In order to avoid overreactions from church leaders and members about the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage rulings, Richard Hammar gave brief points about what church leaders need to know about the rulings at www.ag.org/pdfs/DOMA_rulings.pdf. I think that pastors and teachers in churches should read his brief points first, before they carelessly say anything about the rulings in the pulpit. Some pastors have a tendency to exaggerate the implications of the events in the world of politics, in order to scare church members about the destructive impact of secularization on traditional values. Exaggerated claims due to ignorance can breed false beliefs. False beliefs can be breeding grounds for all sorts of irrationalities.
I am annoyed by the recent town hall meetings with some U.S. senators and representatives. With angry citizens who are clearly misinformed by the conservative media and conservative politicians, rational discourses regarding Obama’s health care reform bill seem impossible. How can one have a rational discourse with anyone who is overwhelmed by his or her irrational impulses, in addition to deeply held false beliefs? They are misinformed considering that their claims are drawn from fallacious inferences (e.g. slippery slope, red herring, straw man, ad hominem, etc.). They are moved by their fears, prejudices, paranoia, insecurities, false assumptions, etc. Of course, conservative media (like Fox News) and conservative politicians (like Sarah Palin) are responsible for fanning the flame with fallacious, sensationalist, exaggerated, and caricatured claims about the proposed health care reform bill. Loud mouths with messages lacking in substance usually work in inspiring the masses. Substa...
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