Political Identity - A Conservative Democrat?

I do not like the terms liberal or conservative, but they are simply handles that give us a basic place to start when trying to figure out where someone is coming from. In addition, the "party" system of government isn't the greatest - it was not created by the constitution, but simply a way people have chosen/invented in order to organize themselves for the electoral process. I choose the Democratic Party because it more overtly expresses values such as caring for people who can't care for themselves and racial equality that I agree with. (Also, it is practical in the State of Maryland to be a registered Democrat.)

Unfortunately, along with such values are side-effects which I disagree with such as equating sexual orientation with biological ethnicity or "race" -and- fighting for a woman’s right to choose to terminate a pregnancy. These are things that I strongly disagree with for biological reasons as well as for reasons of personal faith... but I digress.

So Yes, I am both a conservative and a democrat. Here are three areas that explain why:

1. Family: I see the core building-blocks of a family as a married couple - that is, a father and a mother, and their immediate children: adopted or by birth. Extended family includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces and nephews and cousins that the primary adults in the family may need to support. My mother raised a niece and she herself was raised by an aunt. I would even include in the extended family minors that you end up raising because of extenuating circumstances. For example, my wife and I have had teenagers live with us because their home life was... shall I say - difficult.
   
   
2. Work: Personal financial responsibility is important if you are able. Ultimately if a person has general physical and mental health, they should work for a living and learn to accept authority both at work and in society. They must NOT expect a hand-out and should be willing to work from the bottom up. Whats wrong with working in fast-food and mopping floors and washing dishes and dumping trash and doing what you are told with a good and positive and hard-working attitude? If a person has the mental and physical ability to function in society and hold a job, then they should do so. However, if you cannot, then society can help you survive. Help can be from the government as well as the private sector. Caring for people who cannot care for themselves is important, and giving people a second chance is also important.
   
   
3. Right and Wrong: There is such a thing as absolute truth. Truth is not relative for many, many things. However, there are complexities in life that make such declarations difficult to determine. Yet, problems with ethics in areas of cheating, stealing, lying and sexual scandals in government and corporate America exist because people do not stand on the obvious absolute truths. I’m not talking about military espionage or intelligence gathering, police investigation work or other covert operations needed for certain jobs. I’m talking about basic truth – don’t lie, cheat, or steal. Don’t exploit children. Don’t use your position of power to gain sexual or financial favors. Do what is right. Be honest and tell the truth. Have integrity. Work hard on behalf of your constituency. But of course, for something to be defined as right or wrong, some standard has to be chosen. My faith is a major factor in defining such things.
   

So, this is who I am; a Conservative Democrat. I feel strongly about social justice, while also accepting that right and wrong, good and evil exists. I am not a pacifist – I’m still working on my views regarding war but I am clear that physical force is a necessity if evil exists and justice is remotely possible. The Bush doctrine of preemptive strikes is not the moral high-ground and so I’m not sure it is right - I mean this pejoratively, although I have nothing personally against the former President and respect him and the decisions he felt compelled to make.

Finally, I am interested in others thoughts on such things. Feel free to comment or just send me a note.

Thoughts About Truth

What is Truth?
These are the famous words said by Pontius Pilate (seemingly more to himself than to anyone else) in the Gospel of John 18:38. It's a good question for the 21st century. Many call this time period "postmodern". As far at terms go, it's OK. Postmodernism as a literary, political or social philosophical handle is fine - just so we have a simple word to generally refer to an idea that says, "anything goes". And in deed, anything goes seems to be the philosophy that people follow when it comes to various aspects of lifestyle, morality, and personal beliefs.

Of course we cannot throw logic and reason out the window when it comes to practical engineering, construction, electronics, physics, chemistry, etc. (I say "practical" because that is what is needed to build things that work and are usable). However, the American society (and I do love my country) easily accepts things as relative when it comes to marriage, family, business, politics, and most importantly faith.

I understand why. These ideas are hard to pin down, but the truth is - all morality cannot be correct. To be sure, social and political context must be appropriately considered (killing an enemy in a war for example is not considered murder) but in principle, how do you tell another person that what they believe is WRONG?

As our country enters into a new era with our first black president, major economic changes, huge national debt, furloughs and layoffs in the office (I'm being furloughed 5 days), etc, etc.. we still have real issues to tackle in the Church. Christians need to love people, help people find real purpose and meaning based on truth, and help people build strong families, again based on an absolute truth. This truth is revealed (for those looking honestly) in the sacred text of the Christian Faith. We still have the great task of helping others find and experience the beauty and peace that comes from mercy, grace, and forgiveness without compromising spiritual reality or truth. We need to practice and help others practice the self-control and forgiveness needed to live according to the precepts and principles of the Christian faith which make a life of contentment possible.