Politically Purple

[undone]

Is it possible to be a progressive Christian without being anti-republican or socialist? I am liking a lot about the progressive Christian thing, but I consider myself purple (a term I borrow from Leif Hansen's Bleeding Purple Podcast) and am hoping it is OK to hold some non-liberal political beliefs and still be taken seriously? Because right now I feel like I can't relate to conservative Christians or liberal Christians, because it seems to be wholly either/or politically.

 

Capitalism is not the answer, nor is socialism. They are just different systems each with different advantages and disadvantages. I lived in a socialist country for eight years, and I really don't see either system as better. The socialist country I lived in had rampant unemployment. Capitalism ameliorates that. On the flip side, I'm paying my own health insurance right now (I live in the US now) and it costs a helluva lot, whereas my mother, in her home country, gets most of her health needs paid for by the government.

 

It's not the system that's the problem. I think if we engendered more concern in individuals for care and compassion and a sense of community, we can take better care of the poor and underprivileged and abused and neglected. No government is going to do a great job of that.

 

I just feel alienated by traditional Christians for my heretical religious beliefs and by liberal Christians for my heretical political beliefs. Are there right-leaning progressives out there? And by leaning, I mean only slightly.

 

I don't think either side is right, nor as wrong as each other side thinks. In fact, I think there is a ton of misunderstanding regarding purpose, intention, and reason for choosing methods. And semantics. Kinda like different breeds of Christianity.

[Jeannot]

Is it possible to be a progressive Christian without being anti-republican or socialist? I am liking a lot about the progressive Christian thing, but I consider myself purple (a term I borrow from Leif Hansen's Bleeding Purple Podcast) and am hoping it is OK to hold some non-liberal political beliefs and still be taken seriously? Because right now I feel like I can't relate to conservative Christians or liberal Christians, because it seems to be wholly either/or politically.

 

Capitalism is not the answer, nor is socialism. They are just different systems each with different advantages and disadvantages. I lived in a socialist country for eight years, and I really don't see either system as better. The socialist country I lived in had rampant unemployment. Capitalism ameliorates that. On the flip side, I'm paying my own health insurance right now (I live in the US now) and it costs a helluva lot, whereas my mother, in her home country, gets most of her health needs paid for by the government.

 

It's not the system that's the problem. I think if we engendered more concern in individuals for care and compassion and a sense of community, we can take better care of the poor and underprivileged and abused and neglected. No government is going to do a great job of that.

 

I just feel alienated by traditional Christians for my heretical religious beliefs and by liberal Christians for my heretical political beliefs. Are there right-leaning progressives out there? And by leaning, I mean only slightly.

 

I don't think either side is right, nor as wrong as each other side thinks. In fact, I think there is a ton of misunderstanding regarding purpose, intention, and reason for choosing methods. And semantics. Kinda like different breeds of Christianity.

 

I agree. Politically, it doesn't have to be an either/or proposition. Most people, in fact, are conservative on some issues, liberal on others. The ones who get the press are the extremists.

 

I live under US capitalism, which is the "goose that lays the golden eggs." Good system, but I wish we had socialized medicine, instead of the hodgepodge, inefficient lack of system we have.

[undone]

I agree. Politically, it doesn't have to be an either/or proposition. Most people, in fact, are conservative on some issues, liberal on others. The ones who get the press are the extremists.

 

I live under US capitalism, which is the "goose that lays the golden eggs." Good system, but I wish we had socialized medicine, instead of the hodgepodge, inefficient lack of system we have.

 

 

Well that's relieving! I didn't want another "us/them" place.

 

I personally tend away from the notion of socialized medicine, because competition often breeds innovation (and greed, admitedly), but I don't think my way is "right"--perhaps better in some ways and less in others. Like capitalism.

 

Thanks for the response!

[October's Autumn]

I am an independent as in small "i." While I tend to end up voting more for democratic candidates, I find that often their policies are too conservative on many issues. I am not particullary anti-republican I just think the religious right has hijacked the party. If you look at some of their basic values: states rights, not ammending the constitution unless absolutely necessary, etc. They are pretty good. The only time I want the fed. government to take over is on issues of discrimination because it takes the south too long to figure out that bigotry is a bad think: think desegregation, interracial marriage, property laws for women, and gay marriage. Democrats have the problem of appearing anti-religion when they should be religious/non-religious inclusive instead.

 

As far as socialism goes I don't know of any Progressives in the US (although I'm sure there are some) who are pro-socialist. The problem is that Socialism only works at the grassroots. If all the people who called themselves Christians actually followed Jesus' commands I don't think poverty would be an issue. Unfortunately many subscribe to the philosophy that God gives them their material goods and screw the poor!

Edited June 24, 2006 by October's Autumn

[Ted Michael Morgan]

I want to comment on this matter and I will. However, I am not up to doing that this evening. I believe one can be conservative politically and progressive in faith, but I say that with conditions.

[mystictrek]

I believe that there is a strong connection between progressive theology and progressive politics but that doesn't mean that we insist that people vote Democratic or Socialist or anything like that. Repubicans have a progressive tradition which, unfortunately, has been missing in action for the past generation or so. I would love to see it reappear.

 

I post regularly at a conservative-liberal debate forum where I often contend that the best political approach is pragmatism and compromise. We have often been blessed with a great spirit of compromise working for the common good. Lately we have not seen much of that and the consequences of the growing polarization could be catastrophic. We had better learn how to respect each other again.

 

There are great ideas on both sides of the political fence and we need to apply what works and discard what doesn't work. For example. many people on the Right sincerely believe that the free market system benefits every one. But the gap between rich and poor and even between the rich and the middle class has been growing enormously in recent years. What can be done to remedy this malady?

 

I do see many people on the Right in serious denial about many of the problems facing our planet. But a bigger problem is the apathy and indifference of people who don't get involved at all in the political conversation. Democracy requires an educated and active populace and we are seeing far too little of that.

The growing monopoly power of a few huge media corporations is perhaps the biggest problem our country has right now. Americans are not well informed and many don't even realize it.

[flowperson]

MT:

 

Well yes, what you say is all absolutely true. But I believe that the reality is that most families are scheduled and worked into numbness so effectively that they are coerced by their situations to always seek the expedient ways out of their dilemmas.

 

And why not ? They turn on their TV's each night and see the rest of America and large parts of the world's leadership doing it each day. So it's difficult for most people to get worked up about it all enough to take real action through channels because they know from past experiences that that doesn't work. So they just curl up on their sofas with a drink or two and watch re-runs or pop in a DVD of Finding Nemo or The Omen and forget about it all. It's called apathy.

 

I mentioned this before elsewhere here, but if you can find a tape or DVD of an older film by Sir John Boorman titled, Zardoz, you will be amazed at how right on this production, starring a young Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling, is with regard to the situations that you describe.

 

flow....

[loveapple]

I am rather more liberal where faith is concerned than politics. However as a Brit I guess my politics are much more liberal than those of the USA.

[des]

I've heard it said that in Europe that conservatives are more like the moderate (middle of the road)

wing of the Democratic party. That there really is no good correlation in Europe to conservative

Republicans. Don't know enough about that to know if it is true or no, though I watch BBC News.

I guess Margaret Thatcher is the exception that proves the rule.

 

Of course, Europeans are much less religious than Americans. I think those with fundamentalist genes

moved to America in the 1700s. My sister is in Europe proselitizing to Europeans to give up their secular ways.

 

 

--des

[loveapple]

I've heard it said that in Europe that conservatives are more like the moderate (middle of the road)

wing of the Democratic party. That there really is no good correlation in Europe to conservative

Republicans. Don't know enough about that to know if it is true or no, though I watch BBC News.

I guess Margaret Thatcher is the exception that proves the rule.

 

Of course, Europeans are much less religious than Americans. I think those with fundamentalist genes

moved to America in the 1700s. My sister is in Europe proselitizing to Europeans to give up their secular ways.

--des

 

In the UK I would say that our Consevative party is more aligned to your Democrat party. Labour used to be much more left-wing, but under Tony Blair it is as right-wing as our Conservative party!

[des]

I always thought of Tony Blair as kind of a Bill Clinton (without the sex!), in fact during his

first run there were many comparisons. Bill Clinton was a rather conservative-moderate Democrat

(hence welfare reform, free trade, etc.). Some Democrats do not believe they can win without being more conservative. I believe that with the exception of the Southern Democrats, the Democratic party was

once much more liberal. There is also a history of progressive thought in some areas. Liberal is practically a dirty word these days.

 

I hope you don't end up with our situation-- demorepublicans and republicodemocrats.

OTOH, I miss Bill Clinton. :-)

 

--des

[Carl]

There are many theological conservatives who are political moderates or liberals, the first example I think of is Jimmy Carter.

 

So naturally, one may be a theological liberal, and a political moderate or conservative and still be taken seriously. After all - we are all on our own journeys in this life.

Lables are so limiting sometimes...

 

I highly recomend the book "Irresistable Revolution" by Shawn Claiborne

Shawn is a theological conservative and teaches a new political/economic system based on Biblical Christianity. It is a very interesting book.