1980, fall semester at college, and I was a freshman. Having recently turned eighteen, I had also registered for both the draft and the opportunity to vote. Since it was all new to me, especially the part about voting, I studied the candidates hard in the months leading up to the election. When the date finally arrived, I turned out and voted for the very first time, like a good American should always do. It is a right granted to us by our forefathers and in essence is what Democracy in our Republic is really all about.
Ronald Reagan was the Republican candidate during that election, and to me he represented corporate America and the rich side of the fence; both of which I considered evil at the time. Jimmy Carter was the incumbent, and though at times he appeared to be a buffoon, I strongly considered him due to his supposed Christian beliefs despite the fact that things appeared to be going downhill in our nation during that time. I proudly entered the booth that day and cast my vote for Mr. Carter. It was a memorable day for me.
Mr. Reagan won and his victory went a long way toward ending my career as a liberal and as a Democrat. Things had changed dramatically by the end of his first term. The country was in much better shape and President Reagan had proven himself as an adept leader on both the national and the international stage. During his second term I served in the military and he was without a doubt our leader, those of us who wore the uniform, as the 1980’s wound to a close. From that point on I’ve always voted Republican with the exception of local elections where party does not seem to matter. (Coroners and tax assessors of either party, for example)
Far-right and far-left politics both worry me; though as a conservative I am much farther to the right than most centrists. Liberalism makes no sense to me – it is something that I cannot comprehend as far as most of the views they espouse. Abortion in a no-brainer because I firmly believe that when God said ‘Thou shalt not kill’ He meant it. Taking money, jobs, or possessions from one class of people to give to another only serves to break yet another commandment. Besides, not only does it not seem to be working, it appears as though it is making things worse for those that are poor. Removing God from all things public is just one more symptom of a belief system that is flawed by nature. Without God in the picture, anything can become rational or rationalized. Also, when I see a gay-parade on the TV news, and one of the participants weighs 350 pounds and is clad in only a g-string; it’s not that I’m bigoted or phobic – it is just plain gross! Get some clothes on and act like a responsible adult!
Liberalism is based on good intentions. They want to help the poor. They want everyone to have equal rights. They want a woman to have a say on whether or not she wants her unborn child to be a part of the world. But the core of liberal belief rests in the doctrine of secular humanism, which by definition has no room for a divine being. And in the mind of those that hold these viewpoints, this manner of thinking appears to be the best way to achieve their goals. Solomon considered it so important to oppose this train of thought that he recorded twice in Proverbs: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25.
Unlike liberals, I can cross the fence and look back at myself and my beliefs from their point of view in much the same manner. It is hard to explain to someone the reasoning behind your belief system which is based on a book that was written over two-thousand years ago. It is even harder to explain that most of the things you put your trust in are based on something you can’t see. At least not physically. A stoic belief in creation is also hard to justify against the theories that have been proposed to us through science and technology. Yes, I can see why my belief-system would be hard to comprehend or even be acknowledged by those on the liberal side of the fence.
Jesus told Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This verse explains where the problem lies and I believe it is the root cause of liberals not being able to understand the Christian-Conservative side of the conversation. Unless you are born again you cannot see, nor even fathom, the Kingdom of God and what it means to be a part of it.
That statement in itself cannot be comprehended by a liberal who finds himself caught up in the thralls of the secular-humanist mind-set. But nor will he care.
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