You Don’t Agree With Me – You Must Be A Racist!

Ah, the good old days.

I remember back in my college days when I would get involved in debates/yelling matches on the West Mall at UT. It was the standard post-high school goodness – you remember these times – you had just left mommy and daddy’s house and you claimed you knew everything.

Years later – 10 years into my career and knee deep in families, mortgages and ‘real life’ action – now I claim I know nothing. 🙂

Anyway, back in those days, being a young, semi-conservative Christian at a very liberal school, I was assured by my erudite college mates, homeless folks, and other questionable adults who for some reason had the ability to spend all day arguing with kids (still trying to figure out what job that was) – that all of the beliefs that I held dearly were wrong.

The Bible was wrong. Gun ownership was wrong. The right to self-defense was wrong. The Civil War was all about slavery and had nothing to do with the long-running battle over states rights vs. federal rights. For God sakes, even being a “real man” was wrong. Everything I stood for. Challenged, crapped on, spat on – because my rules for living came from a 2000 year-old-book* – not from whatever the latest word was from Hollywood celebs and the MTV-culture set.

The arguments were pointless. It was two perspectives with such a wide delta between them that there was no way we would reach common ground. My basis for belief was scorned (even though most of these folks would also claim to support 1st amendment rights – but not for all beliefs, apparently), but because I wouldn’t accept their perspective as dogma, I was stupid.

Here is how a typical “debate” went down:

Angry Man #1: “There is no Jesus.”

Me: “Yes, there is”

Angry Man #1: “How can you believe such mythology?”

Me: “Because of faith, and the Bible”

Angry Man #1: “The Bible is wrong. And bad.”

Me: “I don’t agree with that.”

Angry Man #1: “Then you are STUPID!”

That was it – I was stupid. College scores, SAT scores, IQ tests – useless in the face of my inability to turn my back on my beliefs and my God.

But at least back then, I was only called “stupid.”

Now, I would be considered racist for not agreeing with the liberal intelligentsia.

Because surely, if I don’t agree with the supposition, that in this time – certainly the greatest moral, political, ideological and economic crisis this country has ever faced – if I don’t buy their hype and support their ridiculous policies, then it is not because their candidate is unqualified, it is not because I happen to not agree with his politics or his charisma, it is because I am racist.

Calling me racist is an unacceptable lie that denies the legitimacy of my right to take part in the political process – and makes them look like fools in the process.

Please go back to just calling me stupid for not thinking the way you do.

* BTW – Christianity is based on the concept of freewill – the only major religion to do so. Freewill also happens to be the entire basis of Western Culture and democracy.