Here is a thought process/challenge for today:
Look at any belief, political view, religion or practice and take it out to the extreme and see where it goes. You may not like the results. The scripture that I am using below says to avoid extremes and I agree. But this is a challenge to see what the ultimate line of belief or practice is.
Here are a couple examples to start with:
Islam – I am certainly not an expert on Islam (and correct me if I’m wrong) but I believe the ultimate belief is Sharia Law.
Christianity – Give everything to the Lord and lay down your life. Love your enemy. Turn the other cheek. Total forgiveness.
Love/Hate – Pretty obvious…
Some practical political issues:
Guns – Freedom to bear arms anytime, anywhere with no background checks or regulation.
Abortion – The right to have one up to the time of birth. A fetus has no rights.
Alcohol/drugs – The ultimate extreme result I guess would be death.
Ok. You get the idea. Look at any issue and take it to the extreme. We often look to the “seed” of thought – where did this begin. I’m encouraging you to look to the “fruit” of the extreme. Is it positive or negative. Does it bear life or death?
Once you get to the extreme, is it something that you want to practice? What steps need to be taken to bring it back to acceptable society levels? Can we have restrictions without losing our freedom to choose this thought?
Guns – Do we really want to live in the wild west with everyone carrying guns? Do we want to bring back holsters and walk around ready to shoot? Do we want everyone to have a gun? What regulations are acceptable to balance the issue?
Alcohol/drugs – We have tried numerous adjustments. Some have worked and some have failed. It has been a continuing process that gets tweaked often. Age limits. Prohibition. Driving restrictions/penalties. Legalization. Why can’t we come to an understanding of this process with some of the other issues today? Trial and error and adjusting laws instead of total freedom or shut down?
Religion – Where are your extreme beliefs leading you? Are you going to kill non believers or love them? Are you going to reach down and help the needy or kick them while they are down?
This is an interesting challenge for many issues. I hope you take time to look at your own life.