Although I have written in the past about the need for people to grow and change, and thus the fact that it is unreasonable for us to label politicians as flip-floppers simply because they have changed their mind on one or more positions, today I shall argue the opposite. Consider how much rides on our staying the course and remaining steadfast on certain beliefs. Money is a good example. The only thing that gives value to our dollar bills made of paper, and the denominations printed on them, is that we can count on the fact that although this paper has no inherent value, it is given value by the fact that we all agree to adopt a mindset in which it has value. If a leader could be easily influenced to try radically different approaches to problems, we would not have the confidence in our money system that we do. Without being 100% certain that our government won't abandon this system, everything could be thrown into disarray. Everything. So consistency is a virtue. Except when it isn't.

Every Day Is Sacred

There's a big flap in Texas between private schools about which days it's ok to play sports on. There are things we should hold sacred. We should hold sacred the notion that all men are created equal. We should hold sacred the notion that everyone is entitled to the pursuit of happiness. We should hold sacred that we are all in this together and should give each other love and respect.

But as for the idea that we should hold a particular day sacred, or a particular piece of land, or that we are holy if we don’t eat a particular meat product, or a meat that wasn’t slaughtered in a particular fashion. These things are useful for one thing only. They are useful for providing people a sense of piety so that they may then treat their fellow man badly while hiding behind the pretense that they are still good people because they observe these customs. That is their only function, to obscure man’s real sins, to give cover to evil, to provide solace to the guilty. Story Here.