Politics can't be avoided these days. Shall we discuss it civilly?
With all this Republican versus Democrat yelling going on, let's first talk about the origin of the political parties that we see every election. Politics is defined as activities associated with governing, especially conflict among individuals or parties having and hoping to achieve power. The Republican and Democrat parties were born in 1820 when settlers had to decide whether their state would be free or slave. Apparently, they have been at each others' throats for a longer time than some of us thought possible, so let's learn how to get along this election.
Civil Conversation
In some cases, it may be a respectful conversation habit to avoid politics at all times. This depends on the person you are talking to. If you can bring up politics without a chair being thrown across the room you can benefit from this post. To start with, choose your moment to speak on this carefully. Invite the person into the topic, but do not demand they talk about it. In this situation, they can politely decline without any anger and frustration.
Everybody makes decisions on what they think of people. However, stop and consider this person with a blank slate and hear them out on their views without jumping to conclusions on what you think their background is. Assume good intentions until proven otherwise. If proven otherwise you should probably just end the conversation. Every person you know is loved by God. Treat them as such in this interaction.
On a related note, pride and looking down upon people is frowned upon, especially when you discuss sensitive topics. Topics that can make someone go at you in a public place, like politics, is a good area to remain humble. Being humble is a good practice in life. Pride can make it hard to discuss anything, let alone intelligently debate. Being right does not necessarily mean you need to rub it in anyone's face, and right now we can't always know what is truth, half-truth, and lie. This is where we give grace to each other and lovingly correct, should someone be wrong about something. Do not insist your opinions are correct if they are just opinions.
Intelligent debate should help you understand the other point of view. It is not a court case where someone can win or lose - it is a conversation where two or more people logically provide backing for their beliefs while agreeing to disagree. Don't be baited into turning debate into argument. We already know that our own government does not always intelligently debate, especially if you watched the last few debates recently. If the other side of the debate is not going to calm down you should end it, then and there, and walk away (if you are not on TV or at a debate event).
When you jump into your passions you can easily go overboard. You believe strongly in x, y, or z, and most likely believe you are right. You shouldn't go into this conversation fully trying to prove it. This is not the courthouse. You have no reason to constantly present evidence that you are right and try to outdo your fellow humans. If this is the case, stop talking. Listen to understand.
Building Connection
It is hard to connect political conversation with building connections, but here it is. Most of the time we converse on common ground. Find that common ground and build some trust as you navigate this type of conversation. Relationship and friendship make it easier to respectfully discuss a topic. You are less likely to attack the other person verbally if there is some form of friendship or trust there. This creates a space that is more welcoming to a respectful discussion.
Ask questions, respectfully, about the person's experiences. Get some background on what they believe, experienced in childhood, lived through, and live with. Real, genuine curiosity can lead you into a more connected discussion than you thought possible. Try to understand the issues and views from their point of view. Use your empathy and put yourself in their shoes. You can come away from this with a new understanding of the people and groups around you. Don't shut that down by refusing to empathize with another human being.
With this, we have to understand that some words mean different things and offend different people. Don't storm off in a huff when they say something you are offended by. Let them explain themselves in full. Assume nothing. If you find you simply can't hold back your temper you need to walk away from this conversation before you say something hurtful. If they are intentionally being hurtful that is a clear sign to leave the room.
Listening skills are seriously important here. If you are listening to respond back and refute, rather than to understand, you shouldn't be in the conversation at all. Listening to understand creates a connection that makes someone feel important and valued. If you are just trying to prove you are right you are not doing any good, not to anyone. Don't tune anything out, either, simply listen.
A verbal attack on your beliefs is one thing you need to make sure you don't do. We defend beliefs naturally. This makes us all hostile, even with intentions to be civil. I have said walk away from hostile confrontations many times and this situation is no different. If the other person can't intelligently talk about differences, then the conversation you had was just hot air. I would encourage you to feel out who can talk about politics without throwing a chair, so that hostility can be avoided (it can't always, but this can save you some breath and bad feelings in the long run).
At the end of all this, it is suggested that you bow out of the conversation before you get too triggered by issues and are tempted to get hostile yourself. If you come out of it agreeing to disagree you have had a good conversation and now understand (mostly) the other person. It is okay to not have the same view on politics. We are not the same people and should not expect to.
Today
Right now this type of conversation is not the most common. Scan through Facebook today, I challenge you, and find at least one argument in the comments. It only takes a few minutes to find one, which doesn't bode well for our future. God did not call us to communicate hate, but instead gave us the ability to build others up. God has called us to love our neighbors, so please, love your neighbors for the sake of everyone around you. It will create a better community. Since most everyone has now discovered how important human interaction is (due to Covid regulations), I think we need to relearn love. Now is the time to start and it is never too late to do so.
The Thunderbeat
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