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\u201cDo we always have to make people go away?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
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It\u2019s not like the Intramuralist to begin with or even include<\/i> a quote from political commentator, Bill Maher, but irony seems oddly apparent this time of year… and Maher\u2019s one time question begs asking again now.<\/p>\n
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Why is it that instead of entertaining dialogue \u2014 instead of engaging in an interactive, back-and-forth conversation \u2014 instead of listening and learning and actually humbly educating one another through public discourse \u2014 why is it we often instead attempt to silence an opposing voice?\u00a0 Why can we not even entertain the conversation?\u00a0 Is it just too tough?\u00a0 Is it just so wrong?<\/i>\u00a0 Is it just that their opinion is so wrong no one deserves to ever hear it?<\/p>\n
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As many are now aware, popular \u201cDuck Dynasty\u201d patriarch, Phil Robertson, was suspended by the A&E network because of his comments in GQ magazine regarding homosexual intercourse, sharing his opinion in a rather coarse way that homosexuality is sinful.\u00a0 Immediately, there were adamant calls for his firing and claims of Christian bigotry.\u00a0 While questions instinctively arise as to why calls for Robertson\u2019s release were passionately immediate \u2014 but calls for recent non-Christian rants have been similarly silent \u2014\u00a0 allow me to humbly return to what I believe is the better question:\u00a0 why is there a need by some to silence Robertson?<\/p>\n
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Can we not handle the conversation?\u00a0 Or do some, for some reason, not want us to even discuss this issue?<\/p>\n
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Friends, there exists all sorts of tangents to this controversy.\u00a0 Is it a free speech issue?\u00a0 Is it an issue of employment discrimination?\u00a0 Is Robertson\u2019s perspective biblical?\u00a0 Is it contradictory?\u00a0 Are we practicing tolerance?\u00a0 Intolerance?\u00a0 And why this controversy now?\u00a0 As said at the onset of this post, irony seems oddly apparent this time of year.\u00a0 I find it fascinating that Robertson\u2019s interview took place some time ago; television executives had to have known what Robertson said.\u00a0 However, only after the public pressure mounted by activist groups \u2014 and, immediately preceding <\/i>A&E\u2019s planned \u201cDuck Dynasty\u201d marathon <\/i>\u2014 did the suspension \u2014 and supposed outrage \u2014 occur.<\/p>\n
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As typical then of the Intramuralist, let\u2019s boldly but humbly ask the better question:\u00a0 can we or can we not handle the conversation?\u00a0 Can we wrestle with Robertson\u2019s actual opinion?<\/p>\n
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Call me an idealist, but the Intramuralist adheres to the belief that truth always wins out in the end.\u00a0 In other words, what\u2019s good and right and true cannot be squelched by the foolish acts of an individual.\u00a0 We cannot contain the truth.<\/p>\n
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Hence, wouldn\u2019t it be wiser to allow the conversation?\u00a0 To work less to silence an opinion but to wrestle with its validity or lack of it?\u00a0 … Are we fearful? … are we righteous? … are we self-<\/i>righteous?\u00a0 I speak not only of this somewhat silly show; I speak also of politics… religion. \u00a0Again, quoting Maher, why do we always have to make people \u2014 and their opinion \u2014 go away?<\/p>\n
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My strong sense is the most effective way to influence others is to act wisely oneself \u2014 to engage in respectful dialogue \u2014 as opposed to dictating the dialogue.\u00a0 No one need to ever reason nor conclude\u00a0\u2014 or grow<\/em>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0 if opposing opinion is simply silenced.\u00a0 Come now; let\u2019s reason together, fording one another the freedom to decide what is actually good and true… regardless of irony.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Respectfully,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cDo we always have to make people go away?\u201d It\u2019s not like the Intramuralist to begin with or even include a quote from political commentator, Bill Maher, but irony seems oddly apparent this time of year… and Maher\u2019s one time question begs asking again now. Why is it that instead of entertaining … <\/p>\n