{"id":2972,"date":"2023-09-11T07:36:54","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T11:36:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/js1cd06kre.onrocket.site\/?p=2972"},"modified":"2023-09-11T07:36:54","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T11:36:54","slug":"principled-disagreements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/2023\/09\/11\/principled-disagreements\/","title":{"rendered":"Principled Disagreements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To listen to this reflection as a podcast,<\/em> <\/a>click here<\/a>

It\u2019s tempting to assume that America\u2019s current election cycle has set new lows for rudeness, incivility, and slander.

Most historians, however, would suggest that our country\u2019s darkest political hour came in the year 1800.

That\u2019s when two of the original \u201cfounding brothers\u201d \u2013 titans of the American Revolution who had once enjoyed a robust friendship \u2013 ran against each other for president.

John Adams already held the highest office in the land.\u00a0 Thomas Jefferson aimed to make it his own.\u00a0 Their supporters were absolutely convinced that America\u2019s fate hung in the balance.\u00a0 Everything good, beautiful, and hopeful would be lost if the other guy won the election.

Timothy Dwight, the president of Yale and a stanch supporter of Adams, declared that if Jefferson won, \u201cAmerica could well see the end of both religion and family.\u00a0 We may see the Bible cast into the\u00a0bonfire, and our children\u2026chanting mockeries against God.\u00a0 Our wives and daughters [will be] the victims of legal prostitution.\u201c

Alexander Hamilton countered that Adams \u201cwas not presidential material, because of great and intrinsic defects in his character, including disgusting egotism, distempered jealousy, and an ungovernable indiscretion of temper.\u201d

Adams responded angrily that Hamilton was \u201ca bastard brat of a Scotch peddler, and a man devoid of every moral principle.\u201d

This is probably not the best thing to say if you\u2019re trying to disprove someone\u2019s assertion that you have a temper problem.

The election was painted in starkly spiritual terms.\u00a0 Jefferson was attacked by most of America\u2019s clergy, who declared from their pulpits that the Virginian was \u201cunmanly, a coward\u2026a saboteur of everything sacred, the arch-priest of infidelity, a confirmed infidel, preaching insurrection against God.\u201d

One of Adams\u2019 opponents countered that the sitting president was \u201ca hideous hermaphroditic character which has neither the force nor firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.\u201d\u00a0

You have to admit that even today\u2019s politicians haven\u2019t yet succumbed to labeling their opponents hermaphroditic.\u00a0<\/em>

After months of such ugly rhetoric, open hostility, and apocalyptic predictions, the election ended in a stalemate.\u00a0 Neither candidate had enough votes to declare victory according to the rules then in play.\u00a0 The outcome was left up to Congress.\u00a0 Deals were made.\u00a0 Jefferson ultimately became America\u2019s third president.

Overwhelmed by bitterness, Adams retreated from public life.

Many people in 1800 thought America could not possibly survive such a crisis. \u00a0But it did.

Stephen Prothero, professor of religion at Boston University, points out that in our culture \u201cthere will always be deep-seated differences about moral, religious, and ethical questions.\u00a0 Our arguments will continue.\u00a0 They should<\/em> continue.\u201d

Principled discussions and disagreements over months and even years are, in fact, the primary way that we Americans work out our most important questions.\u00a0 \u00a0

But when each side becomes intolerant of the other \u2013 when we demonize our opponents and insist on their total defeat and humiliation \u2013 it becomes hard to go forward.

There\u2019s a Jewish tradition that contrasts two ways to argue:\u00a0arguing for the sake of ego vs. arguing for the sake of heaven.\u00a0 According to the former, you must do everything possible to win; you have to prove yourself superior to your opponent.\u00a0

But as Prothero points out, arguing for the sake of heaven means both sides are actually trying to get closer to the truth.\u00a0 This approach begins with \u201cthe awareness that neither side possesses the whole truth.\u00a0 Only God has that.\u201d\u00a0 Therefore each side stands to learn something by listening to the other.

And that means that along the way, even in the midst of our strongest disagreements, we must remember that civility is not a sign of weakness<\/em>.

We cannot, in the name of Jesus, wish disaster upon those with whom we disagree.\u00a0 As Paul insists in Romans 12:14-18, \u201cBless those who persecute you;\u00a0bless and do not curse.\u00a0Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.\u00a0 Live in harmony with one another\u2026 Do not be conceited.\u00a0 Do not repay anyone evil for evil\u2026. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.\u201d

So what happened to Adams and Jefferson?

Against all expectations, their friendship was rekindled after more than a decade of silence.\u00a0 Then for 15 years they exchanged letters in an effort to understand and appreciate each other.\u00a0 Their correspondence remains an American treasure.

On the 50th<\/sup> anniversary of the founding of the country they both loved, Adams lay dying in Massachusetts.\u00a0 His final words were, \u201cThomas Jefferson survives.\u201d\u00a0 Ironically, Jefferson had already died that same day in Virginia:\u00a0July 4, 1826.\u00a0 \u00a0

What\u2019s the worst way to die?\u00a0 That\u2019s a no-brainer.\u00a0

The worst way to die is with unresolved bitterness in your heart.

Even if your soul has been bruised by hurts and disagreements that seem impossible to overcome, start building a bridge from your edge of the chasm.

Heaven and history are on your side.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To listen to this reflection as a podcast, click here It\u2019s tempting to assume that America\u2019s current election cycle has set new lows for rudeness, incivility, and slander. Most historians, however, would suggest that our country\u2019s darkest political hour came in the year 1800. That\u2019s when two of the original \u201cfounding brothers\u201d \u2013 titans of the American Revolution who had… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2973,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[633,414],"class_list":["post-2972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-civility","tag-disagreements"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2972"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2974,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2972\/revisions\/2974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}