Richard Bridge sez: Damn the church. It is a force for evil.

No, it is not. There are certain people within churches who may be "forces for evil," perhaps - but the same applies to every group of people. Almost universally, churches are organized to be forces for good. Almost all human endeavors fall short of their lofty goals.

When an organization or individual does not believe as the speaker believes, it is often described as evil. That's not the case - it's a differing opinion, a reality to be dealt with. Opposition to abortion or gay marriage or whatnot is not necessarily a "force for evil" - it is a differing opinion to be contended with. It's what some people think.

The most effective way to deal with differing opinions is to acknowledge and honor them, and find a way to accommodate a diversity of thinking. I realize that's impossible for absolutists - and I admit that there are many absolutists among church people.

Lately, I've been finding that there are just as many absolutists among people who like to think of themselves as enlightened humanists.

-Joe Offer-