Sunday, May 08, 2005

Making sense of the conservative worldview

Like me, do you find yourself wondering about the mental capacity and observational ability of some of those near and dear to you? Or do you not even know who those strange red state people are?
They have no doubt who they are: They're the pro-family people, defenders of moral values. But if that's so, then who are we? The anti-family people? Destroyers of moral values?

We can't even demonize them without betraying our Principles; spawns of Satan don't have inherent worth and dignity...[and] I have to wonder where the interfaith dialogue goes after we attribute our opponents' views to “derangement.” Satisfying as it can be to write fundamentalists off as crazy, stupid, or evil, if we're going to be true to ourselves we first have to try to understand them as thinking, feeling human beings.
This non-demonizing article looks at the way people frame ideas and how that influences how we think. It offers insights, (and facts to make progressives smile) like this:
It is very hard to remember, think about, or even hear facts that don't make sense to you. Those who see conservatives as pro-family and liberals as anti-family have no place to put the fact that liberal Massachusetts has the lowest divorce rate in the country. It just won't stick in their heads.
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree it's hard to respect the inherent worth and dignity of those who don't also respect it. I like your blog, which i found via starling-fitness. Just this morning or yesterday I gleaned she was UU from the exercise as spiritual play article. And this post made it clear you are as well. That's pretty cool. I am too.