how to talk to a liberal?
I'm a conservative. I'm of the ilk who is predominately pro-Bush (while still acknowledging he is human and makes mistakes just like the rest of us). I see some benefit in the war in Iraq. I'm against abortion. I think that the appointment of two conservative judges to the Supreme Court is a good break that many Christians have been praying for for a long time. I think it will save many innocent lives. I think homosexual marriage is a bad idea, but I don't hate homosexuals. I believe in keeping government programs to a minimum. I happen to like the fact that the President prays, though he is sometimes a bit too dualistic and sometimes identifies America's agenda too much with God's agenda. I think the Gospel should lead to the church ministering to social needs, but I don't believe that social justice equals the Gospel.
But I spend a lot of time with liberals. My denomination (the ELCA) is made up of primarily liberal clergy--although a lot of the people in the pews are conservative (unless we are talking about St. Paul, MN!). And in their eyes, there is fear. They frequently make doomsday predictions that would put Tim LaHaye to shame. They declare the President "Hitler." They make him into almost an Antichrist figure.
I don't know how to talk to them. Occasionally, I open up and remind them that there is a conservative in their midst who is still a thinking person (wonder of wonders!). And they try to be courteous, but they always sink back into their gloomy view of the nation in light of the Presidency of George W. Bush.
Ann Coulter has her take on how to talk to liberals, but (although in my most frustrated moments, a little bit of sarcastic humor can defuse things!) I don't like the idea of just insulting people we disagree with (Coulter's favorite option!). There's got to be a better way.
But I feel like such an oddball, sitting amongst these liberals and not feeling an impending sense of doom as they do! I don't see a bleak future because of President Bush. I don't agree with everything he ever did, but....c'mon, as I reminded one woman with fear deep in her eyes...God is still on the throne! Even if liberals do think Bush is the most corrupt man on the planet (which I think is ridiculous), God is still in charge. I wouldn't want a religion where I thought the President was more powerful than God. God will prevail at the end of the day. That's what faith is all about...believing in One beyond yourself, stronger than yourself, wiser than yourself. I think liberals need a little dose of faith.
But then, I needed that myself during the Clinton years!
But I spend a lot of time with liberals. My denomination (the ELCA) is made up of primarily liberal clergy--although a lot of the people in the pews are conservative (unless we are talking about St. Paul, MN!). And in their eyes, there is fear. They frequently make doomsday predictions that would put Tim LaHaye to shame. They declare the President "Hitler." They make him into almost an Antichrist figure.
I don't know how to talk to them. Occasionally, I open up and remind them that there is a conservative in their midst who is still a thinking person (wonder of wonders!). And they try to be courteous, but they always sink back into their gloomy view of the nation in light of the Presidency of George W. Bush.
Ann Coulter has her take on how to talk to liberals, but (although in my most frustrated moments, a little bit of sarcastic humor can defuse things!) I don't like the idea of just insulting people we disagree with (Coulter's favorite option!). There's got to be a better way.
But I feel like such an oddball, sitting amongst these liberals and not feeling an impending sense of doom as they do! I don't see a bleak future because of President Bush. I don't agree with everything he ever did, but....c'mon, as I reminded one woman with fear deep in her eyes...God is still on the throne! Even if liberals do think Bush is the most corrupt man on the planet (which I think is ridiculous), God is still in charge. I wouldn't want a religion where I thought the President was more powerful than God. God will prevail at the end of the day. That's what faith is all about...believing in One beyond yourself, stronger than yourself, wiser than yourself. I think liberals need a little dose of faith.
But then, I needed that myself during the Clinton years!
3 Comments:
At 10:24 AM,
Rebecca said…
Hi Madre,
Yes, I am a student at Luther, currently on internship. Nice guess. I have loved Dr. Forde's work through my reading, and had the privilege to attend his funeral last year (at which Steven Paulson preached). Dr. Nestingen was one of my favorite teachers at Luther, but he has recently resigned from most of his teaching duties...a fact that makes me quite sad to go back to Luther.
Since I don't have an email address for you, I will have to assume that you might check back here.
You raise an interesting issue. I did not grow up Lutheran but in conservative Bible churches...therefore, it was initially a leap for me to think that women could be in ministry. It was meeting a woman pastor who didn't fit stereotypes, and then doing some reading in Scripture and books that convinced me of God's call to women in ministry. The two influential books were _Why Not Women?_ and _Beyond Sex Roles: What the Bible Says about a Woman's Place in Church and Family_. I came to see that there are women in leadership and ministry in the Bible: Deborah, Priscilla, women cited at the end of Paul's letters (several of whom seem to lead churches in their homes), Phoebe the deaconness, etc. Also, I was struck by the fact that the first preachers of the resurrection were women, coming from the tomb (a fact which may have been embarassing for the male writers of the Gospels to mention). I was also struck by the passage in Acts 2 which says that both men and women will prophesy (proclaim the truth), and in Galatians 3 where all are declared equal in Christ. I began to see the few prohibitions against women's leadership in the church as being situational (which certainly means circumstance could arise that would call such prohibitions into play again), when I balanced those passages against the whole of the Biblical revelation. It took time, prayer, and study, but this is how I have resolved these issues in my own mind.
Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you will continue to be a reader!
God bless,
Rebecca
At 11:18 AM,
k o w said…
Wonderful site here. Very well written and I enjoyed it alot. Don't let my sites last post frighten you, I'm just a little down on religon these days.
At 2:01 PM,
Lee said…
Hi Rebecca.
This is Lee from Tuesday study. Having grown up in Arizona, being a former police officer and then doing my first part of seminary at PLTS in Berekely, I was often treated as either a brainwashed storm trooper or an ignorant country rube. One thing I have learned is that intolerance does not have a political party or philosophy. For me, Ann Coulter and Michael more are just two different sides of the same coin.
Also, being the union of a Southern Baptist and a Roman Catholic, being Lutheran has been challenging for me. It usually surprises most people to find out that politically I am a conservative - at least I have historically voted that way. Also, native Arizonan are Barry Goldwater type Republicans, which means strong national defense, fierce nationalism, but liberal on human rights issues. (Did you know Westborough Baptist picked his funeral because he was for Homosexuals in the military and for recognizing couples in a same sex relationships?)
The Gospel must temper me, however. I must continue to challenge my political ideas and motivations while at the same time empowering me to act. Many of the things that I think are best as a Republican, I must admit are not how Jesus leads us. Similarly, liberal agendas must also be so tempered.
What I have experienced in seminary and somewhat in the ELCA in general is a dichotomy where one has to be right another wrong. It is the notion that we must continually defend the "God given" rightness of our position, instead of seeing how the Holy Spirit is challenging us to move beyond what we think is best. We do not want the Gospel to temper us, but to legitimize us; and, if it does not do that, we are faced with the temptation of making the Gospel fit anyway through both selective literalism and relativism of Scripture.
I guess, "How would I talk to a liberal?", which is Ann Coulter famous phrase. Hopefully, as the fellow saint and sinner that he or she is; and, when I fail, to ask for forgiveness as I have received it.
God's Peace and see you at Study!
Lee
leebennight@insightbb.com
www.lutheransonline.com/trinitydurand
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