Clinging to Differences: How Political Idolatry is Shaping America

     We live in a world built on differences. Everyone has a unique opinion or point of view on something, right? There's nothing wrong with having an opinion or ideology, but you should never get so invested in these differences that you become socially or morally corrupted. That's exactly what's happening in this day and age, especially here in America. This mindset has become so pervasive that it has led to what many refer to as political idolatry.

Politics have been around for almost as long as existence itself. There have always been political ideologies and the groups or parties that support them. The structural orders we live in as a people were founded on these ideologies. People have always been divided on politics; that much is a given, and unfortunately, the world will always be that way. In the past, these differences have led to a lot of drama, but nothing that was realistically out of control. In this day and age, however, I don't feel this is the case.

I fervently believe that we now live in a generation where there is an unhealthy and misplaced worship of political ideology. Now, I'm not someone who actually cares for politics, and I can honestly say I only have a surface-level understanding of what it all means, but I do understand the impact of what the worship of it all has done to society. When assessing the whole worship of politics, it's important to understand what exactly led to this place of misplaced worship.

If someone were to ask why the worship of politics is stronger today than ever before, from a non-political perspective, I would say it was both changes and a lack of changes that led us here. I noticed something that happened back in 2009 after Barack Obama was elected president. The stakes of politics were raised in a way that the left wing was fervently determined to make changes they felt were most necessary. At the same time, it seemed like the right wingers were more determined than ever to rebel against and undo those changes. It was a new political climate that was more aggressive than what I remembered growing up, yet this is not where the worst played out.

Fast forward to 2017, and Donald Trump is elected president. Now a big shift has happened because the right has now gained the influence it felt it was missing for the eight years that Obama was in office. Now there's a big tit-for-tat. Though the right has the president, the influence of the left’s values is growing in a way that unnerves the right, while the attitude of the right unnerves the left. Fast forward four years later to when Joe Biden has been elected president, and riotous warfare has coalesced, literally.

What have all these series of events created in the mind? Well, let’s break it down. After striving for so much change on one side’s part and the other side’s stride to see the nation go back to what many would say are its traditional values, somewhere down the line, everyone got desperate. The left felt like great changes were made, but not enough. The right felt like great changes were made, but not enough. All in all, both sides felt like they had come a long way, but at the same time, they felt like they were being oppressed. Then everything went beyond the political stage.

Everyone had gotten so invested in their political ideologies that by the time the 2020 election came around, politics had been personalized to the point of causing strife between acquaintances outside the political realm and even fracturing relationships. People were having the biggest disputes both on social media and in person; some of these disputes had even turned physical. The worst part about it is no one was seeing how far they were starting to fall.

The craziest part about all this is everyone involved was so overly attached to their political beliefs because they felt that if they got what they wanted, then they’d be happy. But in reality, this quest made these people the most miserable individuals on the planet. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being politically invested. I don't think there's anything wrong with investing in politics, but if you're so invested in politics that you’ve become a malicious person who can't even have a simple disagreement with someone without things turning into an all-out brawl, then your mind is in the wrong place.

Don’t worship politics. I know you think your beliefs are valid, and maybe they are, but at the end of the day, politics aren't going to make your life better; only the person in the mirror can do that. Learn to come to an agreement or even agree to disagree, but never have a slavish devotion that turns you against your fellow neighbor. Hold your beliefs loosely. 

Instead of seeing someone as an enemy because they have a different opinion, try to understand where they're coming from. It's easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment, especially with how intense political debates have become, but taking a step back can make a world of difference. Remember that everyone has their own experiences that shape their views. Respect those experiences and see them as a chance to learn and grow rather than something to fight against.

This isn't about giving up your beliefs or pretending that differences don't matter. It's about recognizing that we are all human and that our common humanity is more important than our political divisions. It's about striving for a world where we can have passionate debates and still respect each other at the end of the day. When we let go of political idolatry, we can start to heal the rifts that divide us and build a society where everyone feels valued and heard.

In the end, it's about finding a balance. Engage in politics, care about the issues, and fight for what you believe in. But don't let it consume you. Don't let it turn you into someone who sees the world in black and white, who can't recognize the shades of gray that make up our complex and beautiful world. Be passionate, be informed, but above all, be kind.