Friday, April 13, 2012

PreachyPeacePants

PreachyPeacePants says: It is POSSIBLE that everyone with different political opinions than you is stupid, mean and just trying to tick you off . . . but it is not LIKELY.

PreachyPeacePants says: Make you a deal. I'll be a good sport about it when my political party loses and you do the same for me.

PreachyPeacePants says: If you saw your child make ridiculing and insulting jokes about another child's opinions you would be horrified. Set a good example this election year.

PreachyPeacePants says: The end of the world "predicted" by the Mayans was not related to the "wrong" political party getting elected. Deep breath everyone.

PreachyPeacePants says: Which is more helpful, praying for your elected leaders or publicly insulting and ridiculing them?

PreachyPeacePants says: God is bigger than the 2012 elections. Trust and pray.

PreachyPeacePants says: Judge not [politicians] lest ye be judged.


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If you hear something said three times you will believe that it is "public opinion".

I heard that recently. Can't remember where. As I recall, it was not the most authoritative of sources so it is likely bunk. Then there was the question of whether you could hear something three times from the same person and it have the same effect. Regardless, it made me think.

This week I am doing an experiment. Every day for seven days (or until I feel like stopping) I am going to post a status to my facebook that encourages a kinder, gentler attitude towards people with different political opinions. As a means of self protection, all my status posts will begin "PreachyPeacePants says . . . " If people hear this message three times will they consider the idea "public opinion" and change their own behavior?

Really, the idea expressed is a no-brainer. This is Catechism 101 in just about any religion. We all were taught that calling people names and making fun of them hurts feelings and relegates one to playground troublemaker status. Why is politics an exception? I know so many otherwise really holy-living people who in matters of politics have daggers for tongues.

I am not saying, whatever you believe, that the other party might not be WRONG, like, really WRONG. But "public opinion" is that we should treat each other with kindness, and gentleness . . . the way we would like to be treated.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 7

1 comment:

  1. Follow-up. There was a resounding silence when PreachyPeacePants spoke every day for seven days on my Facebook account. I was flamed once by someone but no one else commented so there wasn't a a big fight. I picked up an occasional Like or comic response as the days passed. This was hardest to do mid-week for some reason. I just felt like people were probably tired of it. I found myself using gentler words as I went along. "Make fun of" instead of "ridicule", etc. I have NO IDEA if this changed anyone's mind about anything.

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