The Fine Line

There was a time not too long ago where you could have different political and philosophical viewpoints from issue to issue. On one subject you could have a liberal slant….while on another, a conservative opinion….but that was the world pre-9/11. The Fine Line these days could not be any slimmer.

Who is to blame for this narrowing of the middle ground? unfortunately, both sides. More and more we are being forced to make a choice to be here, or there, where being an independent political thinker is being scorned by both. The Fine Line from both the Far Left, and the Far Right, has become public enemy number one. The shout of whether you are with us, or against us, could not be any louder.

As we head towards the November Presidential election here in the United States, just like the year 2000, the country is, according to polls, evenly split with just a few states to decide the outcome. A small shrinking number of independent voters are the only ones that will probably sway the election one way or another. Everyone else seems to have already made up their minds, and it’s looking like the year 2000 all over again. The year 2004 brings with it a few more subjects to add to the stew….terrorism, war, homeland security, gay marriage, and as always, the economy. With the Fine Line almost disappearing, within the next couple of years these subjects are going to be on the front lines of our lives. We are going to have to choose where we stand, definitively. There will be no room for indecision, or wavering…it will come down to state now, or forever hold your peace. With a country so divided, and a two-party system doing battle, it will not matter who gets elected, Bush or Kerry…these new hurdles will not go away. All it may take is for the United States to be hit one or more times and the perceptions of many could change on a dime. At that point, civil liberties and rights won’t matter….what we will be talking about then is survival of life as we know it. I am not an alarmist, I’m just being very realistic. The war on terrorism is a new battle that we’re going to have to learn to fight one way or another. All the past rules of engagement cannot be applied. This weekend an American civilian, Paul Johnson, was beheaded on international television, by terrorists. This is the third such occurrence with perhaps more to follow. Only a fool would say that when all this is finished, the world will not be a different place.

The only room that I feel is left for dialogue is within the unity of our true religious belief systems. If the Holiest of Holy books are placed on a table, and used as a blueprint for the lives of humanity, Christians, Jews, and Muslims would find common ground. Without these books, it will be nearly impossible, because so many of the world’s government structures have been built upon these beliefs. How long can it be before one madman or a group of them gets their hands on a nuclear warhead? Surely, the God of Jesus, Abraham, and Mohammed can shine a light through the darkness. The true beliefs of our world religions can bring about the best in mankind, while the distorters of the Word engulf us in turmoil. The stress that we are feeling in regard to these issues is not our imagination…it’s real. The Fine Line can be a good place for dialogue, but some have used it as a place to hide. The ultimate question mankind is going to have to ask itself will be, can we live in a world where the Laws of God are not recognized? As long as the sun rises in the morning, and sets in the evening, someone else controls the Universe other than man.