"It's just easier"

A good essay at First Things about the political [and personal] advantages of avoiding confrontation:

You have probably already discovered one distinct advantage of supporting abortion rights if you have loved ones who have had an abortion. It's just easier. Betray your qualms about the practice in general and they are liable to feel you've betrayed them, and then you in turn are liable to feel their resentment. If your sole objective is to avoid social conflict, you might well calculate that the ticket is to keep your thoughts to yourself and say you're pro-choice.

Expedience is the oxygen politicians run on, but they can’t say that, and so they invoke or invent principles that enable them to pander and call it philosophy. “Government should stay out of the bedroom.” .... [the rest]

Most of the contentious moral issues are like that. It's easier to get along with everyone if you just avoid taking a stand. "Live and let live." That is one of the reasons many [especially younger] evangelicals are attracted to libertarianism.

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