A childhood friend “friend requested” me on Facebook just a few days ago. I knew her growing up. She’s married, and has children. She was always funny and kind. But after perusing her page I decided not to accept her friend request. You see, she has a Planned Parenthood ribbon on her page. And she’s got a few rainbows on certain posts. She was “with her” during the election too.

Now, it used to be that we could all look past those things and still speak to each other. Political views were ancillary. But that’s not the case anymore. It’s not that I would start an argument with her but I’m not going to monitor everything I write on Facebook so as not to offend others with my views. And offend I would. In today’s culture I’m offensive just for being a white Catholic conservative male.

It used to be the talking heads on television argued over issues and we listened but that wasn’t us. It was a sideshow to real life. But now it’s like we’re all talking heads. We all have our platforms and opine daily. It used to be that politics was something that happened down in D.C. but government and its long bureaucratic arm pervades into every corner of our lives making it difficult to ignore. So many of the questions today used to be bedrock principles of reality such as life, marriage, gender, and speech. And it seems that very often we can’t help but offend just by believing what we do. Politicians, the media, and the judiciary reaches into our lives and squeezes. And when we say “ow” we’re criticized.

Please continue reading at The National Catholic Register>>>

*subhead*Second Civil War?*subhead*