I have been hearing a lot lately that “the right” side of Christianity, those who have predominantly influenced politics (until recently), and been the ones represented most in the media (until recently), and generally the ones many people think of when they think of Christianity (again, until recently), had a bit of a corner on “morality”. The argument goes something like this: “The “right” has gotten a lot of things wrong, but historically they have been the ones who have insisted on the preservation of Biblical morality.”
Many people who were fairly conservative (“right”) in times past are now finding themselves leaning a little to the liberal side (“left”) in their pursuits of the Kingdom of God. The argument I presented above generally goes on to imply that with that shift comes a general forsaking of Biblical morality, continuing with: “Leftist Christians cuss, smoke, drink, and generally partake in the evils of society more than the ones on the right do, and even hold theologies that allow for such things as homosexual relationships and other ‘deviant’ behaviors.” (Disclaimer: for those who don’t know me, I don’t believe it is a sin to be gay, nor to pursue a gay relationship )
Whereas I see where the argument is coming from, and agree to a certain extent that the right has been a bit of a safe house for certain moral issues, I do not believe that the religious left is accurately characterized by Biblical immorality. Perhaps in the postmodern age we can admit that what conservative Christians call moral does not necessarily equate to God’s absolute truth. For example, generally, the right insists that gay marriage is immoral, whereas the left insists it is not. Both, again generally, come at the issue equipped with the Bible and the Holy Spirit, yet don’t agree as to the moral nature of the subject. I would say that here, it is quite possible that the right are safeguarding not morality, but exclusivity based on a false understanding of the statements made about homosexual activity in the Bible itself. Further, in the case of those who go even further to use that belief to condemn and alienate, it is clear that Biblical morality is not in play.
There are moral issues that are being presented to us today that go beyond the ones the right have been preserving and promoting, and unfortunately the right has been unwittingly perpetuating a set of quite immoral scenarios for some time now. In the building of grand church building structures in the name of Jesus we have forgotten to build wells in African communities that are suffering without any source of clean water. In the fight for the life of the unborn child in the name of Jesus we have forgotten to fight for the lives of the already born. In the fight for purity in the name of Jesus we have forgotten to open our doors wide to the kind of imperfect people Jesus spent his life with on Earth.
I can be so easily misunderstood on this topic I have been tempted to not post it at all. But it is important to me. I don’t think the right are immoral, but I don’t think the left deserve the bad wrap they have received necessarily either. I must admit, most of my Christian friends fall somewhere in the middle, but definitely on the left side, and when I hear this argument I think of them and think no way do they deserve this description. My understandings are incomplete, and I am asking for your input as much as I am giving mine. It is an argument, like I said, that I have heard a lot of lately, and it doesn’t sit well with me. What are your thoughts?
I like what you are saying. The tendency to lionize on side of the spectrum and decry the other is one among many reasons why I think we need to reject dichotomies like “left” versus “right” altogether. Those polarities just don’t work anymore (if they ever did). More people (a lot of them emergent/ings) are beginning to create different mixtures of the two that don’t really count as being “moderate.” I think this last election showed that quite well. A perfect example is the one you bring up there toward the end. The Right continues to claim that all of life is sacred while only really working with one social issue pertaining to life — abortion. Meanwhile, the Left all too often dismisses abortion in favor of other issues that the Right neglects (war, poverty, problems in Africa, etc). A true consistent ethic of human life takes all those into account and unmasks the blind spots that both the Left and the Right tend to have.
When it comes to mainstream Christianity, it does seem like the Left gets more of a bad wrap than it should. You are definitely right about that. What is encouraging is that many Christians who have traditionally been on the Right are now beginning to take interest in issues that have traditionally been reserved for the Left alone. That’s good. We need more of that I think.
I think what we will see in the future is more of that mixture. More people will realize that those left/right categories simply don’t work anymore and will refuse to play by the rules that modernity set forth. So instead of opting for a “middle way” — which sometimes seems to be more wishy-washy and indecisive than compromising — we’ll carve a new “higher” or “deeper” way that transcends the old, boring binaries we all grown so tried of. I think we’re finally freeing our minds beyond those boxes. That gives me all kinds of hope for the future.
Whew! All of that is to say that I think you are definitely onto something here, something that many of us are feeling. First comes the understanding that the side that has been decried (the left) is not so bad after all. Then comes the realize that it’s not either/or but and/both — a new type of politics and morality that avoids the division that both extremes tend to perpetuate. That fighting and shouting past one another only exacerbates the problem, I think. It breaks down the conversation where more bridges to a higher path need to be built.
So I think that neither the left nor the right is completely moral or immoral. Both have noticeable blind spots as well as valuable strengths.
Which is another reason why I think both categories are becoming increasingly outmoded. We’re beginning to find new and creative ways to combine the best of both worlds (not that that will be perfect or completely moral either, but definitely better!).
Blake, you have brought much needed balance and insight into this conversation! Thank you so much! I think you are right about new ways of thinking and an end to the old divisions. I am an example of that. You put it so well. Jesus is breaking down proverbial walls of division (which oddly is causing new ones to form as people grow uncomfortable with or feel threatened by the change), which is allowing for a more full and rich understanding of the good news.
i agree with you that this is how this seems to end up being characterized, and i think that if you see yourself on the left, or see yourself on the right, you end up seeing the other side as bad. either too conservitive, or too liberal, depending on where you decide to align.
if i am honest with myself, there are some things i like about the right and there are some i like about the left. there are also some i hate about both…
i guess i would be one of the people you describe who has moved from the right to the middle more…
unfortunately it seems we are still in a culture where the majority wants us to decide which side we are on, which just splits and divides us even more…
Don’t be so quick to say that conservative people in the church have not be involved with the poor and people in Africa. Where do you think the abolitionist movements against slavery and the missionary movements to other countries got started? These peoples’ beliefs would be considered pretty conservative by today’s standards.
Don’t be so quick to count conservatives out of caring for the poor both here and overseas. If you look in recent history, church people that would be considered conservative by today’s standards were involvled in the abolitionist movement against slavery and were establishing the basis for missionary work in countries overseas. World Vision is doing a lot to build homes for children orphaned byAIDs in sub-
Sahara Africa.
Geoff, thank you and welcome! I agree that there is a distinct pressure to conform solely to one side or the other, and as we break away from that I think there is more hope for unity. Sadly, I find that as I gain more unity with those who I had previously negated (the left) I am suffering the consequence of losing unity with those friends I have on the far right who are unwilling to do such a thing.
Brent, thank you and welcome to you as well! I understand I have made some blanket statements, and in my final paragraph I attempt (weakly perhaps) to show that I may not be saying all that a person will assume I am saying when they read my post. I understand that the abolition and missionary movements were born before our modern “left” and “right” labels were assigned, and that many conservative Christians are promoting and furthering those and other aspects of social justice to this day, as well as many liberal Christians. The blanket statements, however generalized and thus unfair, serve a purpose in exposing stereotypes, although I am not trying to perpetuate said stereotypes… quite the opposite. I hope you can see that. You bring up valid points and I thank you.
Theresa,
This is a fantastic post! THANK YOU!
i came across a post today in my Google Reader ( i have been so behind on reading lately!) from my good friend, Corey, who used to be a conservative and is now a liberal. He has a really balanced post on the differences b/w conservatives and liberals that i think is really worth reading. Check it out and let me know your thoughts!
http://getyourheadon.blogspot.com/2009/06/reality-belief-and-current-political.html