Tuesday, 25 September 2007

• Liberals v. Conservatives: (Misnamed) Dichotomies

  I am a DBB.  That is, a Democratic Background Believer.  That is right, I was saved out of my life of being a Democrat, and brought to the light.  I was given the gift Jesus's eternal life, and rightness before the Father, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 

  At least, that is what my Republican friends would like to think. 

  The truth is, I did discover the reality that believing in Jesus brought about a change in my life.  Women became more an equal, but lost their right, in my eyes, to abort the child growing in their womb.  The poor became more of a concern of mine, but not just as something a governmental program should be dealing with, but rather an example of the systemic evils present in our society.  So, yes, my life changed, but my views on politics and society seemed to deepen, rather than relent. 

  And honestly, even though I know I differ quite a lot, on quite a few issues with my Republican friends, I believe that they would agree that indeed, these are very important things.  These issues are issues which have relevance to us as a people, as the Kingdom of God, and as workers-out of that Kingdom.  The problem, however, lies in the lables 'Conservative' and 'Liberal'. 

  These labels are bandied about in a way that makes it not only aprop pos to ask the questions which relate to the deliniation of people into these categories, it has become regular practice.  Young Earth Creationist?  Conservative.  Care about Social Justice?  Liberal.  Think that Johnny Cash was a Christian?  We're still deliberating.

  I think the issue lies in words we are using.  In my mixing with Conservatives (yikes, I'm doing it, but it advances my point) have shown me that at the base and core of it all, we care about the same things--almost.  We just go about it in different ways.  Conservatives seem to focus primarily on the authority nature of both God and Scripture, as well as the categorization of the world and Kingdom, and being seperate.  Liberals (notice I'm not using we--also advancing my point) focus on Love as being the primary aspect of God's revelation to God's people, using inclusion and the need to care as their modus operandi for getting that message out.

  What I do not want to do is discuss the pitfalls of being on either side of this equation.  Rather, I would like to point out that the equation itself is non-calculable (to overuse the metaphor).  Instead, I believe that the entire labeling system should be scrapped, and we should see that we are, again, on a spectrum.

  Those who currently see themselves as liberal work more from a relational point of view.  God's main goal in Jesus was to form relationship with mankind.  Our main goal as the Kingdom is to get people into that relationship, and to understand all things through the love and grace of the cross.  Those thinking of themselves as Conservative work from a more propositional standpoint.  They say that God is sovereign, and God's statements are true.  Therefore, all must repent and believe in them.  The grace of God is something that is, has happened, is happening.  We must believe, and move forward from there.  We must be different from the world, because we have seen the truth.

  Obviously, both camps are right.  It is the method of approach that is different.  The Propositionalists must realize that indeed, relationship is a very, very important aspect of the Kingdom of God--we must be in one with both God and the Kingdom.  The Relationalists must realize that there are truths which are immutable--things which just are, must just be believed, even if most of the time they are witout our experience. 

  This is the truth of where the church is moving.  I believe we are seeing a true swing of the focus of the Kingdom's people. It is clear that relation, to one another and God, are becoming more and more important to the modern Church. However, what need not happen is a complete pendulum, resulting in another swing back in another generation.  What needs to happen is that we must reconcile both sides of the spectrum, and move to live in a place where we can all relate to one another and God based on the propositions of God. 

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