Excerpts from the my earlier thought, "Disneyfication and the Liberal Trap":
     "I consider myself a conservative Christian. I believe strongly in personal responsibility, which is probably one of the biggest differences between Conservative and Liberal philosophy. I'm against abortion. I think all these taxpayer supported programs are wasteful. The list goes on. However, most people with my attractions fall into "the Liberal trap" and I have felt myself falling into it before too."
     "They would never admit that children are far more likely to die by their own parents hand than any stranger any more than they'd admit a parent is far more likely to sexually abuse their own child than even a close relative and a stranger is rare indeed (see US Department of Health & Human Services "Child Maltreatment 2002" statistics). 'Family first' isn't necessarily a good thing. Though, you see, the problem is that modern Conservative thinking would consider this statement Liberal. An argument against the conservative witch hunts against child-lovers would be called a 'leftist' view despite the fact that Liberal Feminists perpetuated the witch hunts. In that respect, I consider myself more of a classical Conservative Christian."
     "The Liberal trap is such an easy one to fall into for child-lovers because Christians are portrayed as judgmental and Conservatives are portrayed as out to get us. Many child-lovers and teen-lovers fear that a Conservative Republican government will pass numerous laws to try to destroy their lives. One example is Megan's Law, where even an eighteen year old having consensual sex with his girlfriend will forever be a "sex offender", forced to register wherever he moves for the rest of his life (so that "good Christians" can drive him out of town). While I'm all for personal responsibility, I do find the law unconstitutional. The government should not be so involved in consensual or personal acts, even drugs. There are plenty of natural consequences. Our government is becoming too oppressive and that is what many people fear. So, they say, 'I guess I'm a Liberal' and begin following along with the party line. They see Liberals as 'progressive' and for freedom. Unfortunately, they're not and that's why it's a trap."
     "You see, for every 'right' Liberal thinking offers, other people's rights are trampled. Practice your right to abort your child and you take away his right to live. Exercise your right of free speech and you could be charged with sexual harassment (if you're a male). If you're White and happen to hate someone who isn't White, you're a racist."
     "Another snare in the trap for people like myself is that males with attractions other than those of the 'average straight male' often have higher estrogen and tend to be more affectionate than the 'macho' norm. Higher estrogen tends to lead (in excess) to overly emotional fluff heads. So, the more emotional and less intellectual aspects of Liberalism become very appealing. I'm sure that if I didn't have the ever level headed Joey to keep me rational, I'd be campaigning for rights for boys in the same way women-lovers (like Bill Clinton) campaign to help women gain more power. Attractions can really get in the way of good judgment."
     "Stay true to your own beliefs. The reason Conservatism isn't a trap is because it's not an easy philosophy to follow. It's much more dispassionately intellectual (to the point of being cold). As the old saying goes, 'Conservatives have a brain but no heart and Liberals have a heart but no brain.' It is possible to be rational and still be compassionate. Even strong Conservative Christians are falling into the Liberal trap in the form of Disneyfication. The founding fathers didn't blindly follow party lines the way today's congress does and true Christians are not judgmental. Be true to your faith and think for yourself. You can do both."

Related Articles:
 
"Unsafe at Any Grade: Homosexual activists are exploiting their agenda through "safe school" laws across the nation -- and California is their latest laboratory" (an example of blind intolerance)

"Conservative Christian Intolerance" (a bitter opinion of Conservative Christianity and another example of intolerance)

"Pro-‘Gay’ Left Compares Christians to Taliban"

"Why Christians Should Not Vote for George W. Bush" (IntellectualConservative.com
(an oxymoron?) article that says George W. Bush is too Liberal!)

The Conservative Christian Resource Center

Christian Coalition of America and their victories

"Conservative Christian Resources on Homosexuality"
(ReligiousTolerance.org opinions on Conservative Christian books)

"A Conservative Christian Case for Civil Same-Sex Marriage"

"What exactly is a liberal Christian?" (opposing viewpoints)

"Are you a liberal or conservative Christian?" (opinions and poll results)

"FAQ 168: What is a Liberal Christian?" (one opinion)

"The Inclusive Christian":
"Is Atheism More Rational Than Theism?"
"Is Atheism More Rational Than Theism? II"
"Does Evil Disprove Christian God?"
"Jesus vs. Bambi"
"Toulmin, God and Optimism"
"Why I Am A (Liberal) Christian"
"[RE: Defense of Liberal Christianity?]"

"Pat Robertson Quotes"

"Positive Atheism's Big Scary List of Jerry Falwell Quotations"

"Michael Jackson - What's Your Opinion?" (includes poll)

America's Freethinking Tradition

Election 2004: Religion and Politics

Freedom of Religion Quiz

"The End Is Near"

"The Bush-Conservative Love Fest"

"Religion" (why someone hates it)

"Onward Christian soldiers" ("'The government is ordained by God with the right to promote good and restrain evil,' Stanley said in his sermon. 'This includes wickedness that exists within the nation, as well as any wicked persons or countries that threaten foreign nations ... Therefore, a government has biblical grounds to go to war in the nation's defense or to liberate others in the world who are enslaved.' And sampling from a scattershot of biblical passages to inform his argument, Stanley warned that those who oppose or disobey the U.S. government in its drive to war 'will receive condemnation upon themselves.'")

"Conservative Professor Defends Ignorance and Tradition" ("What is Conservatism? It is the political position whereby traditional beliefs do not need to be defended, they are just accepted. This can be contrasted with liberalism, the political position according to which one actually expects ideas to be supported before agreeing to believe them. That, at least, is what a conservative philosophy professor claims. Who am I to argue?")

"Scientists: Bush administration distorts research" ("President Bush's administration distorts scientific findings and seeks to manipulate experts' advice to avoid information that runs counter to its political beliefs, a private organization of scientists asserted on Wednesday.")

"Politics in the lab hits US scientific integrity" ("Perhaps the corrosive issue of political interference with science won't be crucial to Bush's reelection chances, but by undercutting the integrity of the scientific community, it may be crucial to the long-term quality of life not just in the US, but also in other countries around the world.")

"Take Action! Stop the Bush Administration's Abuse of Science!" ("Across a broad range of public policy issues and on an unprecedented scale, the Bush administration is censoring and distorting science-based information that does not match its agenda. This misuse of science has serious consequences for our health, safety, and environment. Urge your representatives and senators to insist that congressional science committees investigate this important issue.")
Is "Conservative Christian" An Oxymoron?
written February 20th-March 10th, 2004

While suffering has made Joey question his faith and become more liberal, I have found myself becoming more liberal too. Perhaps it is, in part, due to how easily I'm influenced. However, while I have questioned my faith from time to time, I don't see a change of political view in conflict with my Christian faith. I instead see a conflict with combining Conservatism and Christianity. There are many Christians today who I see rejecting their faith by also calling themselves conservative. So, is the term "Conservative Christian" an oxymoron (two word paradox)?

There is a woman at my work who is the embodiment of a stereotypical modern Conservative Christian. She seems like a virtual clone of the women at various churches my parents attended over the years and I even see much of my mother in her. Yet, it is people like her that cause so many people to despise Christianity. You see, she is a Conservative mother first and a Christian second and it is that which unfairly gives Christianity a bad name. True Christianity is based on the Biblical teachings of Jesus Christ (hence Christianity), who taught us to love one another, even our enemies (Matthew 5:44). An important teaching of the Bible is that Christ also came to forgive us from our sins and save us from the judgment to come. Yet, one of the most serious statements in the New Testament is that if we judge others, we will be judged by God and that, if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven for that which damns us (Mark 11:25-26, Matthew 6:14, Luke 6:35-38). Yet, one of the biggest complaints many people have against Conservative Christians is that they are too judgmental--in effect, that they are too anti-Christian. How often have we heard Conservative pseudo-Christians saying "that's evil" or "you shouldn't be doing that" or "that's just wrong" or even "that's sick"? Yet, Conservatives don't have a monopoly on self-righteous judgment. It's simply that Conservatives preach Christian morality but don't live up to it themselves. And who would expect them to? Other Conservative Christians. It is human nature to be jealous of those who's beliefs don't forbid them from enjoying themselves, be proud of yourself and your beliefs, or to hate or despise that which you fear because you don't understand it. However, it is hypocritical to force others to follow a moral standard that you are too human to follow. There is, after all, a big difference between righteousness and self-righteousness. Yet, after playing a practical joke on me or teasing me, my "Christian" coworker proceeds to lecture me and everyone else on how to live and even how to feel. In the Bible, a woman was about to be stoned to death by a crowd that had been taught nothing but how to be judgmental. Christ taught them an entirely foreign concept: forgiveness.

A while ago, when the most recent Michael Jackson sex scandal began, it was all anyone was talking about. My Conservative Christian coworker was no exception. "I think he'll commit suicide if he's found guilty," she said one day. So, I asked her, "How would you feel if Michael Jackson killed himself?" Her response was this: "I would feel bad that I wouldn't feel bad." When I asked her to clarify this strange-sounding statement, she explained that, as a Christian, she is "supposed to" pray for his soul and not to want him to kill himself. She calls suicide "the ultimate rebellion against God." But, she confesses that she "won't pray and won't care." She would, however, feel bad about not feeling bad about him killing himself. So, would she be willing to go to hell because she won't or can't forgive? It's a question that puts her on the defensive because it questions her moral authority as a "Christian." And she's not the only one with such blind hatred. According to Bill Oreilly, "He's the devil." Sean Hanity, another Conservative bragging about being a "Christian" on the Conservative station Fox News, calls for the banning of Michael Jackson's music. His statements were reminiscent of the days of burning Beatles albums over something John Lennon said that offended the uptight Conservative moralists of the time. Another Conservative radio host was pushing this idea: "Let's clean out the gene pool. Lock all the illegal ped*philes up. Don't just deport them. Put them in with the general prison population and they'll take care of them." His Conservative ideas were far more Nazi than Christian. He was even promoting the idea of martial law, saying that the Constitution isn't strong enough. And, if there is another terrorist attack while Conservatives are in power, the military inevitably would be called on to take over. A caller on on of these Conservative radio shows talking about "good old fashioned family values" was talking about beating his son. Yet, among Conservatives, that is not child abuse. Touch is. You see, Conservatives tend to be "fighters, not lovers." They are for a stronger police force, more powerful military, harsher punishments, and legislating morality in everything except business. Just like Joey's father, they're comfortable with violence in films, but not nudity or sexuality. They become outraged over a bare breast ruining their wholesomely violent football game. They would be more conformable (less insecure) with a higher crime rate than certain groups of people (like homosexuals) having rights. It does tend to go back to Joey's idea that certain people are more prone to Conservative ideals. It's simply that Conservative ideals and Christian faith are in conflict.

Christ dying for our sins has a much greater significance than many modern Christians tend to realize. There is a sharp contrast between the "eye for an eye" stern laws of the Jewish Old Testament (Exodus 21:23-25, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21) and the "turn the other cheek" compassion and forgiveness of the Christian New Testament (Mathew 5:38-44, Luke 6:27-29). God's vengeance made way for God's mercy. An "all consuming fire" vengeful and jealous Conservative father-figure God became a compassionate "God is love" Liberal child-loving Man. We no longer have to offer slaughtered animals as sacrifices. Christ died to make the ultimate sacrifice for all our sins. We no longer stone people who pick up a stick on the Sabbath or kill people for everything from adultery to cursing God for your suffering. The old laws have passed away. So, why do we still keep them and, in so doing, deny Christ? All the laws in the Old Testament seem ridiculous to read today and it seems impossible to follow them all. Joey suggests that perhaps the laws were literally made to be broken. For example, the famous quote of, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22) is preceded by, "And every creeping thing that creeps on the earth shall be an abomination." (Levidicus 11:41) The "forbidden" sexual act is barely mentioned with a line, whereas an entire chapter is devoted to calling eating one of God's creations after another, from animals to insects, "an abomination." Yet, what if someone is starving and there is nothing else to eat? As it says in the New Testament, "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace." (Romans 6:14) Another section of Leviticus says this: "For any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or any limb too long, or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch. No man of the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, shall come near to offer the offerings made by fire to the Lord. He has a defect; he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God. He may eat the bread of his God, both the most holy and the holy; only he shall not go near the veil or approach the altar, because he has a defect, lest he profane My sanctuaries; for I the Lord sanctify them." (Leviticus 22:18-23) The simple fact that even the most minor defect or abnormality in God's own creation somehow profanes God's sanctuaries, attests to the futility of trying to live up to the perfection that God asks of us. That's what those sacrifices were all about. Yet, the simple fact is that God made us imperfect. You can even think of such things as an attraction to your own gender or to someone younger than puberty (neither of which are "ideal" from a purely biological standpoint) as an imperfect "defect". Since God Himself made us this way, only God himself, in the embodiment of Jesus Christ, could purify us by being his own sacrificial offering to Himself. That is what Christianity is really about.

It is always easier to care about yourself than others. That's the appeal of Conservatism. The Nazi party promised to return Germany to its days of glory. Bush tells us to think about America's needs and ignore the world's opinion of us. Yet, Christianity is about compassion and tolerance. Conservatives are against books like "Daddy’s Roommate" and "Heather has two Mommies," which promote tolerance. Bill Oreily is against the book "King and King," a romance between two male princes. As his Christian guest said, "It promotes a pro-homosexual agenda." Yet, Joey wishes he had been able to read such a book at seven (the age of the girl who brought it home to read from the school library). People like Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell have prayed for everything from bad health for Supreme Court justices to homosexuals to be "purged" from the earth. My Conservative coworker also holds these anti-Christian ideas. Yet, I have another coworker who disagrees completely with Conservative beliefs because of her "bleeding heart Liberalism." She even promotes the idea of forgiveness for Michael Jackson and sympathizes with homosexuals. Ironically, she is not the supposed "Christian". She is "spiritual" to agnostic, yet she is more outwardly Christian than her Conservative Christian counterpart. In all respects, Christ was a Liberal. And, just like today's Liberals, he was hated and persecuted by Conservatives of that time period. Yet, Christ was more than just Liberal. He was a Radical. There have always been extremists on both sides, but Liberal extremists tie themselves to trees, destroy machinery, or fight for a cause. Conservative extremists blow up buildings with people in them or kill people over politics, religion, or discrimination. John Kennedy, John Lennon, Martin Luthor King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and even Jesus Christ were all victims of Conservative extremists. Indeed, Liberal sympathizing with people is very much Christian. Liberals donate to charities, while Conservatives tend to horde money. Christ's message to the rich man was also a message to modern Conservatives, including my wealth-obsessed parents. Bono, from U2, donates to charities and really, genuinely cares about causes such as AIDS in Africa. As Joey says, "Many--dare I say most--Christians don't care." Liberal non-believers are often more sympathetic and more spiritual than Christians, but that can and should change. Perhaps Joey is right that the Church needs to be reformed.

For generations, Christian have been saying that the end of the world is near. Recently, the "corruption" of the church has been sited as proof of the coming apocalypse. In recent years, before priest sex scandals focused attention, many churches have become more "secular", allowing homosexuals to attend and other such "abominations". Yet, how quickly we Christians forget the Dark Ages or all the corruption in the Catholic Church before the Reformation. Give the Church everything and they might let you into their heaven. And I won't even mention the Inquisition. As Christians, shouldn't we admit that the Christian Church is better off today? I used to believe that the world was nearing an end, but I've come to believe that we all have a lot left to happen. It may happen quickly or slowly. The day and hour is unknown, but what must people have thought when they were persecuted and tortured by those who called themselves Christians? I believe that the Church will be reformed before the end and brought back to the Liberal Christ who it should be founded on. After all, there are many people who are more than simply Liberals against Conservatives. They literally hate Christianity because of the horrible experiences they had in the past with Conservative "Christians."

Recently the news covered an appearance by President Bush. They talked about how the secret service brought in buses to block Bush's view of the "unsightly" protester. Yet, our president brags that he doesn't read the newspaper or watch the news, so we can only imagine what kind of a world the people closest to him tell him he lives in. One major change for Christians breaking away from Conservatism is to stop valuing ignorance. For everything form sexuality to faith, ignorance is in for the modern Conservative. In fact, many scientists are outraged by the Bush Administration's manipulation and censoring of scientific data. Recently, after Kraft's announcement of new labeling on their junk food products, several Conservative talk show hosts became outraged by the FDA's attempt to make food product labeling include more and easier to read information. As Sean Hanity put it, "Do I need the government to tell me that this Big Mac is not the best thing to eat? No. Who cares. It tastes good. I know it's bad. I'm not dumb. It's part of my diet and I'm proud of it." However, what harm does labeling do? Many people aren't aware of all the health problems associated with junk food or that it can kill them. Knowledge shouldn't be limited, but that is exactly what Conservatives want. They believe in a black and white world and deny or hide anything in between. Bill Oreilly, like so many other Conservative men, explained how "I learned right from wrong in the woodshed." In other words, he never learned why something is right or wrong. For example, if he had stolen a car, a Christian parent can show how loosing his car effected the person whose car he stole. Instead, you would ask the child of a Conservative parent why something is bad and they would say, "Because I got a beating." No. Why is it bad? "Dunno." The only moral lesson passed on is that abuse is right. Depending on the child, he'll either internalize it or externalize it and repeat the abuse in the name of ignorance. The problem is that hate and ignorance go hand in hand. In fact, Conservative intolerance could not be upheld without ignorance. For example, Conservatives often compare sexual desire to alcoholism, but who says "I need a drink" when they've never had one before? Yet, so many people desire sex or even intimate touch when they've never experienced it. Sexuality is not an addiction. Sexuality is normal and is created by God as part of who you are. Yet Conservative Christians try to repress it. They tell homosexuals to repent for their feelings. Instead they learn to hate themselves because they can't choose who they're attracted to any more than they can change who they are. How horrible it is for a boyloving boy to be born into a strict Conservative family, even if they claim to be Christian.

Conservative ignorance teaches that homosexuality is a "lifestyle" (an action), opening the door for hatred and intolerance. Yet, the younger generation has the internet and enormous access to information (plus, younger generations have long tended to be more open minded), so that anyone who hasn't grown up in a Conservative household (that tries to block the internet and limit knowledge and understanding) will inevitably be more tolerant. My generation, despite attempts at Conservative censorship, sees sexuality not as an act but as an attraction; as feelings that may never be acted on. Conservatives often reminisce about the 1950's because life was simpler when many issues weren't discussed. When issues such as homosexuality weren't on the forefront of people's minds as they are today, it was easier to dismiss them. "Oh, that's evil." They dismissed it and didn't have to talk about it. Many Conservative Christians want that still today. The Conservative "Christian" South didn't even wake up to condemn slavery. If child and teen slavery is ever to be abolished and "minors" given rights, it would be a Liberal generation that would lead the movement. However, as long as ignorance is passed on there will be resistance to freedom and understanding. Conservatives even seem confused over what "freedom" really is. For Liberals, it's to be free. For Conservatives, freedom has come to mean justice, patriotism, or protection ("freedom from"). Conservatives also created the "tough on crime" laws that have overcrowded prisons around the country with nonviolent offenders and the three strikes laws that send people to prison for life for everything from drug possession to petty theft. Instead of thinking logically or intelligently about crime prevention or judicial discretion, Conservatives punish, punish, punish, seemingly incapable of creative or rational thought. Joey noticed that a meat-based diet used to impair his brain functions. He feels more alert on vegetable protein. "I don't know about anyone else because I'm sensitive to things," he says, but I wonder if that has helped contribute to the spread of ignorance in the anti-Christian "Bible Belt".

Whatever the case, it is clear that we all need to start thinking for ourselves. We shouldn't blindly follow any party line. For example, I may be more liberal, but I'm not for abortion. Joey recalls kids he knew acting dumb and saying and doing dumb things without really understanding what they were doing. Those kids become adults who can't think for themselves and who are either dumb or lying when they justify their positions. Joey says, "I guess I used to be a Conservative because I looked around me and saw idots--stupid people making decisions. That's how old people think." Older adults tend to be more Conservative and less Liberal, but, as generations pass, that may change. First, though, the Christian Church must be reformed away from Conservatism. Christianity must promote love, understanding, and tolerance. The Conservatives will be forced to choose between a viewpoint and their faith. I'm hoping that faith will win. For me it did. And, one day, "Conservative Christian" will be seen by the world as an oxymoron and we will come to accept the new "Liberal Christian". And the world will be a much better place.
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