{"id":8216,"date":"2016-07-23T13:15:42","date_gmt":"2016-07-23T17:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?p=8216"},"modified":"2017-02-25T12:06:09","modified_gmt":"2017-02-25T16:06:09","slug":"statement-on-catholic-trump-wars-civil-discourse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2016\/07\/statement-on-catholic-trump-wars-civil-discourse.html","title":{"rendered":"Catholic “Trump Wars” & Civil Discourse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
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\"Quarrel\"<\/p>\n

Photograph from Pexels.com<\/span> [CC0 license<\/a>; free for any use with no attribution]<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

[the initial impetus for this article came from learning\u00a0about a friend who opposes Trump, who\u00a0expressed that she had been deeply hurt by friends]<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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There is plenty of vitriol on both sides. No one has a monopoly on it. We need to condemn harsh rhetoric and gratuitous insults wherever it comes from. I will vote for Trump, not<\/em> because he is a canonized saint, but because he is (according to my best lights and sincere rational analysis) the best available choice<\/em>\u00a0in terms of actually being elected (note that he was my 15th choice out of the 17 original GOP candidates). Anyone who wants to understand my<\/em> reasoning as to why I have that opinion, can read one or more of my ten articles about it: listed on my<\/span> Political and Ethical Issues\u00a0web page<\/a> (second section).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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That said, I wholeheartedly condemn any hurtful rhetoric or foolish polemics that have hurt anyone on either<\/em> side of this. It\u2019s a disgrace, but Catholics seem to be specializing in pathetic divisiveness and mutual anathematizing these days.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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We do it even regarding the Holy Father and now concerning the presidential campaign. There seems to be few limits or restraints, and almost no shame anymore (again, many on both<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0sides of both debates are guilty and need to step back, deeply ponder and do a self-examination).\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Only the devil and those who oppose the Catholic Church (and, I would say, the GOP and\/or political conservatism) gain by all of this pitiful, outrageous garbage that is taking place.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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On this thread (both at Patheos and on my Facebook pages), I will only allow comments that agree to condemn personal insults wherever<\/em> they are found. Any \u201cpartisan\u201d \/ polemical \/ insulting comments will be deleted, since I have studiously avoided getting into the middle of the disgraceful internal fighting all along.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Meanwhile, I had a perfectly civil, mutually respectful discussion about the Republican nominee Donald\u00a0Trump in person with an esteemed friend and fellow author last week (many of you would know his name). Blessedly, we found several areas of partial agreement, but he will not\u00a0<\/em>vote for Trump and I will<\/em>. <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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It\u2019s entirely possible, but note that it was 1) in person<\/em>, and 2) with a good friend<\/em>, within an established relationship of mutual trust and respect. Those two things are key. On the Internet, people often say things that they would never say in person. They lower themselves to a sort of \u201clowest common denominator.\u201d I\u2019ve always believed that true dialogue is only possible if mutual good will and sincerity are granted, and within an outlook of some measure of mutual respect (preferably actually friendship).<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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It is<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0possible to constructively talk about even this, minus the trash talk. But it takes much concerted effort, and it takes a conscious attempt to apply basic New Testament ethics: particularly regarding humility, the esteeming of others higher than ourselves, and believing the best of those with whom we disagree, not the worst.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I said to my friend in our own dialogue that, even with discussions between actual friends, there are two approaches to take when the friend expresses an opinion vastly contrary to our own:<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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1) \u201cIf [s]he believes that<\/em><\/strong>, then [s]he must be a scoundrel<\/em><\/strong> and all-around wascally wascal and jerk.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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vs. <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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2) \u201cIf [s<\/strong>]he<\/strong> believes that, then there must be something to<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0it that I haven\u2019t considered (since I respect him\/ her so much), and I need to hear him out.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The emphasis in the first instance is on the opinion, whereas in the second it is on the person and our respect for them. The first approach quickly judges and is willing to send a friend packing. The second believes the best of the other (in intentions, sincerity, thinking issues through, etc.) and is willing to shut up and listen, because our trusted friend is expressing his \/ her opinion.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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When my friend and I had our lengthy discussion, he expressed some understandable trepidation at first. I kept urging him to tell me his opinion, which he clearly had given much thought to (as he does with all important issues that concern him). I said, \u201cbecause<\/em> you\u2019re my good friend and I highly respect<\/em> your opinions, I want to hear your reasoning, precisely because I know you will give sensible, thoughtful rationales, and not merely insults and raw emotion, like most Internet discussions.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Indeed, he did so. I wasn\u2019t convinced. We agreed on several \u201csub-issues.\u201d We disagreed on the ultimate decision concerning voting for Trump. But we listened and talked to each other (I listened probably 80% of the time), and did so charitably and with open minds.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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If that\u2019s not possible for people to do online (which seems to overwhelmingly be the case), then I urge anyone who feels compelled to start lashing out, to go play chess or watch an old movie, find a punching bag, or (best of all) read our Lord Jesus\u2019 and St. Paul\u2019s innumerable ethical commands instead. Have the willpower, sense, and wits (and mercy on potential victims!) to decide not\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>to contribute to the disgraceful rhetoric that we observe everywhere right now.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Meta Description:\u00a0Plea to Catholics to stop engaging in civil war over Donald Trump, & to respect the contrary opinions of friends & colleagues: to apply NT ethics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meta Keywords:\u00a02016 presidential campaign, American politics, American presidential election, Catholics & Trump, Catholics and presidential election, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, discussion ethics, constructive dialogue, rhetoric, polemics, personal insults<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photograph from Pexels.com [CC0 license; free for any use with no attribution] ***** [the initial impetus for this article came from learning\u00a0about a friend who opposes Trump, who\u00a0expressed that she had been deeply hurt by friends] There is plenty of vitriol on both sides. No one has a monopoly on it. We need to condemn […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":8218,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[289],"tags":[2768,2769,2776,2896,2895,218,2540,1826,2424,3060,2699,3059],"class_list":["post-8216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-ethical-moral-issues","tag-2016-presidential-campaign","tag-american-politics","tag-american-presidential-election","tag-catholics-trump","tag-catholics-and-presidential-election","tag-constructive-dialogue","tag-discussion-ethics","tag-donald-trump","tag-hillary-clinton","tag-personal-insults","tag-polemics","tag-rhetoric"],"yoast_head":"\nCatholic "Trump Wars" & Civil Discourse<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Plea to Catholics to stop engaging in civil war over Donald Trump, & to respect the contrary opinions of friends & colleagues: to apply NT 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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \"This Rock\" (now called \"Catholic Answers Magazine\"), \"Envoy Magazine\" (Patrick Madrid), \"The Catholic Answer,\" \"The Coming Home Journal,\" \"Gilbert Magazine\" (American Chesterton Society), and \"The Latin Mass.\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \"The Michigan Catholic\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \"Envoy Magazine.\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \"Catholic Answers Live\" (twice), \"Faith and Family Live\" (Steve Wood), \"Kresta in the Afternoon,\" \"Son Rise Morning Show,\" \"Catholic Connection\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \"The Catholics Next Door.\" His large and popular website, \"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \"Envoy Magazine.\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \"index\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \"Surprised by Truth\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \"The Catholic Verses\" (2004), \"The One-Minute Apologist\" (2007), \"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\" (2009), \"The Quotable Newman\" (editor: 2012), and \"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \"The New Catholic Answer Bible\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \"Quotable Wesley\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. They have three sons and a daughter, and reside in southeast Michigan (metro Detroit).","sameAs":["https:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dave.armstrong.798","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@LuxVeritatisApologetics"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/author\/davearmstrong"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2331"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8216\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}