Culture wars (XI) Informed conversation: Wise as serpents, harmless as doves

The verse referred to in the title is “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 19:16). Since everybody and his dog can post on social media, and since most of us get just about all our information that way, we need in being wise to exercise some discernment. We must not be naive, not everybody is good, and on both sides there are wolves those who are willing to lie. But again on both sides there are who are not this way, and we need to find each other. We will not get the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth if we stay in isolation from each other. But since there are lies out there, we need a way to discount at least some of them.

We need to admit the tendency to listen only to our side, and I have found it helpful to listen to those on any side, who are willing to engage in respectful informed debate. I am impressed by those who when presented with the facts, are willing to change their minds at least on that particular aspect of what they believe. I am impressed by Dave Ruben of the Ruben Report. Dave pro-choice and is married to a man. I have contrary views on these things, but I respect Dave for having people of all stripes on his show. Dave “left the left,” changing his mind largely through his interviews with Larry Elder (search “Ruben report Larry Elder” on Youtube). There is a lot of internet hate directed towards him, because of this, but it was fact after fact that lead Ruben to change his mind. I find it useful, in seeking to get at the truth to listen at times to those who activists are trying to shut down. Dave is one of them. Another example is a recent noisy protest recently by transgender activist against feminist Meghan Murphy's talk at the Toronto public library. Murphy was drawing attention to women being sexually assaulted in prisons, and homeless shelters.

There are two sides to this coin. I am told that trans women in men’s prisons, are often and frequently brutally assaulted, and being involved in prison ministry I believe it. I am also told that as many as fifty percent of the trans women who are seeking to be transferred to women’s prison are sex offenders. Do we need to shut down debate over these things? If we do, how will we even know about the equal and opposite abuse, let alone find solutions? Clearly some sort of segregation needs to be put in place. On the conservative side of these things, there is a lot of opposition to Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro. These gentlemen have guests who lean towards the left, and I have learnt a great deal from both of them and others. But the man from whom I have learnt the most, is Jordon Peterson who describes himself as centre liberal.

Father, if we are not to be naive, and to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves in our conversations, we also need to be informed. Help us to take the time to be informed, but also to allow our conversations to expose our ignorance when it is there. And please Lord equip us to speak with love, truth and grace. Kingdom of God come in our conversations in Jesus Name Amen