Because, Aristotle said, “man is a political animal.” There is nothing wrong with discussing politics. After all, we live in a polis, which is the ancient Greek word for “city.” We engage in politics in all facets of our lives –family, work, and even church life. At its best, that’s how we navigate through life, in countless little ways. At its worst, we use it to manipulate people, sometimes even stabbing them in the back. That’s not good, but the abuse of something doesn’t make something evil.
There’s another reason why politics is important: in a pluralistic democracy, that’s one way (perhaps the only way) in which we resolve critical moral problems. That’s a good thing. And that’s one reason I have no patience with fools who take on opposing political parties simply because they don’t like their stances on moral issues. It’s illogical for poseurs to act all high-minded and to castigate those who are in the politcal arena forbeing hypocrites. Try as one might, it simply doesn’t add up.
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