Moderate

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Moderate (v): To preside over, as in a debate.

Moderate (adj): Calm, average, fair, mild, open-minded, not extreme.

Moderate (n): The bane of politics, religion, etc. Also referred to as middle-of-the-road and centrist.

Contents

[edit] Politics

The term "moderate" rarely refers to open-minded debaters. Instead, it is most often applied to people who have some conservative views and some liberal views -- i.e., "I'm a fiscal conservative and a social liberal." Some are just wishy-washy. Others are actually closet extremists pretending to be moderate so they can get elected.[1]

And some are just calculating, self-aggrandizing schemers.

One reason moderate politicians aren't trusted is that we never know which side of an issue they actually favor until the last moment. A good example is Joe Lieberman, who was in favor of extending Medicare to people aged 55-64 until it seemed that it would actually pass.

As political pundit Jim Hightower once put it: "There's nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos."

[edit] Religion

While political moderates can be a danger to society at large, religious moderates are more of a danger to extremists and fundamentalists within their own religions. And they know it.

For instance, notice how often fundamentalist Christians have called on moderate Muslims to step up and take back their religion from terrorist extremists. Yet, when moderate Christians challenge fundamentalists like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell on their un-Christian teachings, they are called all sorts of names, told that they are going to hell, and are sometimes threatened with physical violence.

And let's not forget about the aftermath of the murder of doctor George Tiller, who was killed in church before a Sunday service.[2] Bill O'Reilly called him "Tiller the Killer" and joined the chorus of fundies who said that Tiller got what he deserved and was roasting in hell[3][4]

Sadly, it seems to take more guts to be a moderate believer than a moderate politician.

[edit] See also

[edit] Footnotes

  1. You can often tell them by the company they keep when they aren't campaigning or in session.
  2. A devout Lutheran, who is now a dead devout Lutheran.
  3. Like these nuts..
  4. Although some fundies, like this guy, have moderated their messages changed their tunes because they realize that incidents of Sudden Crusade Syndrome are bad for their movement.
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