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.
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