"Never Talk Religion or Politics."
A rule of etiquette—in business, at the dinner table, at the barbershop, and elsewhere. This phrase, “Never discuss religion or politics with those who hold opinions opposite to yours,” has been cited in print since at least 1840.
And what do I do? I break the rule. (Family member—I wasn’t at the barbershop.)
Here was the rebuke: “If catastrophe befalls you, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”—
Whoa.
What if you really do want to know what they think? I read about the Ancient Egyptians, so the story went that when a stranger came to their village, they asked them what their religion was, for they were receptive to all kinds, and really wanted to know what this new person brought to the table.
Linus, from the Peanuts comic strip in 1961, said, “There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people…religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.”
I’ve only broken two of the three.
I looked up the author of the quote at the top of the page.
It was Richard Bach. I love that man. He wrote Illusions, my most-read book. (Also Jonathan Livingston Seagull.) I found this:
Okay, Dokey, guys that lets me off the hook. I will continue to read, learn, wonder, and invite others to jump in whenever they take a notion.
Hop in and tell me what you think.
I should let Peaches, the Pink Party Poodle for Peace, do the speaking for a while.
dogblogbypeaches.blogspot.com/
See ya later,
Jo