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In my last blog I underscored the connection between political decisions and morality to highlight how important those decisions are and to encourage all of us to become engaged in the political process.

That said, it seems to me that the daily barrage of Trump tweets and people’s reaction to them have worn people down emotionally.

There is a palpable weariness among Americans to the point where people are ready to “drop out,” so to speak, to stop reading or watching the news to get away from it all.

As tempting as that is, I suggest that rather than dropping out, we need to think about how to be in without losing our minds or our souls.

That is, we need to focus on how we can talk about politics and religion without getting into an argument or fight to the point of breaking relationships.

These subjects and everything that attends to them are too important to ignore or avoid.

A more responsible way is to have conversations that add light to a subject instead of generating heat, conversations that might help us become a positive force for change.

In other words, we need to talk about religion and politics in ways that enable us to follow Gandhi’s counsel and become the change we seek.

The question, of course, is how.

To that end, allow me to remind all of us of some things we already know, but often forget, that just might make a big difference in what is going on.

First, we can remember that we cannot force someone else to agree with our beliefs and views, or even listen to them.

This is a serious need among all of us, but especially among Christians. Religious beliefs should shape the way people of faith think about right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral, but being religious doesn’t make anyone wiser or more moral than someone else.

Moreover, when Christians say, “the Bible says…” that carries no more weight for non-Christians (and even other Christians) than if someone says, “The Torah says…” or The Book of Mormon says…” or “the Qur’an says.”

Actually, given the secular nation that we are, we would do well to remember that what the Constitution says matters more than what any other document to which people appeal may say.

Second, we can critique viewpoints instead of attacking people.

In the end that is what matters anyway. Yes, people can be racist, homophobic, self-centered, obnoxiously conservative or liberal, but attacking them personally undercuts anything else we have to say.

Third, we can think beyond the end of our noses.

People often want something done without considering the full impact of what they are advocating. It’s call short-sightedness, and it’s in plentiful supply.

That is why the fourth way we can be a constructive voice when we speak is so important: We can and must take the time to be informed about matters of public concern.

This is where the internet can be invaluable. Nothing is true because it’s on the internet, but the internet can and does help us find out whether something we think is true, false, or half-true.

There are more diverse sources of information on every subject imaginable on the internet than we have time to read, but we can read enough to verify whether an opinion we hold or story we believe has any basis in fact. All we need is the will to do some research.

Fifth, we can remember that having a right doesn’t make us right.

Americans are big on asserting their rights, but having rights is hardly the same thing as being right.

I may have the right to march in a parade promoting racial bigotry, but that doesn’t make doing so right.

Sixth, we should realize that standing on principles is betrayed by an attitude that says it’s my way or no way.

Compromise is the way things get done that need to be done and should be done.

Being self-righteous and standing on principles can look different, but turn out to be one and the same.

Seventh, we can accept the fact that a closed mind has to be opened from the inside.

There is no use wasting time trying to argue with people who, no matter how unreasonable their point of view is, are not going to budge.

The good news is that most minds are not closed. They are often uninformed, and sometimes misinformed, but that is where being informed yourself pays off. You can tell them what you have learned.

So these are suggestions I offer as we begin 2018 to provoke your own thoughts about how to change the toxic tone that dominates public discussions today, fueled by a mass media world that thrives on sensationalism.

The fundamental point of all I have said is that we are the ones who will change that tone, and the sooner we realize it, the sooner it will happen.

More next time.