What Divides Us?

I must make a rant… I just received an unsolicited text message from the Cambria County Republican Party Chair telling me I need to switch parties if I support the military, God, and law enforcement.  Rather than argue the bad faith claims within that I want to address the root philosophy behind this text.  At its core this text message is making the argument that a person must have all his views and opinions align to one ideology to belong to a certain political party, or group.  The idea that people cannot have divergent opinions within an affiliation is also a huge problem with American Christianity (and one of the main reasons I cherish my own Lutheran tradition, as it allows for questions, and debate, rather than absolutism).  The effort to try and claim values as exclusive to your group is a blatant recruiting tactic that has become the most useful tool for dividing us.  One need not be a Republican if they support military and law enforcement.  One need not be Democrat to support LGBTQIA+ people.  This overuse of the “No true Scotsman” fallacy (Google it) is one of the main things happening in American society.  I think the most helpful thing we can do to better unite, and love one another at this point is to point out when we see this fallacy in use and hopefully build awareness for it.  I for one am very tired of the fallacy in this text message that claims “I believe you kneel before God” so you must be a Republican.  I happen to believe in an omnipresent God who is in all things (Colossians 1:16-17) and if one was to kneel before God we would never not be kneeling.  Scripture certainly never makes such a demand.  However, it does demand that we love one another.  Don’t fall prey to the “no true Scotsman” fallacy.  You are allowed to be unique in your own ways and need not have absolute opinions to belong to our society.  You can be a gay Christian police officer who is pro-choice and loves to own firearms.  You don’t need to be in the boxes.  You can have your own identity.  I think this is very important during September, which is Suicide Prevention Month.  I know a lot of young people who don’t know who they are because our society has been telling them that they must fit into certain molds and the fact is most people, especially deep down, don’t believe in exactly everything the traditions they were raised in claim.  It is okay to be complicated.  I leave you with the ELCA’s welcome statement: We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person–questions, complexities and all. Join us as we do God’s work in Christ’s name for the life of the world.  May we all live into that vision.