What’s A Conservative Christian? – Part III
The last couple of posts we’ve been looking at the conservative Christian and what it means to be one. We’ve taken a look at a couple of the key pillars of conservatism and explained how from a biblical perspective that the tenets agree with the Bible.
Understand that whatever we do and think that it has to line up with scripture, not the other way around. Scripture is the final authority.
Today we’re going to end it with three other pillars of conservative philosophy: pro life, free market/capitalism, and what many call traditional family values but I’m gonna call what it is which is anti-homosexuality.
Pro-Life
I have touched on this in detail in another post titled Abortion And Slavery: Peas In A Pod and I want to refer you there to read on it. But in the interest of keeping everything in one place, I’ll reiterate some points while adding some others.
The big debate today over abortion hinges on when life begins. Conservatives belief it begins at the moment of conception and science agrees wholeheartedly. But scripture says that life begins before conception when God thinks about you.
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)
In Exodus we have a situation of infanticide being instituted by the Pharaoh and scripture testifying that this was evil (Exodus 1:15-22). Whether this was instituted by the government or by an individual, the act is what is evil. It shows a callous disdain for human life. Instead of looking at life as being precious and marvelous, agreeing with scripture that “I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Psalm 139:14), we excuse this barbaric and murderous act as some right. Conservatives don’t believe that and neither does scripture.
Traditional Family Values (Anti-Homosexuality)
This one pillar is a new one because of the growth of homosexuality in this country since the late 70s. Some may argue earlier. Nevertheless, we’ve had to take a stand on this and now it’s one of the pillars of our platform.
Homosexuality is CLEARLY a disgusting, abominable act before the Lord:
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 20:13)
For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting; (Romans 1:26)
Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, (1 Corinthians 6:9)
On and on and on.
The reason for this is that it goes against nature itself and history has proven time and time again that once a society embraces homosexuality, that society ceases to exist. Allowing gay marriage is a stamp of approval to continue in a self- destructive lifestyle not only for those involved but for the nation’s survival.
Alarmism? Sure. Alarmism based on Truth is a warning from God we had better take heed.
Free Market/Capitalism
When we talk about free market, we’re tying to it the idea of limited government and personal responsibility and therefore the biblical reasons that apply there bleed over to this one.
I’m going to recommend a thorough analysis of biblical economics from Gary North who has done extensive research into the subject. I also recommend anything from Larry Burkett. But today, I’m going to give you the main points of why free market capitalism is biblical.
The Bible says in Galatians 6:4-5:
But let each man prove his own work, and then shall he have his glorying in regard of himself alone, and not of his neighbor. For each man shall bear his own burden.
It also says in 2 Thessolonians 3:10:
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will not work, neither let him eat.
When it comes to individual responsibility tied to free market, one of the passages that just screams at this in the area of finance is the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14 – 30). In this parable the Lord, clearly Jesus, was expecting His servants to produce a profit. He gives them all a different amount. He didn’t give them all the same amount as socialists want to do in their redistribution of wealth philosophy. He gave according to their ability and wanted results. The first two worked hard and got results. The last didn’t and what was given to him was given to the one that had produced the most. All because the servant was lazy and didn’t want to work.
The Bible always says that hard work will produce wealth and a lack of nothing (Proverbs 6:10-11, 14:23, 28:19, 1 Thessolonians 4:10b-12). Wealth is not evil as liberals love to pontificate even though they themselves are no where near poor while their constituents stay poor. You’d think that would be a hint.
It’s our attitude towards wealth that’s evil (1 Timothy 6:10), not wealth in and of itself.
Deuteronomy 28:12-13 states:
Jehovah will open unto thee his good treasure the heavens, to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.
One sure way to get out of poverty is to start working hard at what God has gifted you at and trust that God will be true to His word. Working hard means that. It won’t be easy. But diligence will produce no lack. To say that it’s the government’s responsibility to make sure everyone gets the same thing is ludicrous and unbilblical.
In the book of Acts 4:32-37, we have the evidence of what happens when our hearts are changed and we act as a true Christian community. This was not by force but by individual choice. When that happens in a free market full of hard working people, no one lacks a thing. It was not done by force of the governing body of the apostles for in the next chapter, we have a situation where Peter confronts two people who lied and said they had given all when they really hadn’t. Peter makes it clear:
While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou has not lied unto men, but unto God. (Acts 5:4)
It was their property to do with as they chose and no one was forcing them to do otherwise. Whether they gave or not, no one was going to take it away from them or look differently at them because they hadn’t.
Socialism forces people to give what they have worked hard for to others that they do not know all in the supposed interest of equality and need. But God’s economy works in a way where people have the freedom to choose what to do with the fruit from their labor and not have it extorted from them in the guise of taxes, tariffs, and fees. Socialism likes to spread your wealth how it sees fit, not how you see fit even though you worked for it. Socialism promotes oppression while capitalism promotes freedom.
Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor – this is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19)
This is the laborer’s portion, not someone else’s who doesn’t work for it. Let the laborer decide how to distribute what they earn. In addition, righteous wealth is God’s gift. To tamper with that and say that it should be given to someone else is to say that God doesn’t know what He’s doing and is an affront against God. Socialism, as much as MLK wanted to support it, is anti-Bible.
So yeah, he was wrong.
So Now You Know
So know you know why I’m a conservative Christian and why many like me are. Because it lines up with the principles and tenets of the scriptures.
I could go on with the death penalty, gun control, immigration, the whole wop and I probably will touch on each of those individually at some time in the future. But I really wanted to just hit on the majors. We can do the minors at another time.
I’d be interested in hearing the views of some people and why they are Christians and a conservative. So make sure you leave comments as this is meant to be more of a detailed summary overview.
Always interested in what you have to say.
Back to The Truth Manifesto main page.
Subscribe to our RSS Feed.
You seem like a well-intentioned christian, so i’ll cut some of my vitriol in this rebuttal.
WHAAATTT!!! Despite whatever hick right wing revisionist says free market systems are inherently driven by greed. No question.
This is not to say that christians cannot participate in a free market economy. What is means is that “your” “our” wealth without distribution to the less fortunate sullies “your” “our” testimony.
Let’s define “distribution of wealth”. Tax collection is a function of any government. These monies are distributed to public works for the public good. Our modern interpretation of the public good has simply extended to education, retirement, and possibly healthcare.
And lets be clear–medicare/medicaid, social security, financial aid, unemployment benefits ARE ALL SOCIALIST PROGRAMS AT WORK. No one gets rich off these programs. The idea that taxing the wealthy (who wont miss the money) enriches the less fortunate is ridiculous.
“God’s economy works in a way”… are u serious. Maybe i missed that treatise on the mount edition of the bible. What you guys are doing is using biblical interpretation in a modern context. I find the subject compelling. However i personally would never definitively define my views or interpretations in such bold and infallible terms.
1First: If you don’t have temperance to simply state your point lucidly without being insulting (hick right wing), don’t post here.
Second: A system cannot, by virtue that it’s a system, be capable of greed. The people within a system can be that way. The system cannot. Greediness speaks to the heart of a human.
Third: Scripture is pretty clear that wealth distribution should be given from the heart, not forced by the government. It’s why Christ spoke to individuals about giving, not the government.
So it sullies no one’s testimony for being wealthy. God is the one that allowed them to be that way. What could sully their testimony is their heart towards their wealth.
Fourth: Taxation by force is nothing but another form of extortion which is the system we have now.
Fifth: Tell me you’re not seriously using those programs as a measure of success because I need a whole other post to address that.
Sixth: Using the Bible in a modern context is…well…biblical and what God says that we should do. The principles and tenets laid out in scripture are timeless. They are applicable from generation to generation and are how He operates His kingdom.
I highly suggest you read parts I and II to this post, especially I since it’s apparent that you haven’t. Then you get a fuller picture of what a conservative Christian is.
2P.R.E.Z. i love the fact that you have the innards to comment. Now let me commence to eviscerate your argument. lol
First:(re:)I chose to define ppl as they are. A significant portion of self-described "conservative christians" are not cosmopolitan, nor well versed enough in history, nor culture chosing to live in racially, culturally, ethnically exclusive social bubbles. Early biblical scholars were multi-lingual and comfortable in a diverse environment. con christians are simply hicks.
Second:(re:)Systems are capable of the individuals that comprise the system. Nazism was a system made up of racist scumbugs, hence nazism is evil. Free market capitalism is based on the very notion that self-serving individuals will attempt to acquire as much wealth (wealth of nations -adam smith) as possible (hence greed), hence early 20th century monopolies, Wall street collapses 1929/2009. (This is why i label con christians hicks!)
-Stop being fed biased garbage commentary!-
Third: and Fourth:(re:) Tithing is compulsory. Early Hebrews accepted that tithing constituted a spiritual obligation as well as a tax used to support the temples and priests. The idea of not being obligated by the state or any governing body is ridiculous.
The real issue is giving–period.
if you were aware that the government could do a better job through taxation to provide health insurance for retirees and children than charities—wouldnt it make more sense to give money to the govt. the real issue is con christians use this as an excuse to keep their money in their pocket (shame.shame.)
"Taxation by force is nothing but another form of extortion" -stop whining…render under caesar that which is caesar's!
FIFTH:(re:) pls don't embarass your self. you mean to tell me that financial aid has no measured success. considering that so many ppl have had access to a college education through this funding. which inevitably helps our economy by producing skilled labor. pls tell me your either joking or bumped your head on your keyboard.
Sixth:(re:)Using buzzwords like "biblical" & "his kingdom" does not add any additional weight to your argument. the fact that as a christian you accept that any political party reflects what a christianity is unbiblical (there's that buzzword). Jesus was against the orthodoxy flipping moneychangers tables and attacking the system. conservatives relish in orthodoxy. you attack liberals for supporting abortion, but think nothing of republicans that endorse KKK affiliates. how absurd is that!!?? As a christian you should never have to reconcile your faith with any existing earthy philosophy or affiliation.
You know what my major beef is with con christians is. You guys attack, attack, attack, and offer no solace just condemnation. Your solutions ….for abortion is not prevention or education-condemnation. For the poor and disadvantaged….condemnation. Jesus' main beef with the Jewish orthodoxy was their principles trumped their hearts. Now really ask yourself …what would jesus do?
3Hmm. Apparently you’re having a hard time comprehending what I’m writing.
This is my blog. Therefore, it means that I make the rules. I didn’t ask for your explanation of of why you name call and I don’t care. I don’t want it done here. Do that somewhere else if you feel you absolutely must. However, how I want exchanges on here that are lucid, passionate, and non-insulting.
If you continue, you’ll be writing for nothing and I’m not allowing anymore of your comments, neither will I read them.
Hope that’s crystal. Moving on…
You said systems are capable…of what? Slow down and make sure you’re writing actual sentences.
I will read what I want to read. I’m not telling you to do anything. I’m not telling you to stop believing godless, immoral, humanist manifestos. You can believe what you want. This is my position. Present yours and let others decide or chime in.
You really need to read a Bible instead of taking it out of context which turns your use of it into a pretext.
First, tithing is not a tax. You’re comparing apples and oranges.
Tithing did not begin as compulsory. It began as voluntary and it ended that way with the modern church.
In addition, the tithe was NOT for the education, health care, roads, bridges, or defense. It was specifically for the administration and provision of the sanctuary and its workers. In special cases (once every three years) it was used to take care of widows, orphans, and strangers.
I notice you didn’t mention medicare and social security but decided to go with the one that looks the best. The other two are broke like a joke and it would be embarrassing on your part to bring it up so I’ll save you the humiliation by not going there since it really is not what the post is about.
The KKK was founded by the Democratic party and still has a member who was a kleagle. You truly need to research a little bit. I’ll help you out on this one though by giving you a link to another post of mine:
Democrats: A Legacy Of Racism
Who are, “you guys”? Conservatives or Christians? And to say that all we do is attack is evidence of your ignorance and outright bias. Both sides attack. It’s just that liberals tend to attack with little of any substance but with plenty of emotion.
Lastly, and I can’t stress this enough, this is a conservative Christian blog. It means I’m a Christian first with conservative political views. Conservatism is not a party. It’s an ideology.
Your ignorance of this is as blatant ans your smugness.
I base my political views from scripture because I’m a Christian. I could care less what weight it adds or doesn’t add in the sight of people like yourself or mankind in general. I have to answer to God first and foremost and I live my life that way.
So to answer the WWJD question, you must read what He said. Since the Bible is the Word of God, and Jesus IS God, I’ve already laid out what Jesus would do. You just don’t like what it says. That’s not my problem. It’s yours.
4I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Elaina
http://www.craigslistpostingtools.info
5Thanks Elaina. Nice to have you on board.
Feel free to express your thoughts, agree or disagree, with what I post. The blog is for discussion and debate and disseminating information of the unique perspective of a conservative Christian.
God bless.
P.R.E.Z.
6The Truth Manifesto Blog
Subscribe to our RSS Feed.