Saturday, April 7, 2012

Father-Daughter Talk 

I received an email...


A rather gentle explanation of the difference in thinking between people
with opposite outlooks.

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college.  Like so
many others her age, she considered herself to be very liberal, and
among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to
support more government programs, in other words redistribution of
wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch
conservative, a feeling she openly expressed.  Based on the lectures
that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor,
she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire
to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes
on the rich and the need for more government programs.

The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be
the truth and she indicated so to her father.  He responded by asking
how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and
let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was
taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which
left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew.  She
didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many
college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?"

She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by.  All she takes are easy
classes, she never studies and she barely has a 2.0 GPA.  She is so
popular on campus; college for her is a blast.  She's always invited to
all the parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes
because she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's
office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend
who only has a 2.0.  That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly
that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired
back, "That's a crazy idea, how would that be fair!  I've worked really
hard for my grades!  I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard
work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree.  She played
while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the
conservative side of the fence."

If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great
test!

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for
everyone.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his
situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and Jesus silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping
for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a
good laugh.
A liberal will delete it because he's "offended."
Well, I forwarded it to you.




Just a couple thoughts I had reading this. I see where this is coming from and it's mostly in reference to the politics in Washington. I'm sure we understand that not all liberals are demons and all conservatives are angels. Emails like this are "hasty generalizations" which just produce hate and a closed mind to what others might have to say. My parents also send me emails like this from time to time that really demonize the other and I try to let them know I don't buy the whole "chain-email-that-damns-the-other." I think both sides in Washington are demons and every now and then someone from either side has a good idea. I'm not in favor of socialism or Obamanomics however this email makes out everyone who is a liberal to be lazy and bigoted. I know many liberals who are hard working, God fearing people and to me these friends vote the way they do because of certain convictions concerning education and or the cycle of poverty. I  agree with this story and I do think the father has a great lesson. However, what if Audrey wasn't a partier but rather a girl in a wheel chair...or Audrey came from an abusive family who did drugs and she was trying to break the generational chain that's been given to her but no matter how hard she works, she cannot make the grade because she's also trying to break the addictions that were passed to her from her parents? Any kind of help would be great. Maybe the daughter doesn't just enable but actually sacrifices her own time and own grades to help Audrey feel more confident about herself and school work. Sometimes I wonder if this isn't the heart behind the "liberal" thought. Obviously it gets very complicated and sticky beyond any kind of easy fix anyone on earth can offer. (I mean this sentence not as "only God can fix it", but literally as -anyone on earth.) I see emails like this really just as name calling because it doesn't fix what either side is going after. Plus, anyone could look at this email and say that conservatives are all about entitlement which is a big problem in this country. Everything we have is from God. The earth is not ours. The resources it contains are not ours. The cattle on the hill are not ours. Our family is not ours. We are just stewards of it all. I believe sin is global problem because we all have a hard time hitting the target of Jesus' teaching (which is the root definition of sin). So we do our part. And, yes, there is too much government. Government can't fix all of these problems. The Church can though. The Church, in my own definition, is the people who want to see "good" be creatively inspired in everything and everyone. I believe this is what God wanted when he created this whole place. Read Genesis 1 and 2. I believe this inspiration is wired in all of us but we are too convoluted to see it. BUT, sometimes we catch a glimpse of this light in others and ourselves. So, I say stop the name calling and pass on to others what Christ calls us to. "For you are Children of light. We are not of darkness." -Eph 5:5  Instead of sending chain emails and provoking others to one side, let us put our energy into breaking chains and setting people free.