|Civility in Communication

Brilliant and short article at Adventist Review--Verbal Anarchy (Fredrick A. Russell). An excerpt:

Let’s put the issue of health care, or any current national issue, on the sideline for a moment and look at how discussions are taking place. What I’m seeing is a growing reluctance in this country to listen to each other, and a greater focus on defeating each other. Add to this the growing proclivity to distort each other’s views and to demonize one’s opponents, and the result is verbal anarchy taking root in the public square.

Unfortunately, I’m seeing this same approach within the walls of our church. Take, for example, the recent discussions about what is being taught in our denominational colleges and universities relative to creation and evolution. One only has to go on certain Web sites, blogs, and discussion boards to see Adventist Christians verbally slugging it out on all sides. Some of the language and rhetoric is reflective of what we see in the wider public square.