28 Ducere Est Servire: THE LEADERSHIP JOURNAL OF DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY issues related to Christianity are too narrow and private to ever be accepted as public norm. And that is a good thing. The faith offered by Christians is by definition asking one to believe in something that cannot be proven in the here and now. Where Christians in America have jeopardized their faith, be it liberals or conservatives, has been when they have attempted to compromise their doctrine in order to be accepted by more people for the purpose of holding on to political power. Instead of struggling to make religion appealing to more citizens by undermining or ignoring certain doctrines, pastors should equip their parishioners to allow their faith to take action in their world, thus offering the possibility to change not only individual hearts but the culture and society as well. The more Christians in America seek to gain political power and the more Christians are defined by their politics rather than their faith, the more irrelevant religion will become to American society, thus causing Christianity to lose its saltiness, and therefore, its purpose. Following convictions in a Christ-like way leads to more productive civility. Civility does not mean always agreeing or yielding to others, it involves the ability to disagree, but do so in a way that brings about better clarity and understanding, while, in a pluralistic society, seeking the common ground necessary to move forward as a community in a fallen world. As Christians, we should examine our intent behind our political debates. Is it to learn and grow or to demonize and wound? As Brooks phrases the question, “Am I about to use my values as a gift, or as a weapon to attack the other side? If you are about to use them as a weapon, stop. Find a way to use your values as a gift instead.”17 Our approach to civility must come from a place of humility and love, recognizing the humanity in those one disagrees with, and the fallibility in our own reasonings. That simple awareness will provide opportunities for productive discussions which seek to provide the common ground for our pluralistic society to continue to flourish.
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