The accidental “Liberal”

I hate the labels that we have become accustomed to using in order to separate “us vs them” in our country today. How I wish we were more than a two party system of government because the two parties have become so polarized, and “all or nothing” these days.

I don’t consider myself a liberal, but when thinking about it today, I was shocked when it dawned on me that I actually probably am a liberal now, at least in the minds of my more conservative friends, particularly regarding social issues.

When I started my blog, I had already been writing about certain “revelations” and realizations that I have had over the last decade or so, as I’ve spent an enormous amount of time alone, studying and praying to my Heavenly Father, while I was bedridden with my rare neurological diseases.

I had nothing but time (and my pain) to focus on His Word and to study issues and doctrines that had bothered me before, but that I had not really done the work on, to investigate for myself.

I have never been one to force my beliefs on anyone, and have actually made a concerted effort to develop diverse friendships with people who have different world views and life experiences than I do.

My faith has always been firm but I remember telling my father, when I was younger, that “God doesn’t need salesmen! He’s perfectly capable of revealing Himself to others, without me forcing my beliefs down people’s throats. If He wants me to minister to people, He’ll bring them to me, and they’ll want to listen to what I have to say, because they’ll see the life that I live; not be forced to listen to the words I say!”

Those words were prophetic in my own my life and I still live by them. I have friends that I love deeply who have different faiths, or no faith at all, but when they ask me for my opinions and beliefs, it’s because they know my heart and that I will still love them, no matter what they choose to believe. They trust my integrity and intentions.

As I have looked through my previous works to decide what things to share, I found myself actually in fear of posting several of my writings. Fear of alienating or angering people that I know and have respected for years, who are to the political right of me.

It’s interesting that those people who I know, that are to the left of me, aren’t nearly as judgmental of me, or get as offended by me, as those to the right of me do.

Not that I fear stating my beliefs but I fear that they would judge me as deceived or “backslidden” in my faith.

I very well maybe deceived, as we all can be about some things, but I am far from backslidden. As a matter of fact, I am closer to my Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ, my Savior, as I’ve ever been and I have a love for others (all others) that I’d never experienced before, either in my own life, nor in the Churches that I had spent most of my life in.

I actually went through a whole year when the Holy Spirit just continued to repeat one thing, over and over in my head; “Love God, Love Others”. Steve started to call it my “Bible on a business card!” because I would repeat it over and over again to him.

It was SO simple, yet SO difficult! I’d heard it my whole life but I didn’t truly “get it”. I can be stubborn and “thick”, I guess, because it was like a constant mantra steamrolling in my brain.

That was the problem though; in loving others more, I found myself having so much more empathy for the marginalized communities in our country and our world.

That will change a person’s politics if they aren’t careful…

When you open yourself up to different World Views and experiences, while in a place of genuine love for those people, it changes you. Their plight becomes personal.

Don’t get me wrong, many people in those Churches loved with their whole hearts, but a lot of the theology that was often practiced, and that I also taught and believed, wasn’t as loving as I think the Bible intended God’s people to be.

Many Churches were focused on the rest of the world and evangelism but they rarely focused their attention on the needs of the “others” at their own back door.

I can debate those theological doctrines but that’s not what this post is about. This post is about waking up to the fact that I am no longer the Conservative Republican that I had always been and believed I would always be.

I wrapped myself in that identity like a blanket and was shocked when it dawned on me that I am not that label any longer.

Also, as I thought about the different ministers that I have come to know over the years, yes there were Pastors that were Republicans who truly loved others, but the majority of the ones that I saw, who were in the trenches, in the inner cities, feeding the hungry and clothing the poor, were Democrats.

I had been taught since I was a child, that Democrats were bad. They were the “Party of the Devil”, and if you were a Christian, you had to be a Republican.

That lie was already torn down years ago, as I began to minister in AME churches on occasion, and meeting different ministers and congregants who were Democrats, but then I just chalked them up to being deceived on their politics.

I never, in a million years, would have thought that I would consider voting any other way than Republican, but as I have watched how far to the right the Republican Party has gone, I find that my conscience and my Spirit will not let me support most of the candidates that now run on social platforms that harm the “others” that I have grown to truly love.

There are compromises that could be made for all of these issues, but nobody is middle of the road anymore. Nobody that I’ve seen has the courage to be a peacemaker and negotiate these days. The Republican Party base has moved so far to the extreme right now. It’s not just a small percentage anymore, hiding under a rock, like it once was.

When Christian Nationalism has been normalized, as it is today, and other Republicans don’t denounce the extreme rhetoric and bad behavior of many of it’s leaders, that’s where I had to draw the line.

There are also problems with the New Apostolic Reformation that I see, and the whole idea of “Suicidal Empathy” that has been embraced by people who call themselves Christians.

All of these movements have one thing in common. They don’t demonstrate the love of Jesus to the “Others” that He’s called us to love.

We may be the only Jesus that someone else sees, even behind a keyboard, and it’s no wonder people are turning from Christ, with the way many “Christians” are behaving.

Our government has hijacked our faith and many of its leaders, and is using it as a weapon to hurt others. Their followers are allowing it to happen, even justifying it with twisted doctrine.

There used to be a term “Compassionate Conservative” and that’s where I belonged. It doesn’t seem to exist anymore.

I have found myself without a political home now.

I’ve even changed my mind on fiscal issues too. I believe in helping marginalized communities but I believe that it could be done in much more effective ways, on a local level.

I believe that the money should be spent at the local levels because each community has different needs. I believe our tax system should be restructured where the richest Americans pay more, and I believe that the bureaucracy should be reduced and restructured as well. We can be more conservative fiscally, while still helping marginalized communities.

The way this administration is doing those things is extreme and wrong, in my opinion though. The saying that they’re taking a chainsaw to the Government has been over used but it’s true. There’s no better way to say it.

You can believe that things need to change and still disagree with how those changes are occurring. This administration is ultimately hurting everyone, not just cutting the bureaucracy in a constructive way.

There are a couple of sayings that I think about. The first is that Mom always used to say “you can’t legislate morality.” That has never been more true than now. Republicans have taken legislating morality to new heights!

We were never told to force any countries to be “Christian”. There is a reason for the separation of Church of State. Everyone should have the freedoms to practice their religion, or no religion, as they see fit, as long as it doesn’t hurt others or force their will on others.

The other saying is that “I don’t want the government in my bedroom or in my wallet.” The government should not be the morality police. They shouldn’t be involved in people’s personal lives, including who they love or their medical decisions. Those things are between them and God; not them, our government and God. The government should protect the public with laws against criminals but stay out of their personal choices, that don’t hurt others.

I also think the government takes too much money, in the wrong ways, and doesn’t spend what they do have wisely. There are too many lobbyists lining their pockets and too much “pork” in budgets. Rich men keep getting richer, and that’s never been more true than with this administration.

Again, there are better ways to accomplish that, without taking a wrecking ball to democracy and our constitution.

So I guess I’m somewhere in the middle; too liberal for conservatives and too conservative for liberals, but if I had to choose a label these days, I guess I am more liberal now. That’s only because the Conservatives have become so far Right, and follow one man, as if he is God’s anointed one.

I am going to continue writing out my thoughts, opinions and stories, and praying for wisdom about which ones that God wants me share. Some are strictly for me alone, but some are meant for me to share, to help others.

My intention is not to stir controversy but to truly help people who are hurting.

It’s my hope that the people that I love will not get offended, and will know that I’m still a strong believer in the “Essential Doctrine” of Jesus Christ. We are still Brothers and Sisters in the Body of Christ, even if we disagree on certain areas.

I challenge anyone to go through the things that I’ve experienced, and then know that I only made it through because of my faith.

We SHOULD be able to agree to disagree or be able to peacefully discuss our differing opinions. I know that our nation has become so polarized that that might not be possible but I pray that my friendships aren’t so polarized that it can’t happen with me.

”Blessed are the Peace Makers”, right?

I was just about to write that I’ve changed my opinions on a few things but that’s not entirely true. Many of these things I had already felt but they were in conflict with some of the things that I had been TOLD to believe.

As I broke it all down and came to my own understanding, I realized that I was probably a closet liberal long before this realization struck me! After all, I am to be transformed into a more Christlike person, as I grow and mature in my faith.

He’s the One who spent most of His time with the marginalized people in His day, rather than with the Religious ones. That seems to be the path of discovery that I’ve been on myself…

I didn’t choose to leave the Church; my health caused me to be home bound and isolated. I have still had plenty of “Fellowship”, as God has brought me person after person of faith, to help “carry my burdens”.

I am forever thankful for this time though, as painful as it’s been, because I see some of my Heavenly Father’s purposes in it now. I would have never spent the time in study and in prayer, if I hadn’t been forced to slow down (stop actually) and do the work on these matters, on my own.

These are MY beliefs, and I still won’t force them down anyone’s throat, or judge others for believing differently. I just pray you can respect my beliefs. Some of you may also be thinking “who cares?” and that’s fine too. I know this post will help someone though, or my Heavenly Father wouldn’t have told me to share it now.

I pray for my country every day. I’m not in fear at all, because of my faith, but when He tells me to share something, I do. Not out of fear but out of obedience.

One last thing. The word “Woke” has become an insult in our political culture today, but I actually love that word. I WOKE up! That’s a good thing, in my mind. Too many are still sleeping…