I find that the older I get, the more I appreciate having an active sense of humor — particularly when it comes to the Big Duo of cultural discussion here in America — religion and politics.
I used to take politics pretty seriously. There was a time when I was a passionate conservative Republican and a strongly “fundamentalist” Christian. They seemed to go hand-in-hand for me and I took both very seriously.
Then, as I grew out of my teen years, through my 20s and 30s, I found myself changing my viewpoint. Suddenly, the more I observed about “real life” and the more I read, I found myself growing a bit more “liberal” or tolerant about politics and religion.
At this point, I consider myself somewhere on the “progressive to liberal” scale politically, and somewhere on the “mainline Protestant” spectrum regarding religion.
But above all, I find myself thinking (especially regarding politics) that such labels really aren’t useful and mostly serve to polarize good people on both “sides” of the political/religious spectrum. When they’re taken too seriously.
I honestly think you could take 90 percent of the elected federal officials in America, line them against a wall dressed in identical clothing — and you’d never really be able to tell the “liberals” from the “conservatives” on most issues. Of course there are philosophical differences and each “brand” of politician has learned the “party line” very effectively. But above all, they are POLITICIANS, i.e., they have mastered the art of sailing with every change of political wind to get elected.
Anyway, that’s mostly just my musing and rambling for the day. In real life, when I’m with a group of conservatives, I try to keep a low profile. Generally, if I open my mouth, I stand out from the group about like a fully loaded pizza at a convention of diet pill reviewers.
But, then, it’s almost the same contrast when I’m around a group of hardcore political liberals. What does that really make me? Perhaps I think of myself a sort of a political “progressive centrist.” If there is such a thing? I dunno!