Taboo of Politics and Religion
by Kathy Brown on June 30th, 2009 | 0 comments
One of the joys (and challenges) in my life is conversation at my husband's medical events. A few years ago I was grumbling to my daughter that I had trouble with small talk. Always full of good advise, she walked me through a method: (1)spot something interesting in the room, like a picture (2)walk up to someone and mention what an unusual work of art it is (3)try to sprout off with comments from there. For Christmas I got a book on how to mingle. Inevitably somehow I still make the jump from things like summer vacation plans to edging toward more serious matters of Truth. For some reason, it doesn't go over all that well.
My Mom (the wise one I have mentioned before) instructed me to stay away from talking with people about politics and religion. I have never been very compliant. After all, if you take those two topics off the cocktail platter, what is there? Nothing but the doily. My question is why should we consider them taboo subjects?
I've been thinking about that. In my Mom's case, she was trying to protect me from being unduly ostracized, a very loving motive. However, there is another possible source for the admonition. Maybe it was Wormwood in C.S. Lewis's book, Screwtape Letters, that made that rule. Wormwood was the junior temptor assigned to "the Patient". His task was to try to see that the earthly man was damned or ineffective as a Christian. Now, putting barbed wire around "religion" in the chit chat arena would be a good first step toward this end. Talk about "church" is acceptable, very amicable. But the "worldview" aspects are off limits because the basis for Truth is in its center. ( Foundational Presupposition Chart ) The second step to successfully muffling the gospel would be to eliminate political discussion. Politics is a worldview's implications for the culture. Ignoring those ramifications puts an end to the root worldview issues.
It is important to remember that kindness and consideration must accompany me at social functions. Often curiousity compels me to ask the questions that lead me to disregard my Mom and Wormwood, but I have improved my manners and timing. I don't look for the odd room accessory as much as I used to or write emergency prompters in my hand like "movies", "favorite restaurant" or "best gift" anymore. Ok, maybe still a slip of paper in my pocket now and then; I admit I still have a little work to do.
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