Political arguments always amuse me. They quite often infuriate me as well, but they're usually good for a chuckle. I consider myself politically liberal. Not "very liberal" and not "moderate" just "liberal." (Facebook, what!) I don't get this response all that often when the subject is broached but it's the one that amuses/infuriates me the most: "How can you be a Christian and be a liberal?"
Ok, so let's examine this together: Christians worship a poor, homeless carpenter who kicked it with outcasts and told the political leaders of his time that they had the law but they was usin' it wrong; they had made it a hot line, he wanted to make it a hot song. What exactly about that screams out "conservative?"
Or here's another way to look at it. Today, in the year 2007, let's imagine that there was a man in...oh, let's say the Middle East. And let's say that this man developed a reputation as a great leader. Furthermore, though he never actually claimed or taught this himself, let's say that this man's followers began to believe that he would lead them in an uprising to overthrow their oppressors. Knowing what we know about the political world today, is it out of the question to say that this man just might be executed by certain, more powerful nations?
I have yet to hear someone actually respond to either of those inquiries.
See, here's the thing about my political beliefs that most people tend to forget about theirs: I know that they aren't right. That doesn't mean that I don't believe in them, it just means that I realize that they aren't infallible. Politics are a type of philosophy. And "philosophy" is just a fancy-schmancy word for, "Well, here's what I think." I don't deceive myself. I am fully aware that the reason I am liberal is because I grew up black and poor. Either one of those is a strike against me in society; with the two combined...well, I'm definitely fighting an uphill battle. But because I grew up that way, that led me to a political belief that would seek to institute change, hence my liberal leanings. I realize that had I grown up white instead of black, well off instead of poor, in Westover Hills instead of Forest Hill, I would very likely have a rather conservative political stance. Because in that scenario the status quo would have been pretty darned nice to me and I would want to keep it that way.
But I didn't so I don't. So now I listen to Rage Against the Machine, Ozomatli and Immortal Technique so that I can get all angry and righteous with all of my fellow leftists.
TITLE TAKEN
from the last mixtape album Frankie Cutlass made before he became a Christian
4 comments:
This is good definitely on point...I ask people I know these same type of questions. It's funny how people have a hard time viewing Jesus in the political context of his time.
I've never understood how a Christian could be a Republican. Jesus wasn't just a hippie radical, he was the definition of it.
word.
Conservatism, by DEFINITION is rooted in fear... generally, fear of change and/or loss. Jesus was fearless.
I think the Christian left is just invisible because one of our main beliefs is that politics and religion shouldn't mix - at least, not the way the Religious Right mixes them. I mean, if you took the "religion" out of Christianity, you'd basically have social justice, no? I've never understood how the Right manages to read the same book I read and find so much hate, intolerance, fear, and self-righteousness.
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