A Civilization with a Heart of Stone

December 20, 2010 by J. E. Dyer

Continued from Page 1

I don't mean to single Jeffrey Goldberg out here. He is merely an example: like the rest of us, a product of our civilization. We all share to some extent in the seared conscience that perceives no danger in viewing mankind first and most fundamentally through the prism of politics.

Nor do I mean to suggest that it's wrong to have political differences with one another. Politics are natural and inevitable in human life; the error is in letting politics take over the wrong corners of our hearts. Letting politics govern our moral ideas is bad enough. Letting politics rule the spiritual muscles of compassion and consideration—letting it define the basis for respect and comity among us—is suicidal.

Dyer's columns appear each Monday at Patheos' Evangelical Portal.

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About J. E. Dyer

J.E. Dyer is a retired Naval intelligence officer and evangelical Christian. She retired in 2004 and blogs from the Inland Empire of southern California. She writes for Commentary's CONTENTIONS blog, Hot Air's Green Room, and her own blog, The Optimistic Conservative. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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