disagrees with someone all of sudden name calling starts.  Let us take for example how when Sony released the new Ghostbusters trailer, many people came out and said it looked like a horrible movie. Sony pictures began to trash the naysayers, calling them sexist, nerds who lived in their parent’s basements, and continued to name call anyone who didn’t like the trailers.  The movie critics then came out and praised it saying how great it was, but the people I talked to who went and saw it based on the critics said it was a horrible movie.  All that said to make a point that all of sudden in the last few years we have gone to a strange phase of calling people, racist, sexist, religious fanatics, and so on, if they do not believe the same as us.  It would seem that instead having a discussion to talk about other people’s views and thoughts on things we brand them and scream about how horrible they are.

What if we stopped branding so fast, what if we sat down talked about ideas realized that sometimes we are not always going to agree.  This also means we must not force people to do things that they do not believe in.   It means that we begin to respect other people’s point of view, we are not always going to get them to agree with us and that is ok.  I believe that we beginning to group everyone as extremist, most people are not extremist.  The problem is that the news covers the extremist. Why? Because they are the ones making the most noise.  Most of us are trying to live our lives, sometimes we are afraid to tell people what our viewpoints are because then they are going to say, “oh you are one of them.”   Meaning we are with who the extremists are trying to make us out to be.  I believe that is what happened with the critics for Ghostbusters, they were too afraid to say what they really thought of this movie, they didn’t want Sony pictures coming after them and labeling them.  Being a Christian I can only speak from what I know.  I realize that many are trying to make Christians out to be some radical hate group.  Saying that we are wanting people to do it our way or else, saying that we don’t love certain groups of people.  For some who call themselves Christians this might true, but it a small minority of the church.

I believe this to be true with every group, but the problem is we no longer talk in this country.  We have taken on this idea of not being able to have our own beliefs and if you don’t believe the same things I do then forget you.  Instead of trying to talk and openly discuss ideas on religion and politics we are becoming afraid to say anything because we might offend someone.  So now the smaller parts (extremist) of all the groups are busy trying to lobby for laws forcing people to do things that they may not agree with or believe in.  What if we took a collective step back took a deep breath and said let’s talk, not scream, not hate on, not name call or label each other.  But let us talk and at the end we may not agree with each but we can still be friends and not be ashamed or afraid to speak our beliefs with one another.   We understand that we are people that need love, as a follower of Christ I believe we are made in God’s own image and because of that we need to love one another, respect one another, even those who disrespect us.  After all Christ told this, “^You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ^But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ^that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ^For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ^And if you greet your ⁷brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? ^Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”(Mt 5:43-48)