I don't know if you've ever noticed it, but when it comes to sides, there seems to only be two -- our side and the wrong side. Have you ever noticed? Now, on one hand it almost has to be that way. I mean, if you didn't think what you believed was right, you wouldn't believe it, right? So of course you will believe that your side is right and the other side is wrong.
What's a little disturbing, however, is the demonizing of the other side. It seems that most people want to not only believe that they're right and the other side is wrong, but also that the other side is evil. And that doesn't seem to be necessary at all.
Consider, for a moment, the political climate. Democrats believe they're right. Fine. They have to. But it's a step beyond that. Republicans are not only wrong; they're evil. I saw this when one of my sons came home from junior high school with an epiphany. "Hey, Dad, I learned today the difference between Democrats and Republicans." "Oh, what's that?" "I learned that Democrats want to help people and Republicans just look out for themselves." That's not a simple affirmation, "I believe my side is right." That's a demonization of the opposition. And before those few liberal readers get their knickers in a twist, it only takes a minute of Rush Limbaugh to see the reverse is also true. The political right will certainly portray the political left as not just wrong, but evil.
How about race relations? There have been lots of movies that illustrate my point. Not only are blacks (or Hispanics or Asians or ...) minorities with less opportunities than the whites, but it is also a white conspiracy against that minority (whichever minority happens to be in view). In other words, it's not just the very common issue of "I'm most comfortable with that with which I'm most familiar" (which is a human thing, not a racial thing), it's an evil plan for supremacy of the white side and degradation of the minority side. In other words, it's a demonization of the other side.
Take a look at the current climate of gender relations. The truth is that men and women are different. The truth is that God made the two to complement (I spelled that carefully) each other. However, men often think of women as inferior, and there is a growing movement of people who tend to think of men as pigs, scum, the worst evil on the planet. It's not merely that we're different; it's that the other side is bad.
Look for a moment at the realm of religion. Despite the many voices that are calling for "tolerance," the fact is that the sides are splintered, not merely holding differing opinions, but demonizing the other side. One side says Islam is evil, not merely wrong. The atheists are sure that not only is there no God, but it's bad to have religion. The number one evil on this planet, however, is Christianity. How many times have you seen, "Christianity is the leading cause of evil" or something similar? The world doesn't simply think that Christianity is mistaken; they believe it is wicked.
There seems to be a conglomerated evil out there today -- white, American, middle-class, Christian males. They're (we're) not merely wrong; they're evil. They aren't simply human with human failings. They're intentionally, maliciously, wholly evil. Now, truly, is that even close to accurate?
Let me give you a clue. It's not so. There are actual evil people out there. No doubt. And there are likely evil people in every group you care to mention. I wouldn't even consider denying it. In fact, I think it is likely that there is some truth and some error in every position that we humans take. It would be wise of us to keep in mind that we ourselves are not without error or sin. I also hold that the propensity to portray the other side as intentionally malicious, immoral, or malevolent is not an accurate portrayal. Instead, it simply serves to sever communication. After all, why argue the merits and errors of a view that is not merely wrong, but evil? Maybe we need to reconsider our portrayal of the other side, whatever the other side may be.
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