You lost me.

       We are in the midst of a polarizing political season. Facebook and Twitter are full of very angry people trying to convince others to agree with them, or more often crititizing those who don't agree with them. People shout and yell then they feel good when they get likes and shares which bolsters their viewpoint. They forget that the platforms’ algorithms show users what they want to see which causes further polarization. I make a habit of following others whom I do not agree with in order to get a broader perspective of the issues. I constantly go back to God’s Word as my foundational belief before proceeding with any belief. 
       Although this has been a long time concern, I have been noticing it growing increasingly worse. Individuals who may agree with a group on an issue are being attacked for not being zealous enough or for deviating from the party line. The concern is that these people who feel marganilized and attacked will fail to participate in the voting process at all. 
       Based on the conversations I’ve had with many people lately I’ve compiled a list of things that make me say, “You lost me,” when I see your political post. These are things that make my respect for people’s viewpoints diminish and weakens future ideas you promote. Please read these and share if you agree. I don’t think I’m alone here. You lost me when . . . 

• You share a picture of someone who offended you and encourage others to share and find and harass them. Particular indignation if they are minors.  Public shaming is devestating in a way that few people realize. People's lives have been ruined by this practice. Here is a great TED Talk discussing a public shaming. (Warning: there are some violent and crass words used as quotes.)
• You call people who follow the opposing viewpoint names or disparage their intelligence. I am perfectly amenable to posts that point out the folly of a particular policy. For example: Giving free housing to everyone sounds great but falls short on praticality (how will it be paid for?) and has been proven to be detrimental in these cases (then provide appropriate examples.) An argument like this is very different from saying, "People who think the government should pay for everyone's housing are morons." I haven't convinced anybody of anything. I've only belittled anyone arguing against me. This is also known as an ad hominem attack. 
• You have rules that only apply to your party. For example, saying, “Respect the office of the president,” then sharing memes or saying things that disrespect another office of authority. Respect for authority is respect for authority. You can disagree, create petitions, peacefully protest, etc. but whatever you do make sure that if the the opposition were doing it you would agree with their actions if not their ideas. 
• You spiritualize a candidate who is not a believer and defend their evil actions while attacking those attributes in other candidates. Spiritualizing an unbeliever in any circumstance is never a good idea. God moved Pharaoh to do his bidding and He still moves today. The opposition is not inherently evil and those who agree with you are't inherently good. Sin ruins everything. I'm willing to respect someone who supports a flawed leader becasue of their policy decisions instead of someone who tries to convince me their leader is a moral superior to others. 
• YOU USE A LOUD VOICE TO SILENCE YOUR OPPOSITION!!! This can be done in person with yelling or in text with all caps and clapping emojis. How do you feel when people yell at you? Do you humbly say, "Good point. Thanks for informing me of the issues?" Yeah, me neither. 
• You share false information. I know this can be tricky in some cases but do some Google research before sharing with everyone in your contact list. For further exploration of this topic see the fable, "The Boy Who Cried Wolf."
• You use phrases like "educate yourself.” Imagine your favorite teacher, pastor, mentor, etc. How did they influence you? Did they arrogantly they share their opinion then throw a book, video, essay, meme, etc. at you and say, "Educate yourself!"? I doubt it.

​​       So what can you do to persuade others to agree with you? Well, in all honesty, in some cases, nothing. Some people, despite your best efforts and the best arguments, will never agree with you. So don’t waste your time arguing with them. Move on. If you have to get along with them because they are a co-worker, neighbor, family member, etc. find common ground and meet them there.  However, there are people searching for answers and looking for direction. Here are some ways that you can influence them. 

• Be honest. Talk about issues. Talk about policy. I respect an honest, "I hate this person but on this issue I support them and this issue is important to me." Many people are woefully unaware of what the Constitution says or how our government works. Cite these as sources when explaining why you believe something. 
• Be kind. You can disregard this if you can show me the passage of the Bible that contradicts Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” I’ve seen people who claim to be followers of Christ say some some incredibly mean things to people including other Christians. I don’t mean we have to agree with what others are saying. I mean calling them stupid, ugly, worthless, etc. is 100% unacceptable. After hearing unkind, personal attacks thrown at the opposition I’ve responded with my frustration towards personal (ad hominem) attacks. Too often the response I receive points out that the other side does it as well. My favorite response to that is, "Ah yes. Just like the Bible says, 'Treat other people the way they treat you.'" This usually sparks a quizzical look because the Bible does not actually say that at all. 
• Be humble. Admit your need for growth and understanding. There are multiple sides to every story. Listen to multiple accounts and do your due diligence before speaking out. Ask questions about where people got their information and understand that sometimes history is muddy and confusing. A (hopefully) non-inflamitory example: I’ve read from good sources that Grover Cleveland’s daughter Ruth was the inspiration for the candy bar Baby Ruth. I’ve read from equally reputable sources that this untrue. What’s the answer? I still don’t know because I haven’t cared enough to do my research on the subject. My point is that the mere presence of a fact in a book, documentary, article, etc. does not make it gospel truth. I don’t ascribe to belief that there can be multiple truths but there are many perspectives. Most issues are more nuanced than just A or B. Be willing to explain the nuances and how you came to your conclusions on the issue. 
• Be active. If you rant and rave via social media but fail to act out your beliefs you’ve lost me. Giving money to organizations is good and volunteering in your local church is part of being a healthy church member, but I'm talking about more. I’m talking about actually participating in community organizations like your homeowners association, library board, food bank, etc. Anyone can sit around and talk about change but it’s those who are actually doing the work that will make change happen. 

So, there it is. I have been purposefully vague regarding specific candidates. My purpose in discussing politics isn’t to debate the 2020 election but to encourage others, particularly believers in Christ to do so with compassion and critical thinking. Now more than ever it is important to be a light in the darkness of this fallen world.