Freedom Friday Late

Can't we all get along and be civil? I have been thinking about this a lot after several friends posted a link about a man who almost committed suicide because of how he was treated for being gay. Then I hear about how the media is attacking conservative women who are running for political office. You know if it were a liberal woman being attacked or called a whore it would be a an outrage. Then I thought of my daughter who was sworn at and berated on the bus because of her religion. I understand we are all different. I realize we don't have to like the same things or believe the same things but that shouldn't mean that we can't be kind to one another. When we view others as less than ourselves we put them and ourselves in dangerous circumstances. When dehumanizing occurs through name calling, jokes that belittle and such it leads to people believing that that group is that way. It happened in Germany, the propaganda and lies told about Jews made it easier for the people to buy into Hitler's evil plan. Rwanda also began with government controlled media that demeaned the Tutsis first jokingly then blatantly so the Hutus bought into the idea of killing friends and neighbors--this happened in the 90s not that long ago. But here we are in 2010 and the tea party people who come from all walks of life are called racists, violent and terrorists. All you can really say they have done is criticize all the spending and taxing going on in the government. Whereas when Bush was president protesters burned effigies of him during the height of the Iraq War. As I started out can we all get along and be civil? Our family been reading Jesus Christ's as he taught the people he had fulfilled the law of Moses he had a higher law for them. I quote loosely since I am too lazy to find it exactly right now, "The old law said love your neighbors and hate your enemies. I say bless your enemies... pray for them who despitefully use you..." He goes on to condemn even being angry--we are not able to judge righteously enough to have merit it. In a world where we all feel it our right to be mad he preaches this is not so. He has asked us to love God with all our hearts, might mind and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Anyway, we must not allow the media to sway us from following Christ's admonition. This is a challenge, I know, I am guilty of categorizing those who oppose my views as well. But we are all children of God and He and Son expect more from us. I am trying to teach my children to be caring of those in need of friends. We have discussed treated all people with kindness and understanding. Hopefully some of it is sinking in! But reading the scriptures definitely allows us opportunities to discuss these ideas over and over again since these are the teachings of Jesus Christ. Of course one could say this is common sense that we treat others with kindness and love but in reality there are many who do not naturally do this but esteem themselves better or more worthwhile or deserving than others and this falls on both sides of the economic spectrum. But having a clear religious leader whose whole life exemplified these very things where He could have dismissed us as worthless and not atoned for us is a great blessing indeed. I am so grateful over and over again for His example and His teachings. And it makes me want to be more kind and tolerant than I sometimes act. Although I have a natural curiosity about people and want to know about them and always find things I like about them no matter other differences we may have. What helps you be more kind and tolerant of those different than you?