Generally speaking, in the United States most people fall into the political camps of “conservative” or “progressive”. Sometimes the progressive camp is referred to as “liberal” even though historically the conservatives are often more in line with the classical definition of liberalism than progressives, which is why I don’t like the term “liberal” and rarely use it. Again, generally speaking, the conservatives are those who value protecting and conserving the good that exists in the world and in their society, whereas progressives tend to be those who are interested in new ideas that challenge the way things are or the way things have been done. These are generalizations, but they seem mostly accurate in my estimation.
So where should Christians align themselves on the conservative/progressive spectrum? I have dear brothers and sisters on both sides of the spectrum who would passionately make the case that Jesus followers must lean one way or another. Honestly, I feel very uneasy when these arguments are made, even when the camp they argue for is the one I lean towards myself. For the sake of clarity, I would describe my political views as conservative leaning, and I hope you have not already decided to stop reading because of that admission on my part. I consider myself conservative because I tend to value political action on the local level as opposed to the national level. I think sustainability and human dignity should be at the forefront of any sweeping policy decisions. I think that government should be reasonably limited and that the desire to use political power to pressure individuals to conform to a certain worldview or set of ideals is dangerous. I try to be reasonably cautious of new ideas, and tend to value those ideas that have been tried and proven with age. Some of my opinions may seem progressive in some spheres, such as my strong believes regarding nature conservation, but even these are usually rooted in the idea that there is a goodness that we should not tread upon if we can avoid doing so.
Now that we got that out of the way, I want to make it clear that the point of this article is not to win anyone over to the conservative worldview. Rather, my hope is to express some thoughts that I believe will help us navigate political discourse as brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe that some tensions and good faith disagreements over policy are healthy. At the same time, I am sure we have all been involved in political disagreements that were damaging to relationships, even relationships among the family of faith. The best way I know how to temper passions in others is to begin by tempering passions within ourselves. This starts with humbly admitting that none of us are without our biases. We must be aware of our own biases and check ourselves before we jump to pointing out the biases in others. For the sake of fairness I will begin with my own political leanings.
Some Words of Caution for Conservative Christians
Firstly, I think conservative Christians could benefit from acknowledging that there is a tendency in all of us to fear or distrust the unfamiliar. As creatures of habit we find comfort in the routine and the regular. We feel a sense of security in things that have been proven reliable, trustworthy, and true. There is a wisdom to the old ways, but we must also be willing to consider that the new might actually be an improvement. No conservative I know believes we should stop simply changing and innovating as a society, and yet there is a knee-jerk tendency we have to dismiss ideas that deviate too far from what we consider normal. At the very least, we ought to make sure we understand the points our progressive brothers and sisters are making before we draw our own conclusions on whatever the issue might be. Often I have come to realize that my first impression of an idea was not an accurate assessment of what the idea really was. The thing I was rejecting was a straw-man that I had constructed from assumptions that may not be true at all. There will always be some ideas that I am going to reject simply because I disagree with them, but we would all be better off if our disagreements were at least based on good faith arguments and a clear understanding of what the other person was actually saying.
Secondly, I think conservative Christians should be upfront in admitting that some things are not worth conserving. Conservatives are a history oriented people. We see wisdom in the past and we want to make sure that the things we build are on firm historical foundations. Whereas progressives may see the past more in terms of mistakes we can learn from, conservatives see the past as in terms of wisdom we can build upon. I often hear conservatives use the phrase “those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it” as a way to condemn new progressive ideals, but the same holds true for conservatives who over-step in defending what ought not be defended. One of the reasons I consider myself conservative is my belief in an eternal, unchanging, moral order that originates in God. I do not believe morality changes, but this standard goes both ways. The past is no less accountable to God’s unchanging standard than is the present or the future. While there is a conservative temptation to look back to a “golden age” when men were more righteous than today, as Christians we should know that no such age exists. Every era has its sin and folly, and the past serves us best by teaching us not only from its triumphs, but also its failures. We do well to preserve the goodness that former generations forged, but we also must be wary of carrying on traditions of sin and wickedness that ought be left in the past.
Some Words of Caution For Progressive Christians
Firstly, I think my progressive brothers and sisters in Christ would do well to remember that while we ought to always be reforming and progressing, we ought to do so towards godliness as defined by God in His Word. We all have a temptation to define what is good by our own standards, forgetting that it is God alone who defines what is and is not good. If we stray from God’s good design and purpose we are in sin, and when we strive to conform others to our ideas and our hopes, which are not grounded in God’s Word, we risk the temptation of leading others into sin as well. There is a temptation common among all believers to take what we feel is good and to try to bend God’s Word into conformity with our thoughts and feelings. When we do this, however, we are trying to dethrone God. We are falling into the same temptation that Satan used in the garden of Eden when he led Eve to question “Did God really say…?” We must conform ourselves to God’s Word, rather than seeking to conform God’s Word to our desires, hopes, or political agendas.
Secondly, I believe the progressive members of my faith family would benefit from reclaiming the truth that God is ultimately the one who transforms hearts and minds. While I disagree with progressives on many policies that they tend to promote, I admire the optimism that they seem to have towards the future. There is an underlining assumption in progressiveness that an ideal utopian future is achievable, and I honestly wish I saw more of that hope in my own conservative camp. I am, however, skeptical that such a utopia can ever come through state power or through social coercion. I am all for well thought out attempts to better our society, but I do not believe we will ever create an ideal world through good social programs and peer pressure to conform to a new tolerant norm. Whether intentional or not, this idea places the power to change men in the hands of man, not God. It gives to man the supposed right to control his fellow men in terms of his ideas of social reform. Again we must all remember that, as Christians, we are not called to pressure people to conform to our will and ideas. Rather, we call all men and women to conform to God’s Word and calling. Repentant believers are transformed into Christ-likeness, not through societal pressure or government action, but through the power of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God. As we seek to better our world, may we not neglect the greatest means of doing so – the proclamation of the gospel and the invitation to join Christ in obedience and faith.
Some Concluding Thoughts
No doubt there are many who will disagree with my thoughts here. There is a difficulty in seeing blind spots or biases in ourselves, and in those who we align ourselves with. There is also a fear that if we own up to our mistakes, or if we hold our own accountable, we will somehow strengthen the opposing side. We all can be guilty of seeing the conservative/progressive divide as war to be won rather than a discussion to be had. I am by no means saying that politics are inconsequential, but I do believe that both all of us are on the same team whether we realize it or not. Everyone who engages in political discourse is arguing for the good, though we may greatly differ in our understanding of what the good is and how best to achieve the good. It is in this tension that I hope and pray brothers and sisters in Christ will find an opportunity to shine. As we disagree and debate about how best to govern in the age we live in, we can do so with a peace that passes understanding if we keep God’s Kingdom at the forefront of our minds.
Setting politics aside for a moment, I would describe my theological disposition is one of cautious optimism. We live in a fallen world inhabited exclusively by sinners, but we also live in a world that is being redeemed by God. Every day more and more people are coming to faith in Jesus Christ and, if we believe the gospel, that is more than enough reason to be hopeful for the future. I believe that the world has been gradually getting better as the Christian faith has spread and flourished across the globe, but I also acknowledge that it has been a slow and bumpy road full of many setbacks and tragedies that resulted from our sin and hypocrisy. In spite of all the tragedy and all of the very real problems we will face on the horizon, I feel as though there has never been a better time to be alive on earth, and there has never been a more opportune time to be a faithful follower of Christ. As we talk politics, let’s do so with a God centered perspective realizing that, if we are in Christ, what unites us is greater than anything that divides us. Policies will come and go, kingdoms will rise and fall, but God’s throne is unshaken and his dominion has no end.
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