Cynicism

This may sound cynical, oddly enough, but I just don't like cynicism.  It's like poison.  And in this age of quick one-liners, arguing without accountability or face-to-face reactions...it's rampant.

Now, I have been known to be guilty-as-charged in this regard.  I've gotten all heated in debate, even nearly caused deep damage to one of my most significant relationships due to this type of careless barb-throwing. I've done some soul-searching where that's concerned, and found that keeping my mouth shut and valuing relationships over being right is a better place for me to be.

However, I'm talking more about this general cynical attitude that is everywhere right now.  Not so much the discussing or disagreeing on ideas.  I wish I fully understood it all.  It seems to have a lot to do with being able to read an abundance of brief, barely researched articles that give barely authentic opinions, and then us developing barely researched and hardly authentic opinions based on the ease of reading these things.  Am I making sense?  Like, we're so all knowing because we can so easily read a plethora of info on the internet.  Rarely questioning it's validity or tainted slant.

I'm not saying all cynical people are lacking in knowledge.  They may be very knowledgeable.  Maybe they lack in wisdom.  The wisdom to know that they don't have to prove how much they "know" to everyone.  

When I read someone's thoughts that categorize everyone who disagrees as "narrow-minded," "stupid," "naive," "evil," etc., I'm really turned off by what that person has to say.  I suddenly think that person is rather "narrow-minded" to assume their position is the best way to think about it.  

Sadly, this is a really popular way to be in the Christian culture right now.  Anything that Christians used to take a strong stand  on is now "uncool" or "unloving" and so we throw around these elitist comments, degrading our fellow-believers as stupid, narrow-minded, evil, etc.  We can't just see elitist academia as the root of this type of thinking or perverting the public opinion.  We are doing it too.  And where is the love in that?  It's lost on me.

I think debate can be healthy.  

I think discussion and not even agreeing on everything is part of life...if done in relationship and with some accountability for your statements.  But, when the church turns on itself and ridicules itself...we are not looking any different than the world around us.  We've lost our real purpose...our real sense of Love.  

I'd love to hear thoughts from others...