Faith and politics
(Maybe I’m a liberal after all)
A couple weeks ago, Above Average Jane invited other bloggers to post on the subject of how their religious beliefs inform their politics.
I jumped at the idea, and strangely, I thought it would be much easier to write about than it has been. I think the reason for my miscalculation was the pervasive nature with which my faith and political ideas interact. To write about it on a grand scale, as I thought I might, would take far too long and lose the interest of most people (even those who normally wade through my occasionally long-winded offerings). So I’ve tried to pare it down a bit, and I hope it worked.
Long before I could articulate it, I had an odd urge to defend people. My prevailing tendency in most situations is to favor the underdog. I feel sympathy for those who are experiencing down times, whether it be in life or death struggles, economic conflict or even the relatively meaningless sphere of competitive sports. This tendency was alive in me before I was even aware of the general meaning of my name, which is usually along the lines of “defender” or “guardian.”
It wasn’t until I spent more time becoming familiar with the Christian tradition in which I was reared that I started to notice the exhortations of Jesus Christ, who said however we’d treated the least of these, we’d also treated him (Matthew 25:42-46). And he seemed quite serious about it. That’s when I knew the impulse to help the downtrodden, to defend the weak, was more than just some feel-good notion I’d invented on my own. And knowing that only cemented the importance of the concept in my mind.
I’ve always felt that I’d rather stand with those who have nothing and are in need than with those who have only their greed left to satisfy. I’ve always been more comfortable standing on the side of mercy than on the side of judgment, an impulse that was also reinforced in the teachings of Jesus (Luke 6:37).
I’ve never believed that it was wrong to have money or power, but to have either and not use it for something beyond your own desires and interests, to be exclusively motivated by the acquisition of material wealth, is not endorsed anywhere in the religious tradition to which I adhere. My faith is built on mercy, on grace, on helping those who need it, and not using a means test to see if they deserve it.
A while back, it was that realization that led me to question some of the “conservative” ideals with which I’d been reared. It wasn’t that conservative ideas are inherently evil, but more that they always seemed to find themselves tucked right next to the greediest notions of capitalism, along with the Darwinian notion that those who can’t survive don’t deserve to. That’s a notion that, according to the Christian faith I profess, would damn us all, no matter how strong or righteous we think we are.
So with that mindset, it’s best not to look down on the weak, the poor, the oppressed. To not judge people for having what we consider faults. Instead, I try to recognize the sense of grace that allows any of us to live comfortable lives, or even to advance to an afterlife. I try to hold close the understanding that the teachings of Jesus were intended for people to measure themselves against—not so we could judge others while we ourselves are still lacking.
It’s with that thought process that I find myself somewhere in between the conservative and liberal schools of thought.
I believe in personal responsibility, which means I should be responsible for my actions, and so should others be responsible for themselves—but far too many of those who throw “personal responsibility” around like a catch phrase only really mean it to apply to other people.
I’m pro-life, all the way through, not just in the womb. That means not simply outlawing procedures with which I disagree, but supporting policies that give even the most disadvantaged young people a better chance at survival; giving families the opportunity to be families, without having the kids left home alone while both parents (or a solo parent) spend sixty hours a week at multiple jobs just to keep the family off the street. I’m for helping the poor in substantive ways, not because I like encouraging those who actually take advantage of social programs, but because to do nothing while people suffer is the most un-Christian course of action I can imagine. These beliefs come from the idea that the defenseless, the powerless should be protected by those who have the ability to do so.
I can’t dictate government policy, but when given the opportunity, I support measures and candidates that address these concerns in a way that I consider viable.
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There. That’s my two cents on the subject. Not the most compelling (or coherent) post ever, but if you want to peruse a few others who were stimulated to action by Jane’s invitation, she’s compiling a list of respondents here. Or maybe you have some thoughts on the subject…
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