[open]Why are you liberal?

[Im_A]

if you have a reason, then share. maybe this will help any of those who are curious about the infamous "Liberal Christianity".

 

[Adammi]

This time a year ago I was just a tad right of center when it comes to politics, religion, etc. A conservative, but a moderate one.

Well, what little liberal blood I had was very upset at the fact that, in the public square, Christianity had become synonymous with conservativeism, fundamentalism, Republicanism, etc.
So, I decided that I wouldn't become any less conservative than I was, but I would be more accepting of liberal Christians and learn as best I could from them. Looking back I realize that acceptance is the first step of liberalism because once I began to accept and tolerate others I found that much of my own quasi-fundamentalism was incompatible with this acceptance that I believed was from God.

So, from being accepting of others, to a change in membership from the Teenage Republicans to the Young Democrats, to expanding my views on theistic evolution, to a more Emergent interpretation of the Bible, to the realization that there are gay Christians and that the phrase "gay Christian" is not an oxymoron or a paradox, here I am.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

I wouldn't actually say I'm liberal; but fundamentalists say I am. Even though I'm perfectly orthodox on the major theological points -- 100% on the Nicene Creed, the Apostle's Creed, salvation by God's grace alone (Sola Gratia), through faith alone (Sola Fide) for the sake of Christ's merit alone (Solus Christus) -- they call me a liberal.

Why? Because I say scripture is divinely inspired but not necessarily inerrant. Because I say the scriptures when properly translated and taken in context are mostly silent on homosexuality. Because I believe in theistic evolution and not young earth creationism.

But most of all because I dislike the stiff-necked, uptight, intolerant American church culture that's grown up from mixing in Southern Redneck culture and Yankee Puritan culture and calling that Christian culture when that really isn't scriptural or in line with the practices of the early church.

So, does that make me a liberal? Gee, I guess it kinda does, in an Emergent Church kind of way... which answers some of my questions about what kind of church I'm looking for.

Politically I'm a classical liberal, aka a non-doctrinaire non-Ivory Tower libertarian. I think modern "progressive" nanny state liberalism is a perversion of true liberalism; true liberalism is all about leaving people free to live their own lives, not trying to take care of them against their will like an intrusive mother-in-law.

 

[Abiel]

I just can't help myself

 

[tryingtobeagain]

I'm Liberal for too many reasons to post here (Izdarri sums it up quite nicely) but I'll give you the just of it. I'm an activst - always have been from the first time I heard of Malcolm X and MLK Jr (which was probably around 5). My parents taught me to question everything becasue people fear what they do not understand and that fear turns into hate. So I grew up challenging, questioning and learning. I took teachers head on and won my arguments based on education and love. I developed the belief that God loves each of us no matter the small details and I stuck to it. In an effort to both please God and be a better activist I love all my brothers and sisters and fight for us all to be considered equal and have equal rights. I don't believe that anyone should be excluded from learning about God or being welcomed to share in His love.

I know I sound like a "hippy" but I'm ok with that... sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong generation.

PS. The revolution will not be televised... for those of you who know Gil

 

[Pogue]

I was brought up that way, more or less. Where I live, most people would be considered liberal, and I'm always surprised by the high level of conservatism I see regarding religion on the internet, because in real life, many religious people I know are liberals.

 

[Athene]

Because I'm not conservative.

And for the long answer, both parents socialists, university education, taught to question everything bla bla bla.

 

[glo1]

I'm not sure that I am liberal.
Some of my views may in some ways be perceived as quite conservative by some.

I may not agree with the lifestyles/values/beliefs of some people, but I can never find it in my heart to hate or dislike them for it, or to throw the book at them.
Whatever our differences may be, I feel that I am called to love my fellow human beings, and leave the final judgement of us all to the one who knows best!

I don't know if that makes me a liberal ...

glo

 

[Toney]

Because I believe that all paths are valid. Conservative believers in most all religious systems boast exclusive truth. That is a tragedy, and that is ludicrous.

 

[Im_A]

for me it started when i was younger. not to say i was liberal when i first came to the faith but at the time, i started conservative cause that's what i thought Christianity was all about.

then over time, i grew tired of the inconsistancies in the beliefs of the church and the conservativeness slowly slipped away.

now i'm liberal because, i find liberal theology to be the most modern relevant view of God and everyone. i'm liberal because i hold no importance to creeds, even tho i do see nothing wrong with them and can agree to them, i just have no use for them myself. i don't judge where one goes in the afterlife, including myself. i trust God will make a holy judgement and i'm highly optimistic. i believe that many paths have validity, and i believe that people outside of the church/faith have a high probability to being with the creator in the afterlife, because i believe Christ's teachings stretch out further than the four corners of Christianity.

i'm also liberal because i find enlightenment in the secular world.

i'm socially liberal. i believe that morality is most of the time relative and the only ultimate truth out there is to love your neighbor as you would love yourself.

that's a quick explanation

 

[non-religious]

[tryingtobeagain]
PS. The revolution will not be televised... for those of you who know Gil

I know him very well. I have all his records, a couple of his books and actually met him when I was in New York many years ago. Sadly he has had many struggles with drug addictions etc... but he was and is a trully great poet and thinker....

 

[non-religious]

[glo1]I'm not sure that I am liberal.
Some of my views may in some ways be perceived as quite conservative by some.

Phew..... I thought I was the only one who felt this way

I may not agree with the lifestyles/values/beliefs of some people, but I can never find it in my heart to hate or dislike them for it, or to throw the book at them.
Whatever our differences may be, I feel that I am called to love my fellow human beings, and leave the final judgement of us all to the one who knows best!

I don't know if that makes me a liberal ...

I agree with this....

Infact I am actually becoming more moderate in both my politics and theology.

There are so many crass stereotypes and generalisations thrown around from all sides when it comes to these kinds of definitions. Two of the most incorrect generalisations are that conservative/fundamentalists do not question anything or they are are less tolerant towards others.

Both in my experience and opinion are in many instances wrong.....

 

[Rebekka]

I'm not sure that I am liberal.
Some of my views may in some ways be perceived as quite conservative by some.

I may not agree with the lifestyles/values/beliefs of some people, but I can never find it in my heart to hate or dislike them for it, or to throw the book at them.
Whatever our differences may be, I feel that I am called to love my fellow human beings, and leave the final judgement of us all to the one who knows best!

I don't know if that makes me a liberal ...

glo

This describes me fairly well. I don't call myself a liberal, but compared to many on CF I am a liberal and I'm not someone who draws the God/Bible card quickly.

I was brought up that way, more or less. Where I live, most people would be considered liberal, and I'm always surprised by the high level of conservatism I see regarding religion on the internet, because in real life, many religious people I know are liberals.

Europe is more liberal than the US in many respects, so liberals don't stand out here, I think conservatives stand out more (especially in the Netherlands, where most people will think of me as fairly conservative, I think). Most catholics I know in real life are more liberal than I; most catholics in OBOB are more conservative than I.

I was raised liberal. I grew up in an intellectualistic environment with lots of literary fiction and other books, parents are half hippies, I question a lot of things, I love diversity... I guess that makes me liberal. Somewhat. But I don't like stereotypes either.


Edited to add: I forgot probably the most important thing that will make me a liberal in the eyes of many on CF: I'm a feminist.

 

[UberLutheran]

When I was young I was bitten by the tick which carries teh Liberal disease.

At first, it was a localized disease, but then teh Liberal spirochetes got into my blood system and caused a generalized infection.

The doctors say that I now have Stage III Liberal disease and they won't be able to cure it, so I'm probably going to have teh Liberal for the rest of my life.

And that's the truth.

 

[Athene]

Yes indeed Uber, the original tick carrying teh Liberal disease is European in origin, it crawled into the suitcase of an American tourist back in the 1960's, in the States it bit and infected several people resulting in a movement which led to desegregation.

There have infact been several such epidemics in Americas history, one in the first decade of the 1800's and another in 1920.

 

[Pogue]

Oh no! I must have teh Liberal disease too! Could it be genetic, by any chance? Only, I'm thinking that I might not have children, for the good of the world.

 

[UberLutheran]

Oh no! I must have teh Liberal disease too! Could it be genetic, by any chance? Only, I'm thinking that I might not have children, for the good of the world.

Do what you can to save yourself, while you can.

I'm 52, and I've had teh Liberal disease for over 40 years -- and now I can never, ever have teh children...

 

[Rebekka]

Oh no! I must have teh Liberal disease too! Could it be genetic, by any chance? Only, I'm thinking that I might not have children, for the good of the world.

Yep, that's one of the things husband (who is not liberal) and I decided. We decided to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good and not have children, because there already are way too many liberals.

Husband and I are selfless people as you can see.

 

[Athene]

Oh no! I must have teh Liberal disease too! Could it be genetic, by any chance? Only, I'm thinking that I might not have children, for the good of the world.

I think it is, both my parents have/had teh liberal disease, my mums was a paticularly virulent form known as teh feminism, and all four of her children were infected.

I'm seeing symptoms of teh liberal in my oldest two . ..

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

I have often heard it said, by Mike Savage and others, that liberalism is a mental disorder. I understood him to be speaking of political liberalism. But for some of you, your religious and political liberalism are linked? And you caught them by being bitten by a liberalism carrying tick? I sure hope I can't catch political liberalism from hanging out with my religious liberal friends!

Izzy,
who values her identity
as a religious liberal and
political neolibertarian