Conservatives in America treat liberals like Ninevites? What of grace?

[GoldenEagle]

This has been on my mind and heart a lot lately. A friend said something recently to the extent as follows...

"Sometimes it feels the conservatives in America treat liberals like ninevites. Often it seems like conservatives think liberals don't deserve grace or they're too far gone for God to be at work in their lives."

Why do we (myself included at times) treat those with a liberal persuasion so?

 

Why do we often make socialism, re-distribution, evolution, abortion, divorce, (and dare I add) homosexuality, etc. as salvation issues or unpardonable sins? When a majority of these are clearly not salvation issues.

 

Food for thought. Anyone care to comment?

God bless,
GE

PS - Just so nobody jumps on that band wagon I do believe homosexuality is a sin. Yet it is not an unpardonable sin. 

[~candice~]

Why do we need to cheer when people are delivering anti-sin messages lacking in grace? It feels like there is sometimes a cheer... "the more harsh you say it, the louder they applaud you". I'm not sure what is going on, but it doesn't sit well with me.

 

Since I am probably the most liberal person here let me tell you that you really do attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.

 

And GoldenEagle - I absolutely agree. Haven't we got bigger fish (haha pardon the pun) to fry than to quibble the non salvational stuff when billions don't even agree on that?

[revolutionist90]

This has been on my mind and heart a lot lately. A friend said something recently to the extent as follows...

"Sometimes it feels the conservatives in America treat liberals like ninevites. Often it seems like conservatives think liberals don't deserve grace or they're too far gone for God to be at work in their lives."

Why do we (myself included at times) treat those with a liberal persuasion so?

 

Why do we often make socialism, re-distribution, evolution, abortion, divorce, (and dare I add) homosexuality, etc. as salvation issues or unpardonable sins? When a majority of these are clearly not salvation issues.

 

Food for thought. Anyone care to comment?

God bless,

GE

PS - Just so nobody jumps on that band wagon I do believe homosexuality is a sin. Yet it is not an unpardonable sin. 

I am conservative. I don't think those are unpardonable sins but I do think in a more secular sense they cause more harm than good. For example, a person who believes babies are blood sucking parasites and believe that should be killed after birth does seem like a sin but they can change. The problem is that people who believe that way are normally liberal. And just to flip the coin liberals don't treat conservatives all that nice either. Many liberals just think conservatives are just plain evil and arrogant so let's not generalize and victimize. I mean have you been on a college campus and tried to rally for pro-life...you would be lucky if all the other people was destroy your boards. And let's not forget the rapid pro-evolution science crowd at many universities who can group together enough to ban a person from getting a job. 

I think the bigger question is why do we put politics before the person in general and treat them badly. And that goes for liberals and conservatives. 

[Guest shiloh357]

This has been on my mind and heart a lot lately. A friend said something recently to the extent as follows...

"Sometimes it feels the conservatives in America treat liberals like ninevites. Often it seems like conservatives think liberals don't deserve grace or they're too far gone for God to be at work in their lives."

Why do we (myself included at times) treat those with a liberal persuasion so?

 

Why do we often make socialism, re-distribution, evolution, abortion, divorce, (and dare I add) homosexuality, etc. as salvation issues or unpardonable sins? When a majority of these are clearly not salvation issues.

 

Food for thought. Anyone care to comment?

God bless,

GE

PS - Just so nobody jumps on that band wagon I do believe homosexuality is a sin. Yet it is not an unpardonable sin. 

I don't think anyone is treating those things as either salvation issues or unpardonable sins, per se.   But many of the issues you list above are destroying the bedrock of our society.  Issues like homoseuxal marriage, abortion, divorce are direct assaults on God's plan for both marriage, families and human sexuality.  These are not salvation issues but that doesn't make them unimportant or peripheral issues that we can treat lightly.

 

Social liberalism today advances the worst things, and in the United States, what we are seeing is social liberalism is advancing the notion that our own Constitution and constitutional laws are no longer relevant.  This is not a silly little issue over which we can all agree not to be divided over.  It is not a salvation issue, but it is a major issue that needs to be addressed in the strongest terms possible by the conservatives who still value what our country was built upon.  It is not simply that liberals want to hold to immoral views;  the problem is that they are not satisfied with us tolerating them.  They want to force us to accept their views, redefine marriage and make any statement about homosexuality being a sin categorized as "hate speech" and thus make it a prosecutable offense.

 

I think the question in the OP is the wrong question and the false notion that we think liberals are too far gone for God to be at work in their lives really assigns values to conservaties are not fair or accurate   You don't fight cancer with icecream and liberalism can't be dealt with effectively with softness when it is advancing immoral causes that go in direct contradiction to biblical values and the rule of law and end up affecting the rest of us and forcing us to accept their values and lifestyles, or else.  It is not that we don't offer liberals any grace, but the problem is that the we can't compromise on the truth in order to give them grace. 

 

So, I would ask, where is the grace for conservatives who refuse to accept homosexual marriage, abortion, evolution, or whatever else the liberals want to shove down out throats.  They are more militant than we are.   We were not the ones standing out in the street protesting and damaging storefront windows or defecating on people's automobiles during the OWS fiasco.  We are not the ones demanding that liberals be prosecuted for holding values with which we disagree.  Where is the grace from the liberals for those who have the courage to stand by their conservative values???  I think it is pretty hypocritical for liberals to complain about a lack of grace from us when they are generally the ones showing the most intolerance and lack of grace for anything they disagree with.  They are the ones lobbying to take away certain constitutional rights here in the US, destroying the fabric of our society with their militant attempts to make immoral values the law of the land and engaging in and/or supporting militant liberal activities aimed at intimidating or silencing anyone with the termerity to stand up to them.

 

When liberals find the moral courage to visit their perfectionism on the militant lack of tolerance and/or grace in their own ranks, then they might have a moral leg to stand on when criticizing conservatives.

[Guest]

Why do we (myself included at times) treat those with a liberal persuasion so?.... Anyone care to comment?

.... many of the issues you list above are destroying the bedrock of our society....

 

~

 

Love

 

But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Luke 6:35-36

 

In

 

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:15-17

 

Truth

 

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

[Guest ninhao]

Flesh wars against flesh but the spiritual man wars against the spiritual. I think we see liberal's agendas and mistake them for the enemy.

 

The enemy is the destroyer.

[JustinM]

I believe Shiloh said it best.

 

Christianity isn't just a religion it is sacred to us.  It is supposed to define and guide our lives.  Some people profane our faith every day, insult us for it, ridicule us, assault us, terrorize us, and in many countries kill us.  Today, Christians in Egypt are being thrown out of their homes, imprisoned, executed, etc.  Not too long ago, not even 3 years ago, they were living in peace with their neighbors.  But, not now, not since the MB took over and allowed the muslims to terrorize the Christians.

 

I see the vile words and actions of people in the US that have no respect or tolerance for our beliefs.  They force us to comply with their values when they contradict ours.  If we don't comply, they terrorize us any way they can, either by using an abusive legal system against us, vandalizing our property, or publicly insulting us.  In a word, they are bullies.  They know that most of us are meek and passive, because they know we will in most cases turn the other cheek when they strike us (metaphorically) or physically. 

 

So, they cross us, see what they can get away with, then continue to push the envelope.  They are provoking us, they want us to act in a manner that is contrary to our Faith. 

 

I have to keep saying it.  It's not social liberalism that they are after.  They have a singular goal they want to accomplish.  They want to eradicate us from the US and eventually the world.  Until they get to the point where they can get away with that, they will torment and terrorize us every chance they get.

 

It will not get better, the insanity is taking over.  Homosexuality today, abortion yesterday, who knows what horrors they have waiting for us tomorrow.

[Guest ninhao]

Luk 6:22-28  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.  (23)  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.  (24)  But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.  (25)  Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.  (26)  Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.  (27)  But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,  (28)  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
 

[GoldenEagle]

Why do we need to cheer when people are delivering anti-sin messages lacking in grace? It feels like there is sometimes a cheer... "the more harsh you say it, the louder they applaud you". I'm not sure what is going on, but it doesn't sit well with me.

 

Since I am probably the most liberal person here let me tell you that you really do attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.

 

And GoldenEagle - I absolutely agree. Haven't we got bigger fish (haha pardon the pun) to fry than to quibble the non salvational stuff when billions don't even agree on that?

 

I agree sister. In particular in red.

I believe that we should try to find commonality. Therefore, this thread here:

God bless,

GE

[GoldenEagle]

I am conservative. I don't think those are unpardonable sins but I do think in a more secular sense they cause more harm than good. For example, a person who believes babies are blood sucking parasites and believe that should be killed after birth does seem like a sin but they can change. The problem is that people who believe that way are normally liberal. And just to flip the coin liberals don't treat conservatives all that nice either. Many liberals just think conservatives are just plain evil and arrogant so let's not generalize and victimize. I mean have you been on a college campus and tried to rally for pro-life...you would be lucky if all the other people was destroy your boards. And let's not forget the rapid pro-evolution science crowd at many universities who can group together enough to ban a person from getting a job. 

 

I think the bigger question is why do we put politics before the person in general and treat them badly. And that goes for liberals and conservatives. 

 

I agree the topics I listed cause more harm than good.

I guess my thing is regardless of how "liberals" act I should treat them in a loving manner. Particularly since I'm a Believer and many who claim that world view are not - particularly atheists, agnostics, etc. I believe as a Christian it is also important to learn to agree to disagree in a peaceful, respectful manner IMO.

I think your last two sentences really hit the nail on the head of the issue Rev.

God bless,

GE