Conservative & Progressive Faith within My Heart
We
should try not to mix up our unique faith and our very personal political views
for this can cause us to judge one another. I can see faith issues within all
the political parties. Let us be concerned about social moral issues that
political parties take up as causes.
However, when ever we (as individuals) take the political views of
others and make them bad or wrong, we become a modern day Pharisees who can be
half-hearted. We start to view things in extreme ways.
One
extreme would be a faith completely open to an “Anything goes” attitude,
accepting (fully) all controversial issues, anti -death penalty and wanting a
totally anti-war Green Church. Half of my personal church’s members would leave
– the conservative half. The other extreme would be a completely legalistic,
rigid attitude -very ritualistic, tunnel vision about conservative Christian
issues and pro-death penalty Church. Half my church’s members would leave – the
progressive half. Without moderates with compromise this would be my Church’s fate
… TWO CHURCHES (a conservative & a progressive one). I love my Church
because it is a reflection of all of Christianity. I would have to be a member
of BOTH churches to be fully human and fully alive. For the heart of Christ
does have TWO beating chambers. One chamber (the conservative side) brings the
“Blood of Christ” to the heart (to be preserved and nourished), and the other
(the progressive side) takes the “Blood of Christ” to the world (through peace
& justice).
We
(all of Christianity) have to be both conservative and progressive. We need to
challenge and adjust our faith through progressive ideals and we need to
dedicate & preserve our faith through conservative ways. We are to love God
and all our neighbors with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. Then we
do more … we go with Christian Love. We want to understand and validate those
who we disagree with. We need to see beyond conservative anger and fear (of
change) to love them. We need to go beyond progressive disappointment and apathy
(to the status quote) and love them too. We need to see the seed of Christ
within all so that our conservative & progressive faith can be nourished
with a productive faith for growth with peace.
While
maintaining our faith we must show compassion and caring towards those who
receive little love or attention in our culture. With all those political
messages on TV against half of Christianity by the other half, we must still
experience love for all. It is so confusing because there is good in the bad and
bad in the good within each message from both sides. May God’s Peace,
Love & Joy always be with us so we should not judge those who we do not
agree with? D.Crone
QUESTIONS:
1 How can you value the opinions of someone completely
different than you?
2 Does disagreements mean there has to always be a right
person and a wrong person?
3 Do some people need more structure in their beliefs to
feel comfortable with their lives? Would that be a conservative?
4 Do some people need to be challenging and expanding their
philosophy of life to feel alive? Would that be a progressive?
5 Are conservatives, progressives and moderates all needed
to balance off our society and our church? Why?
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