One of my favorite things to do is read forums. They are a great way to gain insight on what people think on almost any topic. It is a phenomenon I call the "Jerkwad Theorem" , others have called it different, more colorful names. Anonymity+ Audience= Lowered inhibitions to speak ones mind.
I will often read forums for video games (Starcraft 2 and World of Warcraft in particular), but the ones I often enjoy most are the ones that follow news stories, in particular opinion stories, especially those in the Deseret News. Maybe it is because I am in the political minority hear in Utah that I like being irked by what I often perceive as "wrong". Maybe it is the part of me that likes cheering for the underdog.
One thing I have noticed, I don't know if this is a general humanity thing, a local Utah thing but there is this desire to label a person as something, and then ascribe to them EVERYTHING that belongs to that label. For example, the idea that one needs to be a conservative, OR a liberal. One cannot be in the middle. If one is a conservative, he is immediately lumped as a Republican, loves guns, loves God and believes economic prosperity = utopia. If one is a liberal, he is immediately a Democrat, godless, loves abortion and believes the government is to provide everything from cradle to grave. Know I am not saying these are entirely accurate, and in fact that, these gross generalizations are the heart of what I want to address.
In the end, does the label matter as much as what is in the heart? Would a Democrat who was pro choice be any less of a Democrat, or a conservative that didn't believe in God be any less of a conservative? By no means! Being able to think means I can subscribe to ideas from all walks of life. I am allowed to be a Democrat that loves my God! I can be a Republican that is Pro Choice. I can be a Latter-Day Saint and only have one wife! (One of those was pure sarcasm, can you guess which one?)
Another common one I hear is that Mormon's aren't Christians. I really don't think that matters. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe He is God's Son, and the Savior of the world. I believe that only through Him will I be saved. If that makes me a Christian, great. If others have issue with my Mormonism, great. I know who I am, what I believe and so does He. Ultimately it will be my faith that matters, and not the label affixed by man.
I hope that someday we can evolve beyond labels and see only people. See that each is a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father. Free to think and form their own opinions and not have to subscribe completely to one ideology or another. Free to make mistakes, for all children do. Free to learn. Free to be different. We need to worry less about what they think, and worry more about what is in my heart. For it is by that we will be judged, not what club we ultimately belong to.
Very nice first blog entry!!
ReplyDeleteDarrel, this is awesome and I think you did an excellent job. This is well-thought out and well-written (are those hyphenated?).
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you chose to write about this topic. A while ago, I also wrote a blog (a blog now destroyed) on labels and I think you are spot on. Mine had a bit different focus, however, and I wrote more personally about my own labels that I have circulated through the years.
I think humanity tends to enjoy ascribing themselves to a label, like a set of religious values or political ideologies. I think it's something that's in our nature. Whether we are Democrat or Republican, LDS or Episcopalian, Sunday Football Watcher or Artist, we look for a set of norms, a set of rules by which to live. Most often, these sets come with a label. I think we thrive on it; we find comfort there within a set of guidelines.
It's unfortunate, however, that we often want others to share our label, and if they don't, we have a problem with it.