Differences of Opinion

I heard this said the other day on the radio:  In today’s world, people lack the ability to understand people who have different views than their own. Sometimes all that is needed to reduce the heat in an argument is for persons to know that they are being heard. This is true whether the issue is the color to paint for the wall or abortion.

I haven’t a clue. All I know to do is to try myself to work on my own attitude and try to be a better listener.

I met a man, once, many years ago. I’d arrived at a conference early and only one other person was there. He was an ordained minister who’s work before retirement was to help pastors and their spouses with marriage problems. I can’t remember his denomination. He invited me to attend a church service with him in the eastern city where the conference was held.

He informed me that his denomination had recently gone through a split between liberal and conservative Christians. He told me that the liberals wanted the community to stay together while accomodating the the variations in theology. The conservatives couldn’t live with that, he said. The theology to which they aspired was the right one and letting people believe differently seemed like they were giving up their own convictions. So, the split seemed the only way to go.

He’d come to the same conclusion. He did not know what to do but to work on his own attitude.