…… is so elite, so high and above it all that he expects the average wage-earner to pay for the poor of society. No sense in getting his own hands dirty. He sniffs his nose at that!
……thinks of himself as so uncommon, that in fact he lacks any common sense and common decency.
……abhors Sacred Scripture but can’t help quoting from it to support his own climate change and social reprogramming agendas.
Their motto is, “My way is the only way. They think they are smarter than God, or a 5th grader. See good as bad, and bad as good. It’s all about themselves, and who cares about the rest. A liberal is blinded to reality. Has tunnel vision, and does not see what is happening around him/her. May say that America is very dear to them, but their actions betray their statements.
I’m a liberal. I don’t know if I’m typical or not but I suspect I am fairly so. Here’s my take. As a child, I had a strong sense of justice and valued the golden rule. I was sensitive to other’s plights. I spoke up when the unpopular kids were bullied. I had a strong connection to nature and was very inquisitive about wildlife. I was both religious and spiritual…but mostly spiritual. Like most kids, I was bored at church but I prayed to Jesus every single day. My heroes were Ronald Reagan, Mr. Rogers and Maya Angelou, but mostly my mom. Almost all kids are naturally this way. They make their mistakes, but are inherently just and tend to make decisions based on gut and internal influences (their conscious). As adults, they remain tapped in to the younger version of themselves. Liberals are just people trying to do what they believe is right.
Ask what Conservatives are. I’d like to attempt to answer that one too. ;-)
I appreciate your thoughtful response. I like what you said up until the last few sentences. Conservatives are very much people trying to do what is right. But your characterization of liberals doesn’t square with liberal actions in recent years on key social justice issues. Take human abortion: liberals not only aggressively deny the right to life to the pre born, they insist that tax payers who believe in a right to life fund human abortion in violation of their conscience. Same with the gay marriage debate. They want to coerce religious conservatives into doing what they believe is morally wrong by, let’s say, baking a wedding cake for a so-called gay marriage. Anyway, Corvi, that’s how I see it. I do thank your for responding. Please come again.
I didn’t mean to suggest that because liberals are trying to do what is right, that conservatives are not. They’re not mutually exclusive. We’re all trying to do the right thing. We just disagree on how to get there sometimes.
Regarding the debates you brought up I’ll weigh in with my opinions. Now’s a good time to mention I’m a 37 year old woman. I haven’t fully made up my mind if I am pro-life or pro-choice. I know this: I would not have an abortion even if I was raped. Really, I don’t want anyone to get an abortion. But, I have to admit that there is some discomfort (something in my consciousness) that makes me uncomfortable with telling other women they MUST do the same. I think it has to do with a history of gender inequality. If there was no such history, I believe most liberals would also be pro-life. I also do not support capitol punishment, though in moments when I can’t find my grace I admit to wishing death on worst of the worst. I don’t know what the conservative stance is on capitol punishment. Along those lines, I am also a vegetarian for moral reasons. I could probably argue that it against my religion as well. I don’t typically talk about the moral side of vegetarianism (among friends) because it can come off as judgmental. But truthfully, I would like everyone to be a vegetarian too. I could dedicate my life to bringing down the meat industry or I can live by example.
I’m defiantly more traditionally liberal when it comes to gay marriage and the RFRA debates. I know and love many gay people (immediate family, friends, coworkers, neighbors…you name it.) I believe this is a sensitive subject because we have a history of separate but equal in this country. I’ve seen the images of black only/white only toilets. It understandably causes a visceral reaction. An immediate recognition of injustice. Our country’s history complicates it. Truthfully, I don’t want to force caterer to service a gay wedding if they are religiously opposed, but I’d be horrified if the We Don’t Serve Negros signs of the 1960’s now read, We Don’t Serve Gays. I’ll fight until my last breath for gay marriage, but in terms of RFRA, I’m open to suggestions.
Are your beliefs pretty well aligned with the conservative stances on political/social issues? Do you have any traditionally liberal views or walk the line on any topics? That would be an interesting blog post.
Thanks for your follow up comments, Corvi. Good stuff. I may respond more expansively in the next day or two on a few of your points. Regarding your question on capital punishment, conservatives tend to be supportive of a death penalty, but not across the board. I happen to oppose it. I hope the Boston Marathon Bomber gets a life sentence without the possibility of parole. I don’t want to see him turned into a martyr. On the other hand, if he gets the death penalty, I wouldn’t lose 2 seconds of sleep over it.
Corvus, I am as conservative as it gets because I worship God devoutly and freely (both descriptors are operative words). Liberals, in my view, have a bleeding-heart understanding of the world and everything else is secondary. I have a personal stake in understanding the liberal mindset because I have a daughter who takes umbrage with authority. She is 36 years old and has not shed her childhood mindsets. She never resolved her childhood wounds, just medicated them. She used plenty of legal and illegal drugs. She licks those wounds still today and in the parlance of the Catholic traditional teaching, her wounds allowed her to turn in on herself and she became myopic, lacking intellectual insight (wisdom); the world hurt her and so it is all about her. There is no room or capacity for self-giving which is the hallmark of adulthood.
Even though my daughter feels empathy for those who suffer in the world, her thoughts about them originate because of how worried she feels for herself. She lives in a state of arrested development. She has not grown up, as I surmise is the case with many liberals. I believe many are mired in emotional disorders because they rebel against conservatism, a rebellion which in essence is against God. They stay animated in their adolescent liberalism and do not progress to the real world of conservatism or conservation of the Christian tradition (remember it was Christianity which civilized the Western World). They stoke the flames of emotionalism versus conscientious intellectualism.
You say, “As adults, they [liberals] remain tapped in to the younger version of themselves.” I say the correct verb is “trapped” (not “tapped”). They do not evolve into a state of adulthood which deals with what is truth, who is Christ. Many liberals are recalcitrant in their sins against God (His conservative authority of calling sin what it is, sin). The more intractable and unrepentant a sinner, the more he becomes open to demonic mind influences, the state of iniquity. Thus, the mind, subject to demons, turns perverse and growth is stunted, sometimes lasting throughout a person’s lifetime unless that person opens his heart to God during the many humbling experiences God brings upon him. Faith, even as tiny as a mustard seed, is enough for God to regain a stronghold upon a person’s heart, changing him forever. In the meantime, the classic liberal will place himself above God, essentially worshiping the creature not the Creator.
That is my understanding and there are many devout Catholics who agree.
A liberal is someone who believes you can’t change your sexual orientation (because you were born with it), but you can change your sex (even though you were born with it).
…… is so elite, so high and above it all that he expects the average wage-earner to pay for the poor of society. No sense in getting his own hands dirty. He sniffs his nose at that!
……thinks of himself as so uncommon, that in fact he lacks any common sense and common decency.
……abhors Sacred Scripture but can’t help quoting from it to support his own climate change and social reprogramming agendas.
You said it well, Barbie, especially your last point. Come again.
Yes – often misquoting Scripture, or twisting it. Sigh.
Yes.
Their motto is, “My way is the only way. They think they are smarter than God, or a 5th grader. See good as bad, and bad as good. It’s all about themselves, and who cares about the rest. A liberal is blinded to reality. Has tunnel vision, and does not see what is happening around him/her. May say that America is very dear to them, but their actions betray their statements.
I’m a liberal. I don’t know if I’m typical or not but I suspect I am fairly so. Here’s my take. As a child, I had a strong sense of justice and valued the golden rule. I was sensitive to other’s plights. I spoke up when the unpopular kids were bullied. I had a strong connection to nature and was very inquisitive about wildlife. I was both religious and spiritual…but mostly spiritual. Like most kids, I was bored at church but I prayed to Jesus every single day. My heroes were Ronald Reagan, Mr. Rogers and Maya Angelou, but mostly my mom. Almost all kids are naturally this way. They make their mistakes, but are inherently just and tend to make decisions based on gut and internal influences (their conscious). As adults, they remain tapped in to the younger version of themselves. Liberals are just people trying to do what they believe is right.
Ask what Conservatives are. I’d like to attempt to answer that one too. ;-)
I appreciate your thoughtful response. I like what you said up until the last few sentences. Conservatives are very much people trying to do what is right. But your characterization of liberals doesn’t square with liberal actions in recent years on key social justice issues. Take human abortion: liberals not only aggressively deny the right to life to the pre born, they insist that tax payers who believe in a right to life fund human abortion in violation of their conscience. Same with the gay marriage debate. They want to coerce religious conservatives into doing what they believe is morally wrong by, let’s say, baking a wedding cake for a so-called gay marriage. Anyway, Corvi, that’s how I see it. I do thank your for responding. Please come again.
I didn’t mean to suggest that because liberals are trying to do what is right, that conservatives are not. They’re not mutually exclusive. We’re all trying to do the right thing. We just disagree on how to get there sometimes.
Regarding the debates you brought up I’ll weigh in with my opinions. Now’s a good time to mention I’m a 37 year old woman. I haven’t fully made up my mind if I am pro-life or pro-choice. I know this: I would not have an abortion even if I was raped. Really, I don’t want anyone to get an abortion. But, I have to admit that there is some discomfort (something in my consciousness) that makes me uncomfortable with telling other women they MUST do the same. I think it has to do with a history of gender inequality. If there was no such history, I believe most liberals would also be pro-life. I also do not support capitol punishment, though in moments when I can’t find my grace I admit to wishing death on worst of the worst. I don’t know what the conservative stance is on capitol punishment. Along those lines, I am also a vegetarian for moral reasons. I could probably argue that it against my religion as well. I don’t typically talk about the moral side of vegetarianism (among friends) because it can come off as judgmental. But truthfully, I would like everyone to be a vegetarian too. I could dedicate my life to bringing down the meat industry or I can live by example.
I’m defiantly more traditionally liberal when it comes to gay marriage and the RFRA debates. I know and love many gay people (immediate family, friends, coworkers, neighbors…you name it.) I believe this is a sensitive subject because we have a history of separate but equal in this country. I’ve seen the images of black only/white only toilets. It understandably causes a visceral reaction. An immediate recognition of injustice. Our country’s history complicates it. Truthfully, I don’t want to force caterer to service a gay wedding if they are religiously opposed, but I’d be horrified if the We Don’t Serve Negros signs of the 1960’s now read, We Don’t Serve Gays. I’ll fight until my last breath for gay marriage, but in terms of RFRA, I’m open to suggestions.
Are your beliefs pretty well aligned with the conservative stances on political/social issues? Do you have any traditionally liberal views or walk the line on any topics? That would be an interesting blog post.
Thanks for your follow up comments, Corvi. Good stuff. I may respond more expansively in the next day or two on a few of your points. Regarding your question on capital punishment, conservatives tend to be supportive of a death penalty, but not across the board. I happen to oppose it. I hope the Boston Marathon Bomber gets a life sentence without the possibility of parole. I don’t want to see him turned into a martyr. On the other hand, if he gets the death penalty, I wouldn’t lose 2 seconds of sleep over it.
Corvus, I am as conservative as it gets because I worship God devoutly and freely (both descriptors are operative words). Liberals, in my view, have a bleeding-heart understanding of the world and everything else is secondary. I have a personal stake in understanding the liberal mindset because I have a daughter who takes umbrage with authority. She is 36 years old and has not shed her childhood mindsets. She never resolved her childhood wounds, just medicated them. She used plenty of legal and illegal drugs. She licks those wounds still today and in the parlance of the Catholic traditional teaching, her wounds allowed her to turn in on herself and she became myopic, lacking intellectual insight (wisdom); the world hurt her and so it is all about her. There is no room or capacity for self-giving which is the hallmark of adulthood.
Even though my daughter feels empathy for those who suffer in the world, her thoughts about them originate because of how worried she feels for herself. She lives in a state of arrested development. She has not grown up, as I surmise is the case with many liberals. I believe many are mired in emotional disorders because they rebel against conservatism, a rebellion which in essence is against God. They stay animated in their adolescent liberalism and do not progress to the real world of conservatism or conservation of the Christian tradition (remember it was Christianity which civilized the Western World). They stoke the flames of emotionalism versus conscientious intellectualism.
You say, “As adults, they [liberals] remain tapped in to the younger version of themselves.” I say the correct verb is “trapped” (not “tapped”). They do not evolve into a state of adulthood which deals with what is truth, who is Christ. Many liberals are recalcitrant in their sins against God (His conservative authority of calling sin what it is, sin). The more intractable and unrepentant a sinner, the more he becomes open to demonic mind influences, the state of iniquity. Thus, the mind, subject to demons, turns perverse and growth is stunted, sometimes lasting throughout a person’s lifetime unless that person opens his heart to God during the many humbling experiences God brings upon him. Faith, even as tiny as a mustard seed, is enough for God to regain a stronghold upon a person’s heart, changing him forever. In the meantime, the classic liberal will place himself above God, essentially worshiping the creature not the Creator.
That is my understanding and there are many devout Catholics who agree.
Thank you for being so open.
Barbie, your wisdom is in the 99th percentile. Thanks for your articulate, compassionate insights. Please come again.
Thank you for the compliment, Tom. I am happy to contribute if I feel I can add value. (No need to publish, lol).
Barbara (or Barbie 😉 )
A liberal is someone who believes you can’t change your sexual orientation (because you were born with it), but you can change your sex (even though you were born with it).
Amazing quote. So true.