One of the problems that I’ve realized after being engrossed in all the political and theological battles of this Church since 2003 (for my whole priestly formation and ministry, regrettably) is that I now have knee-jerk reactions against both sides – liberals and conservatives, reasserters and reappraisers, low-church and high-church, Evangelical and Catholic – how many other dichotomies can I mention?
I can say the same thing about the Culture Wars.
I’ve tried to take the middle ground and understand the perspectives of the various sides. I truly believe it is incumbent upon me to be able to argue my “opponents” points at least as well as they can. Funny what stays with me from my high school debate class. I’ve argued for a middle way on various blogs, though inadequately I realize.
I’ve recognize that these “wars” are corruptive and addictive, but to completely disengage is to allow the extremists to win and to see the Church destroyed, our political system destroyed, all because one group will not rest until their perspective is imposed upon us all. Tyranny, I say!
There is a great quote from C.S. Lewis:

“Of all tyrannies a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience …. To be ‘cured’ against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level with those who have not yet reached the age of reason … You start being ‘kind’ to people before you have considered their rights, and then force upon them supposed kindnesses which they in fact had a right to refuse, and finally kindnesses which no one but you will recognize as kindnesses and which the recipient will feel as abominable cruelties.”