Since Everyone Else Is Talking About Opinions...

I am so thankful that I live in the United States.  I am able to worship the God I choose, I can spend my money how I want, and I'm not told how many kids I am supposed to have.  I am given so much freedom that I take it for granted on a daily basis.  But with all of this freedom we have, why do I never share my opinion on certain topics?
I'll tell you exactly why.  Because to a lot of Americans, having the freedom to have an opinion also means they have the ability to degrade and disrespect others due to their opinion.  If you are reading this looking to hear my side of the current controversial argument that is filling my Facebook newsfeed, look elsewhere.  I do not plan on sharing my opinion at the moment.  But why not, you say?  Because I am afraid.  I live in a country where I'm free to live the way I choose (for the most part,) yet I live in fear when I speak.  I fear that I will offend someone and start a disagreement.  I fear that I will lose a friend over a difference in opinion.  I fear that I will be called stupid or ignorant by the opposite "side."  If you know me, you may assume that you know my stand on the current topics, but rest assured, you do not.  My husband knows.  And he is the only one that I feel comfortable sharing those stances with.
My husband is my rock.  My best friend.  Yes, that does sound incredibly cliche, and probably a bit cheesy, but it is true.  When my husband and I discuss issues such as these, I know I can speak judgement free and not have the fear of being attacked for how I feel.  And contrary to what you may believe, that is not because we agree.  My husband and I have differing opinions on many subjects.   But we agree on the areas in life that are important to us and that shape our relationships with God, our marriage and our family. 
When we were dating, Adam made sure to let me know that he hated seafood (aside from fried popcorn shrimp that barely tastes like shrimp,) because I love seafood and could eat it on a daily basis.  I knew that there was likely no changing his mind on the topic.  A lot of times, once you become an adult, you like what you like and that's that.  Guess what?  I married him anyway.  When we went out to eat, I took the opportunity to eat seafood if it was available and he could order chicken.  Did we get into all-out fights in the middle of the second course of our meal because I was eating something he didn't like?  Nope.  We agreed to disagree and ate what we enjoyed.  We were able to live in harmony, make compromises and live our lives.
Now, I know that seafood is not as much of an "it" topic as homosexuality, abortion, or our current president.  But it is still an area in which many people disagree.  I didn't realize that when I logged onto my Facebook this morning when my son took his morning nap, I would be greeted with hundreds of pictures of a camo-wearing bearded man with several different statuses, and 20+ comments on each friend's status filled with disgust and hate.  The sad part is that people were not pointing all of the hate at the man in the article, or the author of the article, or even the issue itself.  They were throwing their disgust toward the "friends" who posted the article and commented on it.  Some of the things I read made me think very differently of some of my friends.  I even read someone say that someone else's opinion was wrong because they had too many grammatical errors in their sentence.  Seriously?  (We live in a mobile generation.  It's called auto correct and it sucks.)  After reading those comments, I snuck back and took residence in my comfy, quiet, non-opinionated cave and decided I was definitely not sharing how I felt about the topic.  No way was I going to be made to feel disrespected or ignorant because my "friends" disagree with me.
Where did we go wrong?  When did we become so awful to one another?  I believe in God, as I'm sure you know.  Not some random god, but the God, the Almighty, the Creator.  I know a lot of people that do not believe in the same God as me.  Do I hate them?  Nope.  Do I attack them and tell them they are living their lives wrong and that they will be damned to hell?  Wrong again.  I pray for them.  I care about them.  I try to invest in their lives, get to know them, and if they want to have an adult discussion free of the drama that runs so rampant in our culture, I say "Of course!" and we are able to do so without ruining our friendship and causing an uproar.  Would I like it if they changed their opinion to be on course with mine?  Of course.  Life would be so much easier if we all agreed.  But we don't, and that is never going to happen.
Do you want to make an impact for whatever "side" you are on?  Stop being hateful!  Stop making people feel ignorant just because they don't believe the same as you on some topics. You may not believe in Jesus the same way I do, but look at his example.  Jesus met many people that didn't believe He was the Christ, the one sent to set us free from sin.  Did He avoid them?  Or yell at them in the street?  He dined with them and got to know them.  He befriended them and as a result of His kindness and compassion, others began to follow Him and were interested in His opinion.  He didn't lack passion for what He believed just because he didn't use a harsh tone or picket signs.  In my opinion, he was much more passionate than those that speak out hurtfully towards others for the sake of their stance.  Because He was able to demonstrate control in the way he defended His opinion.  It's very hard to show control in a situation if you are passionate about it.  But by being subtle and showing He cared for the person before the opinion, He was able to be more passionate, and many others ultimately aligned with His way of thought.
We need to care for one another and not just topics.  It is sad that there are some of us that feel embarrassed when we read others' comments and retreat to our safe place of no opinion.  Too many people think that freedom means "I can tell my opinion and be correct and should be free from persecution, but when you share yours, I get to degrade you."  Just stop it!  Learn to show compassion. Want to show you are truly an adult and that your opinions matter?  Then learn how to have a civilized discussion or debate concerning things you feel strongly on without berating someone else for not agreeing with you.  If you want to try to change the minds of those that believe differently, care about them as a human being and not just about their opinion.  Post on their Facebook walls to say, "How are you?" and not only when they post something controversial.  I am more than my opinion on gay marriage.  I am more than my opinion on abortion.  I am a person with feelings.
And, for the record, as time went on, Adam decided to try seafood and it turns out that he is actually pretty fond of it.  I guess that's what happens when you show respect for what someone else thinks.