Polarization

For some reason I thought we were moving towards a less polarized society, all this talk of "third ways" and independent voters and post-evangelicals...but I'm starting to think I was terribly wrong. I once heard Donald Miller explain political polarization as a byproduct of the way we teach debate (two opposing viewpoints). The media obviously rolls forward with this way of thinking (for the most part). You put two people with opposing viewpoints on camera or radio together and hope that sparks fly. The problem is that we all know (I think) that very few issues of any kind are actually that simple.

Perhaps I'm becoming cynical by reading too many blogs and looking at facebook postings. People are so predictable. Provocative and bold statements are made, or links to provocative and bold statements are made. Your friends enthusiastically encourage you with subtle hints that anyone who disagrees is absolutely insane. Every once in a while someone from the "other side" hops and and starts an argument, and everyone can jump in and spout some statistics or logic or maybe even a Bible verse or two. I'm always tempted to jump in, but it just seems so pointless. Is anyone actually open to the other person's viewpoint? Are Christians who consider environmental activism to be of the devil actually going to consider another way? Are people who have been over talking about "penal substitutionary atonement" for years actually going to listen to someone who quotes MacArthur on the issue? How many McCain/Palin supporters don't despise Obama, along with, of course, the "liberal" media? How many people who are voting for Obama don't think Palin is the stupidest person of all time and will never be convinced otherwise? Any conservatives ready to listen to a long conversation about liberation theology, the black church and Jeremiah Wright? Wanna have an intelligent conversation about Christianity and abortion on the Internet? Have fun with that.
Seriously, I may be way off, but it seems like most of us make up our mind one way or the other about things, and all the reading we do from that point on just serves to inspire us to believe in our idea with even more passion, or convinces us that all people who believe in another way are complete total morons who hate God and America and have some ridiculous evil agenda. Then again, people do change their minds about things, perhaps due to a new environment, new friends or new experiences. Who knows, maybe someone just read a facebook rant/debate and saw the light about an incredibly important idea! Maybe...
Perhaps I'm just tired of this election season, but thanks blogger for letting me vent.