A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a woman I know on Facebook who has the most consistently conservative views I’ve seen. I really don’t know if there’s a single thing that she’s shared on politics, religion, sexuality, guns or healthcare that I can agree with. However, I also know her to be a very caring person who is currently working with orphans in South Sudan. She’s probably in her 60s now and is currently suffering from malaria, but she’s still very upbeat about life and does whatever she can to help others. I admire her more than many others who have more “correct” perspectives on reality.
Still… being a good person who cares about others is one thing, but people like this are also politically active and in aggregate can cause a lot of damage. I think the outward focus and self sacrifice that she shows is often missing from less religious demographics, but they are often more effective in bringing about positive change in society. She’s not the enemy and I have been happy to work alongside her, but people have very different ideas about what does and doesn’t hurt people. In the end though, people don’t necessarily change a lot with their views, so I think it’s often best to look at what they actually do with their lives.
