Hopeless to talk with liberals?

I read a very good article by Marvin Olasky last week regarding conservative spokesmen. He echoes my concerns that often conservative Christian "leaders" do more harm than good in their pronouncements.

"And yet, those who speak loudly and call anyone who disagrees with them a wimp often do a disservice to the cause they are promoting. That's because they are disregarding what Paul the Apostle told the Corinthians: "Be strong. Let all that you do be done in love."

Why is it that many conservative Christian leaders feel that they have to use the coarse dialogue often used in politics to demonize one's opponents? It is unfortunate that few of these leaders show true humility and love. Of course it doesn't help that the MSM seeks out these people rather than more reasoned voices.

Olasky made one other comment that seemed to raise the hackles of a few:

"It's also more biblical (and more effective) to reason with liberal journalists than to harangue them."

For whatever reason, this quote got quite a response from some who believe that it is "hopeless to talk with liberals". One reader commented:

"You are wrong because the call for reasoned discourse presumes each side accepts the concept of truth. When one side--the left--uses 'truth' only when useful, any claim that one has reasoned with a leftist is self-deluded."

Besides the outright arrogance of such a comment, this is not a Biblical attitude. Even though I am quite conservative politically, conservatism does not equal Christianity or truth. Nor does liberalism.

When I was young and stupid (I'm now older and stupid), I thought this way. However, I have started considering the lives of my grandparents more and more. My grandparents were the greatest examples of Christian living I have ever seen. And why? Because of the utter humility that they lived out.

It is far too easy to insulate one's self in an echo chamber. But what good does it do to always preach to the choir? It is often tempting for me to try to crank up the rhetoric on this blog with the hopes of drawing a larger audience. But I still think that there is a need for reasoned dialogue "across the aisle". I hope that I can be that intersection between DailyKos and Redstate.org.