Making a stance and still reaching out

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

1 Timothy 2:1-2

President-elect Barack Obama's inspiring acceptance speech should make many Americans proud to be an American. Did you see how the crowd in Grand Park reacted, did you see how the broad spectrum of voters -- whites, blacks, Latinos, & Asians, men and women, young and old, straight and gay -- went out to vote. A reaction to the dissatisfaction with the incumbent President? Maybe.

I didn't understand why the pro-life advocates didn't say much about McCain's pro-War stance, if they care so much about lives. Or why didn't they address much about social injustice, if they ever read the Book of Isaiah? I came across a blog post today and find it somewhat helpful: "I cast my vote in the hopes of rescuing those being taken to the slaughter. I could not vote in such a way that I would have ignored the blood flowing from fertility clinics... In contrast, I do not think a recession can be said to be taking people to death unjustly, especially when many in Maryland voted to throw their lots in with bringing slots to my state.... I think our soldiers voluntarily sign up to defend our freedom at the risk of their own lives. Lack of health insurance coverage for all makes life very hard for many, but it does not lead to a denial of all medical care for any one class of people.... So the economy, the war in Iraq, and universal health insurance became secondary issues for me—albeit very important ones —because righteousness was not at stake ... [However] in our day, it is not the governmental regulation that slaughters the innocent; it is the people who chose to end the lives of their children, and the willing executioners who kill for the sake of the monetary gain afforded by the abortion industry. The government only allows this sin to receive legal permission and protection."(Read Eric Redmond's whole article.)

This is just one issue that I seem to have made some progress in my understanding. The world is just not black and white. People struggle to figure things out, and I'm among the slowest. On a separate but similar issue, it's rather easy to make a stance on Proposition 8 and say "I'm right, you're wrong", but then what's next? I know some students in my class are saddened by the outcome of Prop. 8.

I saw the protest on TV from the Vote-No-Prop.8 last night. You may think these people are violent, unreasonable, living a libertine style. But what TV cameras capture are usually the extreme cases - in order to make the news more dramatic and juicy to audiences. One of my students was absent from class to join the protest, and he's among the gentlest, most helpful, clean-cut, bright students. I'm not saying that to diminish my disagreement with legalizing same-sex marriage. But instead of dismissing them along with their view points, how can one carry a meaningful dialogue with people who hold a different view? How does one convey the sense of right and wrong without being hurtful? How does one begin?

Still processing ...