Thanksgiving Table Discussions

To be completely honest I didn’t even know that there was a problem with talking about politics or religion at the dinner table. I do not remember any specific arguments at the dinner table when we talked about politics or religion, but I do know tat it was definitely discussed. I like is idea though, I think that it is hard to talk about anything that does not remotely tie to either something political or something religious. I know that my family does not avoid talking about religion or politics at the dinner table and I know we have had long discussions with other family while visiting with them. At another thanksgiving dinner, there was absolutely no discussion of politics or religion because the people that were having the dinner have very strong opinions that do not match with some of the other company. “Our affluent society produces an excess of everything except what we most desperately crave: meaning. Not meaning manufactured and sold to us, but meaning we create authentically, through dealing honestly with reality. Such meaning comes when in our everyday lives we talk with people — those we know and strangers on the bus. Those are the questions that never get answered definitively but which we answer contingently through constant conversation.” I think he is right, you need to talk with others about these large topics otherwise you will only get one side of the story. I think it is important to ask people of differing views why they believe what they do and see if they say something that I have never thought about before or that could alter my views on topics when someone says something that I do agree with. By having these conversations, it allows you to dig a little deeper within your own opinions to see why you think the way that you do and to understand the ideas of others.

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2 Responses to Thanksgiving Table Discussions

  1. Sir Michael Arthur says:

    I totally agree with you. I never really knew that these issues were not to be discussed during dinner. Like I said on my blog, I think we need more communication during dinner because we have everyone’s attention and could discuss anything.

  2. Evelyn Bateman says:

    What an interesting perspective, that having sometimes difficult conversations with others can help a person dig deeper into themselves. That’s great to hear that your family discusses important topics and you’ve probably found that that has allowed you to shape your own opinions as well as listen to the opinions of others. I noticed on both Laura and Mike’s blogs that they mention the importance of these conversations within the family. It seems that the family should be a place of free expression, and perhaps if more families have discussions about controversial issues, perhaps society will begin to embrace more open communication.

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