Facebook Philosophers

For the most part, I've gotten pretty good at just scrolling through Facebook without commenting. I see no real purpose in it, and I know it's futile to try to engage people in civil discourse via such a passive-aggressive medium. One of my friends -- well, I knew him well when we were teenagers, but haven't seen him in at least twenty-five years -- has a tendency to post extremely conservative memes and videos. That's fine; I don't have to agree with everyone's point of view, and certainly I have other friends whose posts share similar ideologies with that friend's. However, I have noticed lately that many of them directly insult liberals, which on its own is also fine. Today I came across one from this friend that was so egregious I couldn't keep my mouth shut -- or, more accurately, my fingers still.

This video was a montage of gay rights events and the rainbow-lit White House and other public places, with scripture from Romans superimposed on the pictures. The heavy implication was that gay people deserve to die for their "hedonistic" lifestyle. It made me sick. I hovered over it a while, deliberating on what I would say; I knew I would say something. I kept my comments civil, sort of. I said, "I'm sure fundamentalists of every faith would agree with this. It seems more constructive to quote Matthew: Judge not that ye be not just, for with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged, and what measure you mete will be measured to you again." I'm not sure that's a direct quote, but it's close. I expected backlash; after all, I had kind of called him and his conservative pals who share this venom a bunch of terrorists. Instead, an email came to my inbox saying so-and-so had replied to my comment on his post. His response? "Amen!" Either he didn't get what I was saying or he is so brainwashed that he celebrates any scriptural reference, even if it is antithetical to his point.

This begs the question: How much of the crap people post do they actually understand and/or believe? I know this particular person isn't stupid, and it makes me wonder how reasonable people can spread these ideas of hatred and condemnation, especially in the name of Christianity. That may be the most antithetical thing about it. What kind of world would it be if we all stopped sharing hate, whether real or virtual, and instead practiced lovingkindness, or at the very least acceptance? "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." And, yes, even as I type that I am reminded of the mode and method of John Lennon's demise. But at least he tried.