What's a boy to do?

[Spiderman]

So, my views have been revolutionized. Transgender folks and the LGBT community are not the demon possessed moral relativists I believed they were for years. They sometimes see eye to eye with me on faith and morals and even eye to eye with the Church, only it can be nuanced.

Things just aren't black and white.

I see the struggle that LGBT folks are going through and I find it heroic. Some of them are not close-minded and are very open to the criticisms of nihilism, multiculturalism, secularism, abortion, euthanasia, immigration, etc. Some of them even have sympathies for right wing candidates like Marine Le Pen and defend conservative views. It was wrong of me to see them as enemies of the faith, morality, and rule of life that I live by and cherish. The person who influenced me the most online just happens to be transgender.

It is truly revolutionizing to know that.

I've seen the struggles homosexuals go through over a same-sex attraction that they have no control over. They can't choose to be heterosexual, and they are antagonized, bullied, disowned by family members, and told they are going to hell! They not only sometimes feel rejected and judged by family, friends, and co-workers, but they feel rejected by God, over a condition that they have no control over and would be totally acceptable were they the other gender. The Church and the right-wing has often severely mistreated these people. I can't even imagine the nightmare they sometimes go through.

I'm sure my sins and faults are just as offensive and sometimes more offensive to God than theirs.

I thought secularists had no moral compass and if they had it their way, things would be like they were in the Soviet Union, where Catholics like myself were taken to gulags, brainwashed, reeducated, mocked, humiliated, tortured, and silenced.

I've come to believe that most secularists aren't like that. I've studied communism in the Soviet Union, China, and North Korea, and used that as basis to form my opinion of secularists. That was a humongous error! That is like taking 1% of Catholic priests who are pedophiles and saying, "Catholic priests are out to harm and abuse children"!

It's just a very harsh and unfair judgment of the left!

I thought more than 50 million American babies were slaughtered by abortion since roe vs wade was decided in 1973. I thought abortion was homicide and thought it isn't something a person should compromise on... That they should always vote for the candidate who is more pro-life.

I've come to realize that is absolutely absurd! There are a lot of crack pots who fly the pro-life banner. Abortion can be the most merciful act for the mother of the unwanted pregnancy, and the child.

I also realized, that living in an impoverished environment of uneducated, unemployed, homeless, mentally ill, and drug-addicted criminals has lead me to have unhealthy biases toward the ethnicity and culture that is highly prevalent where I live.

This particular bias is based on experiences I have had, things I've witnessed, and certain statistics, but is not fair and is offensive, and there are plenty of people who are walking proof that such judgments shouldn't be made.

I find myself really shifting in my views and it leads to a bit of a crisis. I used to have this simple-minded view that right is right and the left is out to create a culture of death and destroy western civilization.

I've realized that is preposterous! It's narrow-minded and unfair. It's a childish idea of the right wing are the good guys, the left are the bad guys.

There are good and evil people on both sides, and I'm grateful for the good examples I have seen from leftists, both online and in real life.

It's just a tough place to be in when you realize you were severely mistaken, and many of the people who hold and defend the faith and morals you cherish, were severely mistaken.

Now what?

 

[Spiderman]

Mom and dad are mistaken!

In my infatuation for the right-wing, I found myself admiring and glorifying Roman Catholic dictators, radical Defenders of Catholicism, like Augusto Pinochet, and Francisco Franco, who are guilty of many of the crimes against humanity that cry up to heaven for vengeance as the Communists.

I found myself admiring some of the people who are just as radical as the people I despised, all on the basis that it was right-wing government...wtf?!?

I admired them because they were keeping prayer in schools, and enforcing the faith and morals that I cherish, during the rise of Communism, liberalism, and secularism.

What I have come to realize, is that such people are unchristian, and just as guilty in many ways as the Communist Dictators I despised.

My basis for despising socialism and secularism were simply childish and simple-minded.

I thought the right wing was the good guys, because they are more allied with the faith and morals of the Church.

I was totally over looking the Commandments to love your enemies, and care for the poor.

The left does a better job of caring for the poor. That was the basis by which Christ said people were saved " I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a prisoner and you visited me, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you gave me shelter, what you did for the least of my people you did for me, come inherit your Eternal reward!"

I had it all wrong!

 

[Spiderman]

Sadly, right-wing conservatives seem to too often settle for this Jesus:

Something just doesn't feel right!

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Don't feel bad. It's part of personal growth to realize that things aren't necessarily black and white. People are a mixture of good and bad. We should strive to be more patient, forgiving and merciful. You can still be conservative on moral and social issues but be compassionate and understanding. Just be humble and try to open your heart to understanding others. I mean, leftists obviously aren't always loving and undetstanding, as I've pointed out. Everyone should check themselves. I'm checking myself now, with all the venom I've spit out at conservatives, right-wingers and Christians. I'm eating my humble pie.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Truthfully, neither the Democrats or Republicans represent Christian teachings. We really need something new in this country. A lot of work needs to be done.

 

[Spiderman]

Don't feel bad. It's part of personal growth to realize that things aren't necessarily black and white. People are a mixture of good and bad. We should strive to be more patient, forgiving and merciful. You can still be conservative on moral and social issues but be compassionate and understanding. Just be humble and try to open your heart to understanding others. I mean, leftists obviously aren't always loving and undetstanding, as I've pointed out. Everyone should check themselves. I'm checking myself now, with all the venom I've spit out at conservatives, right-wingers and Christians. I'm eating my humble pie.

Eating humble pie can be both miserable and healing at the same time.

Healing can be a painful process. Sometimes, you realize, you have a gangrene limb that needs to be amputated, and it's not a pleasant thing to go through.

The right and left needs to come together and stop demonizing each other.

At the same time, part of me feels like I'm taking a dive off the deep end, and jumping on the bandwagon to embrace the policies and philosophies that I have been taught are bringing about the death of Western Civilization.

God help us!

 

[Spiderman]

Truthfully, neither the Democrats or Republicans represent Christian teachings. We really need something new in this country. A lot of work needs to be done.

Yeah, it's a mess, I just hate to see how the people demonize each other.

People like my mom tell me, "those friendly charitable liberals think it's okay to kill babies, want to promote gay marriage which is an abomination to God, want to take everyone's guns away, and remove God and His law from our country...they aren't your friends!"

I unfortunately bought it and harbored such madness!

Scripture goes so far as to say that the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

As far as who is more christ-like, the conservatives or the Liberals, it becomes an impossible issue to make a decision on.... the Liberals have more christ-like virtues in some areas and vice versa... and of course it all depends on the person...it isn't like all Liberals have the same views on morality, spirituality, and ethics.

So, it becomes impossible to declare one side is right. Or one side does a better job of keeping God's law.

I just pray that the confusion go away, and people will be enlightened to know what is right and what is wrong.

People who are mistaken, are not at fault for being mistaken. They are often mislead and misguided, and completely certain that they are right, and it isn't their fault. Im sure God takes that into account on judgement day.

 

[sun rise]

Things just aren't black and white.

This is a sign of maturity that many are not capable of.

I also realized, that living in an impoverished environment of uneducated, unemployed, homeless, mentally ill, and drug-addicted criminals has lead me to have unhealthy biases toward the ethnicity and culture that is highly prevalent where I live.

That negative stereotyping is quite natural but you've gone a long way to overcome that.

It's just a tough place to be in when you realize you were severely mistaken, and many of the people who hold and defend the faith and morals you cherish, were severely mistaken.

Now what?

It is indeed tough. But just like a just-hatched chick, you've broken the shell of your former beliefs. What happens next time will unfold.

Truthfully, neither the Democrats or Republicans represent Christian teachings. We really need something new in this country. A lot of work needs to be done.

Amen. And it's both new and old. The old is that it's been part of our heritage for a long time. The new is to have the majority practice the essence of all true religious teachings from many different sources, Christian and non-Christian. And that essence is the primacy of the Law of Love.

And that work can be as simple as a smile or a "thank you".

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Hey, @PopeADope really encouraging OP!!
One thing I'd say (speaking as an old guy who's made mistakes) is just to reiterate what @Saint Frankenstein said.
Gaining perspective, and seeing the world as not being black and white is awesome.

You're rejecting some of the conservative ideas you were brought up on. That doesn't necessarily mean the opposite is true and correct, though. Many issues are complicated and nuanced, so just take your time, and keep your mind open. That's much more important in the long run than any 'right' answers.

I'm more one of those secularists you're learning are not all the same. We're just people, as varied and flawed as all the rest. Some of us have trouble remembering there is variance amongst theists too, would you believe!?

 

[Spiderman]

In the 20th century, communist regimes killed 94 million people roughly...that trumps the 28 million killed by Fascism.... so there is evidence that the left kills more people than the right, especially if you consider all the aborted babies.... in the end, what does it mean?... Not a damn thing!

Those conclusions are not fair or mature.

People will be people. People are sick. Neither side is the "good guys" or lesser of two evils.

It isn't right to come to such conclusions.

There are sinners and Saints on both sides.

There is a mixture of healthy and unhealthy views, opinions, and philosophies on both sides, to the point where it is too complicated to say that one is right, the other is wrong.

Both have valid basis for why they lean left or right, and it is wise and healthy to respect the other side and not make sweeping generalizations about them.

 

[SomeRandom]

This is what the erudite boffins call "growing up."
It can happen at any time to any one of us. Scary stuff.

I think back on some of the beliefs I had as a kid, a teen and as someone in their early 20s. The changes have been radical, and I come from a background that stressed the grey areas of life.
Part of the human condition is to grow and learn. The hardest and yet possibly most useful lesson life can teach a person is that everything they were ever taught is wrong.
Some people rebel stubbornly against such an important guide. I did in the past. But as we slowly start getting closer to that ever elusive "adulthood" (whatever the hell that is) one should start to take on board the radical shifts in perspective. Whether that is going to University/College and suddenly on the back foot, or just through interacting with people which can seriously alter one's own perspective of those people, the most mature and wise response is to accept the correction. We don't always do that, but it's good that you seem to not only recognise when you are doing so, but you are actually learning instead of rebelling against such teachers.
A sure sign of maturity and wisdom. So be warned, soon you may find yourself to be *le gasp* an adult. Oh the horror!!!
Once that happens you can tell me what it's like.