My Way Or The … Wait, No, Just My Way

This is hardly breaking news, but lately I’ve been noticing that in America, there a choices between democrat and republican, conservative and liberal, pro-choice or "pro-life," or religious or non religious, but most of these come down to one simple thing- a group that says do things only my way, and a group that says people are free to do what makes them happy.

A few friends recently kicked off a debate on abortion. Personally, I’m pro-choice, which does NOT mean all abortion, all the time. If a woman wants to have a baby, cool. If a woman doesn’t want to have a baby, cool. If a woman accidentally gets pregnant and gives the baby up for adoption, cool. So long as she’s making the choice she feels is right, good for her. But some of my friends who are against choice don’t feel the same.

But it’s not just that they feel abortion is wrong, which I can understand. It’s that they feel EVERYONE should take their view point, and don’t see how anyone could see things any differently. They can’t wrap their minds around the fact that some people don’t believe exactly what they believe. Craziness! People having DIFFERENT OPINIONS on something you can’t really prove one way or the other?

It comes up with regards to religion as well. One of these same friends (who it will be very hard to be around in the future, after all of this surfaced) chastised his dad for his religious beliefs. You’re probably thinking "so the son is one religion, and his dad is another?" No, though that would make sense. They’re both Christian. The son just doesn’t think the dad is Christian enough . He ranted about how his dad believes that believing in God and being a good person is foolish, and he should "seek the truth." Um, what if that IS the truth in his dad’s eyes?

The theme here is that I’m tired of people insisting that they have the magic answers to life, that everyone else is wrong. People have different opinions. People have different tastes. Can’t we agree to disagree?