I have worked hard to try to develop the ability to make a sharp distinction between people and their views. We all are humans and as such deserve to be treated with a minimum level of respect on that basis. Our individual thoughts, beliefs, and ideologies exist as a result of our experiences, education, upbringing, and choices. If you or I had different experiences, education, upbringing, and choices, we would have different thoughts beliefs, and ideologies… but we would still be the same human beings with our unique DNA. The beliefs in our heads today we not the same ones we had 20 years ago and they are not the same ones we will be having 20 years in the future if we live that long… yet we are the same human beings. I strongly encourage folks to always treat every human being with the respect due homo sapiens. After that, we can engage with their arguments and find weaknesses and strengths therein… and do so vigorously and passionately… I believe we should be able find beliefs negative, harmful, illogical, and even void of positive morals – and argue against them…and yet at the same time treat the human presenting them with respect and actually even be able to like them for their human qualities.
I am not saying this is the right way to do things, but it is mine… and it is not easy to carry out consistently… but it is my conviction to continue to do so as I am able.
Jim