Titus 3:1-2
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
Do you realize how counter-cultural this is, in our political discourse? Almost every political headline we read speaks evil of someone, and quarrels with little gentleness. We conservatives would rather see liberals "owned and destroyed."
Where is the winsome case being made without descending to insults, or to imputing motive to the other side? Political discussion is almost completely demagoguery now: preaching to the choir how evil the other side is, instead of respectfully challenging the other side with logical argumentation.
Like the market for drugs, it's a demand-side problem, too. You consuming demagoguery is as much the problem as those spewing it. If you don't read and click on the sensational headlines, if you read more reasonable news sources and arguments, the level of discourse will rise, as radical and extreme sources see demand for sensationalism taper off.
This is not an argument for a moderate tone, generally. Joe Biden has mastered the art of sounding moderate while pushing radical left policies. It is appalling.
We need to robustly oppose unbiblical policies in the public square, while doing so without reviling people. Did you notice the difference between Tim Scott in his rebuttal of Biden, and Donald Trump's typical brawling political rhetoric? That isn't just a stylistic difference.
Scott's manner is morally better. And more biblical.
He's still pointing out the flaws in Biden's policy and actions just as much as Trump did, but without disobeying Titus 3:1-2.
No comments:
Post a Comment