Common Sense Doesn't Always Make Sense

According to Cicero, common sense is a collection of spontaneous judgments that help us discern good from evil. Webster says it is the knowledge and experience that most people already have. I think it’s a list of assumptions accepted as fact by most fair-minded people. Of course, your list may not be the same as mine. For instance …

“The Bible is the Word of God” – to me, does not make sense. Anyone who has read even a little of The Book has found inconsistencies, contrary descriptions, even different moral values promoted in its pages: the Old Testament’s “An eye for an eye” is at odds with the New Testament’s admonition to “Turn the other cheek.”

The Biblical authors certainly didn’t get their stories straight – not the myths, miracles, or even the birth, crucifixion and resurrection dates of the New Testament hero’s short earthly life. (Happy Easter, by the way.) If God was dictating, the various authors were asleep – dreaming, I suppose. I don’t personally think of God as being imprecise or inaccurate.

Except for the Commandment, “Thou shall not kill” – which Christians take with several grains of salt – religious dogma is common only to the faithful. It all makes perfect sense to the Vatican, I’m sure.

“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” – that’s another, to me, nonsensical notion that defies common sense. (As one wit retorted, “Fingers don’t kill people, bullets do!”) We understand why the NRA and gun manufacturers promote such nonsense, but you won’t hear it from the families of children and teachers killed in Newtown. Or from the families of 2,929 other men, women and children killed by guns in this country since the Newtown massacre. It is silly, sarcastic, and simply doesn’t make sense.

Common sense gun safety laws – at least to a majority of Americans – include background checks on anyone who buys a gun, a restriction on the sale of military weapons, universal bans on “straw sales” of guns, and restricting the type of ammunition and size of clips available for sale to the public.

What normal, law-abiding citizen goes hunting or target shooting with a military-type, automatic or semi-automatic assault weapon with 30- to 50-round clips and armor-piercing bullets? Most of us settle for finding food at the grocery store and paying for it, instead of shooting it. Outside of the gun range, it is uncommon for someone near you to start shooting. Your pulling out a pistol and shooting back wouldn’t make much sense either.

“Marriage is only between a man and a woman” – only makes sense, if you are homophobic.

You may also be against inter-racial marriage, but we solved that problem years ago – can’t do anything about that now.

Common sense would tell you divorce is verboten. It’s one man and one woman, right? Not one man and women! Thankfully, Henry the VIII helped to solve that dilemma!

According to the Catholic Church, marriage is all about procreation, but same sex couples can’t procreate. So, common sense would say, if you can’t have children, you shouldn’t get married. Ah, you sexy fun-loving people don’t think that for a minute.

The argument goes: if gays and lesbians want to live together, that’s one thing; but they should not be allowed to destroy the sanctity of marriage. Heaven forbid! Marriage is such a successful sacrament in our society; it would be sad to see the same percentage of marriages fail in the gay community.

What then is the problem? Same sex marriage does not harm anyone. Doesn’t cost you a dime. Doesn’t affect your marriage!

Think of the good it would do – the peace of mind it would bring to future alter boys – if priests could marry priests.

“Eliminate Abortions To Save Lives” – common sense should tell you that’s a specious argument. The elimination of abortion clinics, abortion doctors, even abortion information, will not stop abortions. It will only stop safe abortions. It’s her choice – not yours!

Jac Flanders is the author of “What I Learned On The Way Down” – eBook and paperback at Amazon.com.