[TheRealThing]

I appreciate you taking time to read it, and I respect your stance on it. People are always going to have differences of opinion on the political front, obviously. I just wish the abject hatred that each ‘side’ seems to wish on the other ‘side’ could somehow morph into something more civilized, where maybe things could actually get accomplished. (Not accusing you of that at all, I’m just commenting on the country at large right now). I am not optimistic that this attitude will change in the foreseeable future.

Isn't that the truth. I know people say there is hatred on both sides, and I know the political talking heads accuse both sides of being coequal with the causticisms. I don't see that at all. Conservatives are totally against liberalism and liberal policy, but they really do not hate the people on the left. They coexist with them expecting them to one day change their minds but, not being surprised when they do not. As I have often cited on here, there are no counter examples of riots, arsons, beatings and more serious assault, threats being hurled as they are at Trump rally goers and etc. from the right. You just cannot cite them because they just have not happened. I mean, one can claim right on his side all he wants. But if he participates in threats whether they be online or out on the street, or savagery, or destruction of public property, how could he possibly have right on his side?

I will be completely forthcoming with you here Van. The preponderance of my opinions derive from Scripture. I majored in history, and I have studied US history and her heritage or considered same over my lifetime. I served in the armed service during time of war and I worked in the construction industry. But my perspective on American life and history comes from the Bible. That said though I may find certain mindsets somewhat exasperating, I absolutely do not hate those who harbor those mindsets. Rather, I see a time coming when those folks will suffer great loss and I feel sorry for that. Ever had a car wreck and lamented over it? If you had only done one little thing different. Imagine the lament the unsaved masses will surely feel.

God put us all here to make the choice for or against Him. We are to trust Him and look to Him, the true source of all good things especially life, and keep and honor His tenets as clearly set forth in Scripture. Secular Humanism (liberalism), runs contrary to that. I have written about this subject in the Religion forum, but coming out of the age of enlightenment a mindset developed in which men felt anything which could be known and/or achieved, was knowable or achievable apart from any connection with God. That mindset is referred to as "The Great Dichotomy" Men could in other words observe nature, study and experiment and theorize their way to perfection. That is a condensed definition of secular humanism. There is man's way of solving problems such as hatred, and there is the only proven way which of course is God's way. And you're never going to convince those men who are busy trying to work all this stuff out, that they're in error.

In fact understandably from the perspective of man, liberals do not see that they are in any way in opposition to God. They help the poor and they try to do good. Thus they see Christians as sort of a bunch of slightly deluded goody two-shoes. God however, does not see it that way, and considers those who do not bow before Him in recognition of the unspeakably remarkable gift of His Son's death on the cross and His daily provision for us all, to be willful outcasts. But again, you don't hear of Republicans trying to strike all reference of God from federal buildings and schools and even our money. Why? Because even though one could certainly not say that Republicans are all a bunch of saints, they do more generally tend to conform more than not, to the principles and tenets of God.

Hence the war of your reference. The left has contempt for the right because they believe they are hypocrites who won't get with the program. Conservatives believe it to be the purview of God, and it is His power which is responsible for holding together the building blocks of life, all the way down to the atomic level. And they believe that one day very soon when He withholds that power, the elements of the universe will dissolve away. I believe a nuclear blast releases that power on a very limited scale.
2 Peter 3:9-10 (KJV)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

IMHO, men are like a bunch of kids having a food fight in an elementary school cafeteria. They didn't build the school, they didn't cook the food, but when they finally lift their eyes in recognition of the Principle walking in (and He will) they will finally realize how small they really are and be more than a little sorry.