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Why I Can’t Support The Right

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political Bible In the United States, when talking about politics, the Right refers to conservative views. The Republican Party is considered the party of the Right.

There are parts of the Rightists’ message that resonate with me. Concern for morality. Emphasis on the family. De-emphasis of the role of government.

So why can’t I support the Right? Here are some reasons:

  • Stance toward immigrants and refugees. Yes, this is a personal list, and this topic is of special interest to me personally. I live in a state where the Right uses the question of immigration as its principal fear-mongering tool. As I’ve said before, I favor efforts to secure the southern border of the United States. But I oppose any reasoning which places the blame on immigrants or seeks to characterize them as criminals and/or terrorists. The language of the Right on this issue should be offensive to every Christian. We are called to compassion for those less fortunate, not contempt.
  • Emphasis on violence as a solution. For many, the answer to most foreign policy questions is violence. They seek to impose the will of the United States on other nations, intimidating them by economic and military force. Violence is also the answer for many domestic issues. As a Christian, I can’t support such. I don’t feel that being Pro-Life ends when a baby is born. Christians speak up for life over death at every level.
  • American exceptionalism. I reject the idea that the United States is inherently greater than other nations. I reject the notion that our system is inherently better than that of others. I cannot support policies based on preserving the United States’ position of dominance in the world. (There also tends to be a strong patriotic emphasis by those on the Right, though the Left would lay claim to the same patriotism. I’m very patriotic… but my patria is not the United States. It’s the Kingdom of God.)
  • Disregard for the environment. I feel that Christians have a responsibility to stand up for the good of God’s creation. The Right can favor the economy over ecology. Christians on the Right find themselves in untenable positions, such as denying climate change in the face of all evidence. I admit that radical environmentalism can be harmful, but that doesn’t free us from the responsibility to be good stewards of what God has made.

    • There are other issues. These are just some major ones that stand out for me.

    Does that mean I support the Left? Far from it. Please read the companion post: Why I Can’t Support the Left

    And no, I don’t believe in choosing the lesser of two evils. You still end up choosing an evil. That’s not for me.

    Why I Can’t Support The Left

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    political Bible
    In the United States, when talking about politics, the Left refers to liberal views. The Democratic Party is considered the party of the Left.

    There are parts of the Leftists’ message that resonate with me. Concern for the poor. Concern for the environment. Opposition to most forms of violence.

    So why can’t I support the Left? Here are some reasons:

    • Abortion. Yes, that has to top the list. I don’t believe in one-issue politics, so I won’t say that the list begins and ends there. But it’s a major issue. Beyond the legislative questions, I’m troubled by the emphasis on a mother’s rights versus those of her child. I’m troubled by the effort to completely remove questions of morality from sexuality and reproduction. Christians are to speak up for the weak and powerless; none fit that category better than the unborn. We should also speak up for life over death.
    • Emphasis on government as solution. There was a time when the family was expected to take care of most needs. What couldn’t be dealt with by the individual family was handled by the church family. The Left tends to replace the family and the church with the government when discussing social problems.
    • Antagonism toward public expression of religion. As a Christian, I can’t support the idea that faith is merely a personal matter to be practiced in the privacy of one’s home. The Left has done more to limit religious expression than it has done to promote it; I can’t stand with them on that.
    • Support for the Gay Movement. The Left has unquestionably accepted homosexuality and has often pressured Christians to do the same. I do not favor the mistreatment of homosexuals any more than I favor the mistreatment of those that commit other sins. But as a Christian I will not whitewash immorality in any form, including homosexuality.

    There are other issues. These are just some major ones that stand out for me.

    Does that mean I support the Right? Far from it. Please read the companion post: Why I Can’t Support the Right

    And no, I don’t believe in choosing the lesser of two evils. You still end up choosing an evil. That’s not for me.