Tom,

>>Steve,
>>
>>Ok, so he's a conservative. Still doesn't make his decisions good nor does that invalidate (or validate for that matter) conservatism itself. I mean, there have to be a few good liberals out there who use their brains rather than their emotional glands, right? So I guess there could be a few conservatives who don't use their brains.
>>
>><g>
>Doug;
>
>You are slipping - are you feeling yourself? I tend to think humans are much more complex than giving them labels such as conservative or liberal. I find that people have given me both labels – as my views differ depending upon the issue.

Ha ha ha.. Nahhh.. I was yanking your chain a little.. <g> I, too, think that people are more complex, though I do think that there are some (what to 'label' the concepts? <g>) fundamental thinking/belief processes that influence the others. . For example, I believe in a loving, personal God. That affects how I view the world. I find I can be upbeat on one hand while also thinking (as I mentioned the other day to you. <g>) that mankind is pretty much destined to wipe itself out. What confuses people is their misapprehension of those fundamental presumptions. But, you're quite correct that folks are more complex. Sometimes I'll deliberately say something just to see what the reaction of others will be; sort of a way of finding out the 'real' them. SOmething of an attempt to get behind the mask, so to speak.

>
>It is much too easy to put people into a box and dismiss them, as we do not wish to take the time to understand the person from whom a comment comes. When it comes to human values being a conservative or liberal is not an appropriate way to give such a classification. Such a topic to me is like a three-dimensional spider web – too complex to fully understand by a cursory glance.

Well, that's true except for Liberals. They always seem to believe that more government is better. <g>


(just kidding..)
>
>Today, I think many people do not know what a value system is and that to me is a serious problem. It seems the pressures of life demand we not think and it is better to react. I was never a good little sheep!
>

Sure. Let me ask you a question; how many people do you know who have taken the time to really work through their own value/belief system? I'd wager it's less than 3% That you think of yourself that you were "never a good little sheep" warms my heart. Far too many folks (particularly the 'religious' type) do not think things through. I have found Christianity (Historic Christianity as defined by the NT + nothing) to be very sound and consistent, for example, but most all of the 'variations' often really goofy.

Today, when people are of the opinion that values are fluid often find themselves much more confused than those who think there are definable absolutes, for example.