Sunday, November 13, 2016

How do we challenge ideas?

As I sat in the parking lot of a local laundromat, i thought about the ideas the elected Donald Trump. Many of these ideas were held and promoted by the Evangelical community. Social issues, like marriage equity and abortion were at the top of the list. I think Evangelicals bargained away their moral position in order to push a social agenda. It reminded me of Satan’s temptation of Jesus, except that they took the deal.

My laundromat is in a two-story commercial complex. Above it is a small Korean Church. I heard them singing hymns while I listened to Slate’s Political Gabfest and drank coffee. My guess is that the congregation contained no more than 20 people. The laundromat contains the normal smattering of Christian propaganda. I assume it’s provided by the church, but it could just be another true believer doing his or her part for the cause. It prompted me to think.

How do we challenge these ideas? How do we challenge the echo chamber of a small congregation? How do we challenged the endless Christian tracts? How do we challenge the ideas that lead good people to pick bad presidents?

I don’t have an answer yet, but I’m working on a few ideas. My blog is its own type of echo chamber. With few readers and most of those from the Atheist community, it is not an effective means to influence others. There are things I can do. I can write a letter to the church. I can make my own idea-driven tracts. I can respond to posts on Facebook with better ideas, but to do that I have to move outside of my Atheist and family bubble. I can get involved…

I’m looking for ideas.