Election Year Sanity 3-“Our Side” Is Not Always Right

One of the most unfortunate things about modern politics is the excessive tribalism. Regardless of who wins elections, life does go on and we are the ones who have to live it out. We have lost our ability to have meaningful conversations and learn from one another’s perspectives.

As previously stated, I am generally conservative on most issues. As I see it, most conservative beliefs are simply common sense. Take responsibility for yourself. Live within your means. Respect tradition (at least good ones). Also, being conservative does not mean that you are opposed to change when it is needed. However, it does acknowledge that, no matter how noble its intentions, change is still a voyage into uncharted territory and should be taken with proper caution.

That being said, I am not a blind partisan. Critical thinking requires looking at issues on an individual basis. This is why labels such as “conservative” and “progressive” can become frustrating. As it has been said, it is possible to want to “conserve” the wrong things or to “progress” in the wrong direction. With that in mind, please allow me to share a conservative’s perspective on things we can learn from the other side:

“Social Justice” is not a dirty word – This is Jesus’ mission statement:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed

… (Luke 4:18 ESV; cp. Isaiah 61:1).

As His followers, should our mission be any less? Fighting against poverty, racism and other forms of oppression are not partisan issues. In fact, caring for the needy is the single most repeated command in the entire Bible. We should always be conscious about how policies will affect the poor and disenfranchised. By failing to acknowledge this, Christians have allowed the secular left to take the lead in areas we should have been championing all along.

History is complex-My generation was taught American history in a way that was biased to the positive. Today’s generation, on the other hand, is being taught it in a way that is often biased to the negative. In order to properly understand it, we must look at both.

The Bible never downplays the dark side of humanity, yet it beautifully shows us how God can redeem and bring good out of even the worst scenarios. An example would be King David. He was Israel’s greatest monarch and a man after God’s own heart. Yet he also committed some terrible sins, including adultery and murder. Just like we can learn from both the good and bad aspects of David’s life, so should we learn from both America’s noble and not so noble attributes.

Laws alone will not stop abortion-I am staunchly pro life and always will be (and contrary to popular claims, this is not exclusively a religious issue).

While the overturning of Roe v Wade was certainly a good thing, we cannot lose sight of the fact that most women who seek abortions do so for economic reasons. When the Republicans embraced the pro life cause in the Reagan years, they unfortunately failed to take this into consideration. As a result, many women lacked vital resources to care for these children.

Ideally, churches and private charities would be the ones to provide the care and many are. In fact, there are currently more crisis pregnancy centers in operation in the U.S. than abortion clinics. Nonetheless, it is naive and short sighted to assert that the government does not have responsibilities as well. Maintaining a proper social safety net is crucial. To that end, I commend the Democrats For Life of America for promoting the Pregnant Women Support Act. This sort of legislation shows how the pro life movement is about action, not just platitudes.

Peace > War– I am not a pacifist, although I was in my younger years. I ultimately came to recognize that in the fallen world we live in, war is sometimes necessary. Having come of age in the waning years of the Cold War, I also understand how having a strong military is a vital component in preserving peace.

Yet we should never glamorize the thought of having to kill each other for the sake of resolving political disputes. To fantasize about “blowing our enemies off the map” is hardly Christlike. In the words of former president Jimmy Carter: “War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. ” ¹

We should care about the environment-Creation care was one of God’s first commandments to humanity (Genesis 2:15). Unfortunately, some conservatives dismiss ecologically conscious people as “tree huggers” or “wackos.” Yes, there are extremes. Yes, some politicians exploit it for their own gain. Yes, to what extent climate change is man made is debatable. Nonetheless, responsible stewardship of our natural resources cannot be ignored. So much poverty and suffering around the world are the direct result of pollution and deforestation. At the very least, recycling and composting are simple things individuals can do which can make a difference. We should also note that not all conservation groups are on the left. Organizations such as Conservamerica demonstrate how conservative values can be applied in this area as well.

Public safety is everyone’s responsibility-Freedom is a wonderful thing. However, it should never be used in a selfish manner (1 Peter 2:16-17). In our hyper-individualistic culture, it is easy to forget that there are times that call for sacrifice for the common good. This is simply a form of loving our neighbors.

In light of this, the response of some conservatives to COVID greatly disappointed me. If you beat your chest about how you would “die for your country” yet throw a tantrum when asked to wear a mask to protect your fellow citizens, then I have a hard time taking your “patriotism” very seriously.

The root problem is greed-As vehemently as I disagree with his politics, Senator Bernie Sanders does seem to understand the human condition better than most politicians. Yes, people are greedy regardless of their financial status or their political affiliation. That comes from the sin nature described in Romans chapter 5. According to James 4:1-5, all war and human conflict can be traced back to this fact.

This is why I am not as trusting of big business as Republicans tend to be. If you want to rail against corporate greed and corruption, I will largely agree with you. However, the problem is when you assume that politicians are somehow less greedy and corrupt. And unlike the corporations, they have police and military power to enforce their greed and corruption.

As I have stated numerous times before, a consistently biblical worldview will not always align neatly with our human stereotypes of left wing vs right wing. As I see it, the things I have shared in this post should simply be normative Christian behavior, regardless of what political parties might say. As C.S. Lewis wisely observed:

He who surrenders himself without reservation to the temporal claims of a nation, or a party, or a class is rendering to Caesar that which, of all things, most emphatically belongs to God: himself. ²

Keep It Real,

James

NOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Carter, President James Earl (Jimmy). The Nobel Peace Prize Lecture. Oslo, Norway. December 10, 2002.

2. Lewis, Clive Staples.The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses. Macmillan, Revised & Expanded edition. 1980

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