“The surest way to work up a crusade in favor of some good cause is to promise people they will have a chance of maltreating someone. To be able to destroy with good conscience, to be able to behave badly and call your bad behavior ‘righteous indignation’ — this is the height of psychological luxury, the most delicious of moral treats” (Aldous Huxley).

These days, people who hold opposing political views are fair game for any kind of name-calling and stereotyping. Obviously, they cant’t just be wrong, but they must also be ignorant and evil.

True children of Abba will never stoop to slandering the opposition. They know that all people, not just the ones on “their side” who think like they do, are made in the image of God and have dignity and worth.

Furthermore, it does no good to demonize those who disagree with you. It may be emotionally satisfying for a season and may make you feel morally superior for a time, but in the end it changes nothing and serves only to strengthen those who already agreed with you in the first place.

To seek to understand is far better than to seek to undermine. Abba’s children will always seek to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them as Jesus taught and demonstrated. They know that there are no political answers to spiritual problems.

There’s my obligatory soapbox post for the time being. We’ll go back to posts about omelets, kittens, and rainbows next time around.