i am increasingly aware of just how different and unaccepted my beliefs would be if i was still living in the world in which i grew up. i read things written by those who were influential in my life at one point or another, and i am struck with the fact that my systems of belief have changed. at times it honestly freaks me out. i wonder if i have gone too far down a dangerous path that will lead me to destruction.
and then i calm down a little bit and realize that it is perfectly fine for me to form my beliefs and for them to be different than the beliefs with which i grew up. but i would like to take a moment to assure those who are reading this that despite the differences in my peripheral beliefs, i still believe in the triune god of christian faith and claim jesus christ as my savior and lord. not that i have to justify myself to you, but i feel like what follows can be far more productive if i throw that out on the front end.
anyway, i have read a good bit of commentary lately on how people in the faith tradition of my upbringing are so worried about homosexuality, gender rights, property rights, abortion, rights to education, poverty, and race that they are using their belief system to define their positions on these things. now, i have no problem with this on a basic level, but it comes into conflict when i realize that the faith tradition they are using is the same tradition i hold. so, obviously, there is a disconnect. you see, i have found that on most of these subjects my opinions and beliefs fly in direct contradiction to those of my more socially conservative (and more religiously conservative for that matter) friends.
i just feel like the jesus i worship meets people where they are and loves them regardless of their circumstance. jesus just seems so much more divine to me if i look at him as a liberator of the oppressed. all of the oppressed. not just some of them. if i look at the character of christ in this way i cannot help but see the answers to my beliefs on homosexuality, gender rights, property rights, abortion, rights to education, poverty, and race. i can see god wanting me to give money to the poor. i can see god wanting me to see those of other races as completely equal to me in all ways (or, to be properly inclusive, to see myself as completely equal to other races).
now i’m not going to put my opinions on all these things up here because that’s not the point i’m trying to make. the point is that i’m tired of people saying that because my beliefs are different from theirs that i am unethical, immoral, or unwise. to me, that is just ignorant. you don’t have to say it directly to me to make the point. you may not have said, “dan, i think your beliefs make you immoral.” it is as simple as saying that about someone with whom i share similar beliefs. if “john” believes that education should be accessible and affordable for everyone and you say that “john” is unwise to hold this belief, then you say i am unwise to hold this belief. it is quite easily transitive.
okay, at this point i realize that i’m moving more into a ranting motif, and that’s just not productive. i really have more to say on this, but i have a couple papers to work on, and i need more time to flesh out more of this. so i’m going to quit, and disable comments. if you want to talk about this more, actually get in touch with me. i can’t handle another blog argument.
