Christian Living

Where is the Civility?

by paul hoffmaster
05/21/25
Free to Share

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

There is such hatred and animosity in our Neo-American society that one is left in total mental disarray.  How have we come to the point of destructive verbiage and animus?  What has caused people to seek the mental, social, and even the physical destruction of others?  What has happened to civilized exchanges between two opinionated “sides” or individuals?  When has shouting over each other with venomous words been a civilized response to those of differing ideas and values?  How does one keying and burning cars or defacing public and private property hope to achieve a persuasive result?  How does talking over someone or interrupting a speaker at an open forum lead to promoting constructive dialogue?

Politics seems to be the center stage of contention.  Dialogue between people who have researched issues that are based on facts is a healthy experience.  The problem is that many are too lazy to do their homework and simply rely on what they hear and read through the Media.  It is hard to achieve facts, for many sources are severely biased.  That goes for both sides of the spectrum.  The age of unbiased reporting has vanished with the winds of change.

As I observe the battlefields of diversity, I see one side more violent and aggressive.  There is no attempt to persuade or recruit their opponent; rather, it is to silence the opposition as they amplify their beliefs of how the country should be run.

I have learned that the louder people speak, the less knowledge they have on the subject, and what they do know is based on questionable “facts” they acquired through “likeable” sources.  Civil language carries no punch, so they use shock and awe as a way to convey their agenda.  Bullying and intimidation are used as the voice of reason.  Is the objective of their actions to bring the country together or to keep ripping the garment of democracy until we lose the status of being a beacon of freedom for the world to see?

What happened to civility?  I welcome different opinions, but we need to communicate with the realization that we have two ears and one mouth, meaning we need to listen more than we speak.  It doesn’t take a lot of effort to use more than four-letter words accompanied by sign language to convey political or social ideas! 

Christians need to be an example of constructive, not destructive, exchanges when it comes to differing opinions and viewpoints.  As we have learned to walk with Jesus, we need to talk like Jesus.  We must never be afraid to express our opinions, but we must do it with a loving attitude.