Christians turn Right. No Left. I mean Right.

In light of the recent election, I thought I would post some of the thoughts I shared with my college students the night of November 4th.  That night was one of great emotional turmoil for me.  (Mostly because I love all the people in my life, Right or Left though they may lean, and I deeply desire respect and understanding all around.)  Okay, this is the Right and the Left in bullet points as I see it.  I’m not going to give you what each side has to say in response to each “issue of focused attention”.  Instead, I’m just comparing the overall emphases of each side.  I also think it is important to note that each side believes that their “issues of focused attention” should be the issues where the government focuses its attention.  The Right wants government to do this through legislation and the Left would like to see it happen through government-sponsored social services.

• Abortion-belief in the right to life of the unborn; life begins at conception.
• Homosexuality-belief that it is a sin and that marriage should only be defined as man and woman.
• Education: Rights of Christians in schools-prayer, Intelligent Design, and no curriculum emphasizing homosexuality.
• Patriotism-belief in God & country, love of faith & Founding Fathers, belief in just war, right to 2nd amendment. 

Christian Left: SOCIAL JUSTICE

• Homelessness/poverty-belief in the right of all living beings to have basic needs met and belief that poor should be taken care of by government as well as church.
• Civil Rights-belief in equality for all men and separation of church and state.
• Education/Health Care-belief that all people have an equal right to good education and good health.   
• Environment-belief that we are all responsible for taking care of the planet.

BELIEF ABOUT U.S.A.

Christian Right: “America is great because she is good.  When America ceases to be good she will cease to be great.”  Belief that we were founded on Godly principles and if we want to continue to receive God’s abundant blessings, we need to fight for morality (as defined by the issues of focused attention).

Christian Left: America has the potential to be great, but she is not good.  Her history is founded on bigotry, oppression, and intolerance.  Belief that if we want to be great, we need to work for global peace and social justice (as defined by the issues of focused attention).

• Righteousness
• Holiness
• Obedience
• Faithfulness
• Charity

Christian Left

• Grace 
• Unity
• Forgiveness
• Compassion
• Community

THE BIBLE

• Moral relativism and loss of absolutes.
• Pluralism (many ways to God) and perhaps universalism (many ways through Christ).
• Wrath of God on Nation.
• Left’s doctrinal laxity and misguided thinking.
• For Left’s salvation .

Christian Left Fears

• Christ will be associated with judgment/condemnation.
• Being perceived as unloving or disrespectful by non-Christians.
• Wrath of God on Christians.
• Right’s dogmatism.
• Being associated with anything having to do with the Right.

So, how do we have dialogue when there appears to be such divides amongst the body of Christ?  Well….here’s a good place to start.  I suggest that the Right stops questioning the salvation of the Left and that the Left stops questioning the motives of the Right.  In one article I read by an atheist trying to summarize what he believed the Christian Right & Left believe, he said something along the lines of “to my amusement these Christians appear to vehemently hate one another”.  How sad…  My hope is that we will all be able to emphasize our common values in Christ and that the world will truly know we are Christians by our love, not our dogmatism.