There is no zealot like an ex-smoker/alcoholic/etc. I am no exception when it comes to the patently shallow and false slogans of the "modern" liberalism -- especially the old slogans dressed up as new thoughts. One of my favorites (so to speak) is, "if two people love each other, they should be allowed to be married; regardless of race, creed, or sex". Note first how they start with something true (race and creed certainly have no bearing on the issue), and then add in their pork barrel of "or sex". It is not difficult to get a chuckle and nod of agreement out of the way I say things with someone who agrees with me. Last night, however, I was very gratified to have a calm and logical conversation about this usually explosive topic with a thoughtful and reasonable person who has bought into the party line; more precisely, was reared with the party line.
I first made sure that he appreciated that there is a distinction between the action and the person. A person who does bad things is not (necessarily) a bad person. (The opposite is also true, of course. A person who does good things out of habit is not necessarily a good person; he is just safer to be around.) I pointed out that my views and opinions are set by an external standard (the Torah), whereas his views are based on his own thoughts on the matter. So, I said, "since they are your own opinions, you must also accept my right to my views, but you must also accept the view of someone who feels it is ok to marry his dog if he love it". At this point, most people will cry out, "You are saying those men who marry men are the same as dogs?!? How DARE you!!" This person simply thought about the idea and agreed, "Right. I find that personally distasteful, but I have no right to call that behavior immoral or even wrong." Wow... a thoughtful and reasonable liberal! Of course, he's only 14.... so there's still hope for him. As Walt Kelly (in the guise of Pogo) said, "He who is conservative when younger has no heart; he who is liberal when he is older has no haid [sic]". The boy has heart, and it looks like he has a brain as well.
I first made sure that he appreciated that there is a distinction between the action and the person. A person who does bad things is not (necessarily) a bad person. (The opposite is also true, of course. A person who does good things out of habit is not necessarily a good person; he is just safer to be around.) I pointed out that my views and opinions are set by an external standard (the Torah), whereas his views are based on his own thoughts on the matter. So, I said, "since they are your own opinions, you must also accept my right to my views, but you must also accept the view of someone who feels it is ok to marry his dog if he love it". At this point, most people will cry out, "You are saying those men who marry men are the same as dogs?!? How DARE you!!" This person simply thought about the idea and agreed, "Right. I find that personally distasteful, but I have no right to call that behavior immoral or even wrong." Wow... a thoughtful and reasonable liberal! Of course, he's only 14.... so there's still hope for him. As Walt Kelly (in the guise of Pogo) said, "He who is conservative when younger has no heart; he who is liberal when he is older has no haid [sic]". The boy has heart, and it looks like he has a brain as well.
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