Common Ground

For the past month, since I had that incident with Chris and Thomas, I’ve been in a funk with my writing. I wish I could be as bold as I used to be, but I am so scared of offending anyone now. I wanted to make my point earlier that that was never my point, but I’m still scared. I don’t want to offend anyone. That was never my intent. However, staying quiet is equally hard on me.

While speaking with John earlier today, we were discussing this ongoing “battle” between gay activists and super conservative Mormons with SSA. Both ask for respect and acceptance in their chosen lifestyles; however both sides also get defensive when someone challenges it. I’ll admit it; I don’t like feeling like my decision to stay in the church is criticized. However, I also recognize that gays who have left the church don’t want to be preached to either. Where’s the balance? Neither side is happy with this battle. In my judgment a lot of it is just how we perceive things. We choose to be offended and personally I make that choice way too often. Consciously or unconsciously, we make that choice.

Instead of really making a point with this post, I want to pose a question (so please leave your ideas in the comments, either on here or on Facebook). We need to love those who don’t have the same ideologies as us. However, I don’t want it to be enabling either. There is a balance between loving people and endorsing that lifestyle. While talking to John about it he said that he thinks that one part of it is finding common ground. So here’s the question: How do we find that common ground? What is that common ground?