Taking the Bait

Hook, Line AND Sinker

I recently RE-joined a group on another platform. I couldn’t remember if I had in fact been part of the group before, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that indeed I had. And it didn’t take long for me to LEAVE the group AGAIN.

This group claimed to be an open place for people of ALL backgrounds and political beliefs to come and share their views, especially on current events. What I found, again, was a group of people who were left leaning (I have no problem with people on the left, so long as they are not to the extreme left). Many of them claim to be moderates, like myself. However, what I found is a group of about 2 dozen people who are way farther left than they present themselves, and are totally unwilling to listen to an opposing view without getting into name calling and chastising when your views don’t align with theirs.

I also found that many in this group were posting stories that come from various social media outlets as if these stories were truth, and not to be questioned. Some of these stories were so outlandish that it eludes me as to how anyone with any common sense could believe what was being said.

I know there are many who become so enamored with their side of things that they completely lose touch with reality. They are so infuriated by those they dislike, and dare I say HATE, that they will believe anything and everything negative said about their foe as if it were gospel. They get to the point where keeping an open mind is impossible for them.

Of course, this group was on the Trump bashing bandwagon. While I am NOT the greatest fan of Trump, I am at least capable of seeing the good he has done, and the potential for good that is in him. I am not a fan of everything Trump has done and he is currently doing things that I believe are out of the realm of the president’s power. In many cases, I believe he is a bully, or at least behaves as one when someone threatens his authority. I do believe he is capable of standing up for those who are not able to do for themselves. But those times are much fewer and are much less noted. I am at least able to comb through all of the various stories floating around out there and decide for myself if there is any real credibility to what is being said.

I am saddened that these otherwise decent people are so consumed with their hatred of Trump that they can not see how asinine some of these stories truly are. And the stories generally have nothing to do with Trump directly. It is just that these things are happening within the government while he is in office, thus HE gets blamed for all the bad that others do.

One thing I always attempt to do in my life is to examine what I am doing and how I am reacting to things. I do my best to use my faith in God to guide me through the mire of tall tales to find the truth that I know is out there. I pray every day to have a clear conscience in my choices and to do my best to not harm others, or myself, with my actions.

I do not believe Trump to be the devil in the flesh. I do not believe he will bring about the end of mankind. I also do not believe he is the second coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is simply a man with his own way of doing a job. His methods are not always what I would choose to employ. But, then again, the job is not mine to do.

I pray daily that God gives me the wisdom to not buy into every tale that is told about Trump, or anyone for that matter. I have no desire to be that person who takes the bait- hook, line and sinker- like those I have come across in the various social media outlets. I pray to not be so filled with anger and hatred that I become blind to the truth and unable to be reasonable in determining what the truth is in the muck they call the news.