I generally try not to talk about politics on this blog or on the internet in general. People seem to get passionate about issues in a way that too often leads to blind fury. A recent post on the Official White House blog got me thinking that, along with me, Barack Obama is irked by mindless disagreement. Our president said in a speech after a budget meeting [emphasis mine]:
But the one thing I will say is this: With the magnitude of the challenges we face right now, what we need in Washington are not more political tactics — we need more good ideas. We don’t need more point-scoring — we need more problem-solving. So if there are members of Congress who object to specific policies and proposals in this budget, then I ask them to be ready and willing to propose constructive, alternative solutions. If certain aspects of this budget people don’t think work, provide us some ideas in terms of what you do. “Just say no” is the right advice to give your teenagers about drugs. It is not an acceptable response to whatever economic policy is proposed by the other party.
This philosophy should be embodied in a good part of our daily life. Too often will people jump up and spout their opinions with a simple “you’re wrong” and leave it at that. The fact of the matter is that very little in this life is purely black and white–important stances and decisions deserve discussion and even criticism. It is easy to get sucked in to anger and disagreement when what is really necessary is a humble and teachable heart.
And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.
(2 Timothy 2:24)