Where is the Danger?

Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush made the statement, "You are either with us or you are against us."

Most educated people realize the world cannot be divided so simply. Gray areas abound. If I am opposed to Bush's plans in Afghanistan and Iraq, does that make me a terrorist? Some people would say so. Fortunately that number is decreasing as the reasons for invading Iraq are shown to be weak and the efforts of Afghanistan are falling short. And is Osama Bin Laden still alive? Some don't think so.

Most of life is gray, neither black nor white. That's what makes living such a challenge. If the correct answers were always obvious, fewer of us would make mistakes. Different factors enter into the picture, though, clouding our vision.

There are absolutes. My absolutes may be different than yours, but here are some of them: God exists and is actively involved in our lives; Murder is wrong; Forms of murder such as war and abortion are wrong; Murder of the spirit, seen in practices such as racism, are also wrong; Marriage should usually (though, admittedly, not always) last a lifetime; Parents must respect our children and children must respect our parents (no matter how old we are).

But I also think there is no us and them. We all have the capacity for good or evil. That's a choice each of us must make. Choices come at us not just once but many times over a lifetime.

The danger is in the choosing.