How do you have meaningful conversations and bond with people with opposite political views? Do you try to avoid people altogether with opposite political views? Sometimes, we do not have a choice with whom we interact (such as boss, pastor, neighbor, in-laws, etc.). I do not avoid people with different views, but now I am wondering if it is even worth the hassle to bond with such people (since they probably disagree with your views and so do not like you anyway)? The best solution is probably avoid some topics, but you really cannot bond with people if you cannot talk openly. I am facing some challenges with communicating with my pastor. We have communicated by email but I have avoided talking on the phone (which I believe is obvious to her now). We got along really well but then she became a bit political. It would be impossible to have a phone call and completely avoid political issues. What am I supposed to say, if she says that there is so much systemic racial injustice in our country. Personally, I believe there is some racism in our country but not so much so where it stops someone from accomplishing his/her goals? However, my pastor may take my views personally (she is African American).
I would like input from both sides. Please, no comments about female pastors.
Alrighty then.
I'm going to tell you how I deal with the situation that you described, but you'd better believe in the resurrection of the dead before you apply my approach to your own life because people will get so mad at you if you do that they literally might consider killing you.
First of all, "racism", in my opinion, is both spiritually and scientifically STUPID!
Spiritually speaking, there's really only one "race", the human race (we all descended from Adam), and what truly matters is whether or not we've been reconciled back unto God through Christ.
Scientifically speaking, our skin color is merely a reflection of how much melanin we possess, and melanin affects our hair and eye color as well.
Should we start hating people based upon their eye color or their hair color?
Seriously, IT'S INSANELY STUPID!
That said, I'm a "white" man who was married to a "black" Latina from Panama for 18 years, and we had three "mixed" (we're all "mixed" if we go back in our ancestry far enough) children.
As you might imagine, this whole topic of "race" comes up frequently.
What I personally do, as a Christian, whenever the topic of "racism" comes up, I immediately interject that there is really only one race, the human race, and then I also mention the whole melanin thing.
I also mention how the Bible says that Christ "hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Rev. 5:9), and that "the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (I Sam. 16:7).
Of course, nobody wants to hear any of that, and, within a matter of minutes (or seconds), I'm called a "racist" or something else.
In response, I tell them that they are an antichrist, in the sense that Christ couldn't care less about our skin color, and then they go berserk and storm off...and the topic of "race" normally never comes up again.
Like I said, you'd better think twice before possibly trying a similar approach, but it not only shuts these people up, but also gives God the opportunity to give the increase to what you've said to them.