Peddling fear

Dear editor:

Zeal for what is good is excellent. Zeal that either destroys relationships or that is inconsiderate of others is anything but excellent.

Inconsiderate and/or damaging political zeal is the result of fear. It is akin to, “The aliens from space are invading, and they are about to take over our country!” Those who speak often and angrily about others with whom they disagree fear their power and potential clout. If they claim a faith at all, they don’t fear their deities; they represent their deities as either impotent or not caring very much to do anything. (If they truly had trust in their deities, they would demonstrate that trust in what they said and did.)

Several television “news” organizations are determined to promote perspectives, bringing commentators to use “logic” to support the reasoning on one side or the other. That “logic” seems so good to the convinced and so faulty to those convinced with the opposite views. The results of these promotions, if believed, will be fear. The anger, the hatred, the accusations, the declarations of “motives” (only a deity can know the motive of any person), the defensiveness, the claims that this or that is being accomplished with those on the other side attempting to overthrow the accomplishments all work toward one result in those who are gullible and susceptible to these “newsmodic” “infomercials:” fear.

For those who claim a faith, such fear deteriorates faith and nullifies it; such persons cannot live out their faiths toward those who politically oppose their own political agendas. (Any faith that demonstrates itself in defensiveness of a deity or a human leader gives proof that the holder of that faith has a leader who must be defended and is, therefore, weak.)

If watchers of these television “news” channels were to consider carefully the commercials, they might wonder what the news channels are “really” promoting. For example, if a news channel sees the government as doing excellently and stabilizing the economy, why do those advertising sell gold? Those who buy gold fear that the economy is about to collapse! If a news channel sees the government as being very poorly run, why do those advertising promote luxury items that give the impression that the economy is doing very well?

Those who are confident in their political views never need to be defensive, just like those who are confident in their religious/spiritual faiths. Defensiveness both appears to portray weakness and does show weakness. Instead, one who is strong in a political view, as in a faith, is perfectly capable of listening to others with opposite views and to see things from their perspectives even while internally disagreeing.

“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’” (Joel 3:10)

Violent entertainment is what “newsmodic” “infomercials” offer. Politics, however, when wisely done, promotes peace and folks working together who have totally opposite views. These are not done through compromise; they are accomplished through friendship, listening to others and graciousness. James Wilson Hot Springs