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If you really want to convince someone of a new position, you should really refrain from attacking their identity and show that you really understand why they m

If you really want to convince someone of a new position, you should really refrain from attacking their identity and show that you really understand why they make the decisions they do before offering a better alternative. > ...stiving for betterment while tolerating imperfection, as jesus taught... And on a particular point, Jesus never taught that in those words. It might be a fair inference and application, but "how would Jesus vote" is a tricky argument to make. Especially considering that the U.S. has a representative democracy and not a direct democracy. Would Jesus vote for candidate A who favors a carbon tax and opposes ICE? Or candidate B who opposes late term abortion and wants better support for adoptive parents?

pjc50 8y ago
> Would Jesus vote for candidate A who favors a carbon tax and opposes ICE? Or candidate B who opposes late term abortion and wants better support for adoptive parents? Well, that might be the options in the Democrat primary, but what about the Republican positions?
- war1025 8y ago
  Sounds like it would do you some good to spend more time around Republicans. They aren't really that different from Democrats.
  - pjc50 8y ago
    Oh, I'm just kibitzing from across the Atlantic. But it doesn't really matter what people are like socially - I'm sure there are nice Republicans and there is a subset of Democrat machine politics people I would no doubt regard as awful if I met them - it matters what the actual policy enacted and its effects are.
    - war1025 8y ago
      On the policy front they don't end up that different either. They just use smoke and mirrors to make it look that way. Keeps people aggravated.
clairity 8y ago
not every comment is meant to persuade or attack. sometimes it's just discussion. mine was a lament and a commiseration. i grew up in both the evangelical and catholic traditions. there were some great people, but the hypocrisy of the many was unbearable.

pjc50 8y ago

> Would Jesus vote for candidate A who favors a carbon tax and opposes ICE? Or candidate B who opposes late term abortion and wants better support for adoptive parents? Well, that might be the options in the Democrat primary, but what about the Republican positions?

war1025 8y ago
Sounds like it would do you some good to spend more time around Republicans. They aren't really that different from Democrats.
- pjc50 8y ago
  Oh, I'm just kibitzing from across the Atlantic. But it doesn't really matter what people are like socially - I'm sure there are nice Republicans and there is a subset of Democrat machine politics people I would no doubt regard as awful if I met them - it matters what the actual policy enacted and its effects are.
  - war1025 8y ago
    On the policy front they don't end up that different either. They just use smoke and mirrors to make it look that way. Keeps people aggravated.

clairity 8y ago

not every comment is meant to persuade or attack. sometimes it's just discussion. mine was a lament and a commiseration. i grew up in both the evangelical and catholic traditions. there were some great people, but the hypocrisy of the many was unbearable.