Really?

So sometimes you see a piece of news and your brain just simply refuses to process it on the first try. Today had one for me. A group of anti abortion protestors calling themselves "Operation Save America" decided to crash the service at a Unitarian church, taking an opportunity to speak their beliefs while the congregation was observing a moment of silence for a member who had passed away.

The story in a nutshell.

Because ya know I always feel like I might change my spiritual path when confronted by ranting half wits who crash my community.

Whoever organized this little excursion to loony land was well aware he wouldn't win any converts. Not by standing up in the middle of a service and acting like a jerk, or later when they pressed pictures of aborted fetus's to  the churches windows.

It's a simple rallying of the troops by engaging in activity to isolate them from social norms around them and unite them in a common drive toward their goal.

Kind of like what groups described as "cults" do to their members. Cut people off from sources of information outside of your own, indoctrinate them, and then train them to follow the leader.

As the world becomes less and less like a vision of America that coincides with what some remember, groups of people are trying hard to find anyone who will give them a vision of what they want. And these people are used accordingly.

So far these citizens of the far right have for the most part stayed non violent. Although there was that time someone shot up a Unitarian church. Or the time that guy shot the doctor in the doorway of his church. Those have been isolated incidents but I find myself worrying.

So if I may offer some advice, a vision if you will. If someone is telling that another group is totally wrong and needs to be adjusted to their way of thinking. Nod, smile and hit the back door as fast as you can. Soon this person will want you to be a mirror of their hates and desires. Acting as another appendage of their will.

I attend a Unitarian church, admittedly not often but I do enjoy sitting down and knowing that behind me there's a jewish couple, a christian beside me, and a humanist on the other side, with a muslim ahead of me. Afterword we'll all hang out and have coffee, and we'll talk to each other as people and as fellow travelers in this world.

I have no desire to change their views and they have no desire to change mine. Amongst us there's a belief that faith is a good thing but in the end our actions will determine how God (s) punish or reward us or not.

That people are different or something different from you does not make them your enemies, it does mean they know something you don't. So take the time to walk up and get to know them. Not only do you meet a possible new friend but in the end you also break the spell of the cult leader who spends way too much time looking for things to keep us apart when he should look for the things we can all agree on.

All too often we let ourselves fall prey to conflicts simply because we fail to understand the people around us. So take a few minutes, learn. And like I said if the nice leader wants you to go do something hateful to another group it might be time to go elsewhere quickly.

Todays add on is inspired by seeing the Talking Heads movie "Stop Making Sense" last night. Enjoy.

Burning Down the House