What do I believe and why do I believe it? These are questions I think each of us should
wrestle with on an ongoing basis throughout our lives. Many of us can say what we believe, but can
we also explain the why of our beliefs?
If we can only explain what we believe, then we may wind up being swayed
easily by differing opinions, or we may find ourselves remaining steadfast when
we should be open to considering the beliefs of others.
Recently I have been thinking about the what and why of my
beliefs. It isn't always easy to put a
finger on the exact reason we hold certain beliefs, but the exercise of
examining the roots of the beliefs we hold can be enlightening. For a while now I've wondered how the
political views of my childhood seem quite distant from my view of politics
today. And so I decided to explore this
topic deeper.
I believe that, at least in some senses or others, we are
both a product of our nature and our nurture.
All of us have been influenced by people or events or other factors in
our lives. I am no exception. Yet, at some point in our lives, most of us
have to decide for ourselves what we believe, and what we hold dear.
My first memories of politics come from when I was 7 or 8
years old. As a youth I was surrounded
by socially conservative Republicans, and their beliefs helped to shape my
beliefs early on. Rush Limbaugh was
added into the mix when I was around the age of 12, and more foundation for the
beliefs I was developing was built upon.
As a high school student, at a politically conservative
Christian School, I received partisan instruction. I remember in an election year, when Clinton
was running against Bush 41, one of my teachers held an “election” in their
class, and 100% of the votes went to Bush.
The teacher commented that even though we were young, we were smart in
our voting. Four years later, in the
spring of 1996, one of my teachers organized a field trip to take students to a
Pat Buchannan rally, when Buchannan was seeking the GOP nomination as candidate
for President. While this teacher was my
favorite teacher in school, it is hard to ignore that their speech was
unashamedly partisan in nature. As a
side note, those of us in this teacher’s class knew that we could start a
lengthy talk by bringing up political issues, and therefore avoid having to
study the subject at hand.
One common thread throughout my political upbringing was in
relation to the nation of Israel. From
home, to church, to Christian High School, to Christian College I attended
following high school, the thread was consistent: God is pro-Israel, so we should be too. Therefore, for many people I learned from as
a youth, Israel could do no wrong.
(We’ll talk about this more later).
One of the phrases I heard often as a youth was something to
the effect of “if you aren’t young and liberal you are considered a fool by
your peers, and if you aren’t conservative in old age you are just a fool.”
All of the teachings I took in, early on, gelled into a
vocal political conservative Republican I became in my early to mid-20’s. When I decided to move to Ohio, to finish my
college degree in late 2000, Hillary Clinton had just been elected as the
Junior Senator from the state of New York (my home state from 1978 until early
2001). I joked with all I knew that I
was leaving N.Y. because she was elected.
Looking back, I am not sure where the joking ended and the vitriol for
the enemy—namely Democrats in this case—started. Even in recent years, I have heard some of
those who helped shape my early political philosophy say that they “hate” such
and such candidate (always Democrats), and at least in one case I heard them
say they wouldn’t mind if someone took them out.
The Christian high
school I attended refused to acknowledge Martin Luther King Jr., and each year
on MLK day, the school would be dismissed for a different reason. When I moved to Ohio and started at
Cedarville University, for the first time in my life, I heard Martin Luther
King Jr. spoken of in a positive light.
Up until that point, I had been taught that he was a communist, a
trouble maker, a womanizer, and extremely divisive. Then, on MLK day in 2001, Cedarville
President Dr. Dixon said something positive about MLK. Actually, he said a lot of glowing things
about the man. I was shocked. I had honestly never heard a positive word
about King. This encouraged me to look
more into the man, and what I saw was profoundly encouraging.
C.S. Lewis once famously said if a young man wants to remain
an atheist he cannot be too careful in which books he chooses to read. There is some truth for this in regards to
politics as well.
Before Cedarville I had worked for a few years at a factory
in New York. The factory was a union
shop. I was raised to believe the unions
were bad, and that nothing good comes from unions. I paid my monthly dues, but had nothing but
negative feelings about the union or unions in general. Then at Cedarville, for a U.S. History class
with Dr. Mack, I was required to read “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair. For the first time in my life the value of
unions became evident to me. While I
still see more downsides to modern union than upsides, I do see that there are
times when unions have played positive roles.
Another book that influenced me, also from Dr. Mack’s class,
was a book entitled “Opposing Viewpoints in History”. The book included essays and writings by
those on differing sides of key moments in U.S. history. Whereas history is usually written by the
winners, this book gave insight into the mindset of those who disagreed with
events/decisions/outcomes that have played a role in shaping the America we
have become. While history books often
paint opponents to key moments in our nation’s past with a broad brush, this book
provided a more in depth understanding of those that society saw as being
wrong. What I began to see was the human
side of people and groups that history has dismissed as being on the wrong side
of history.
While I was finishing up my bachelor’s degree, I started
working for a radio network. I would
spend the next five years working in radio.
Looking back, I can see how my time in radio played a role in my
formation of my current political philosophy.
During this time, I began to see more and more the “spin” that those of
all political ideologies put on their message.
As a youth I was taught that spin was a characteristic of the political
left. But it didn’t take me long to see
that spin is not a tactic only used on one side of the political spectrum. The saying “facts never lie, but liars use
facts” was on public display for all to see.
Cases arose where one political party would take a strong stand on a
particular issue, and use “facts” to support their position. Then when the
other political side would give “facts” that seemed to say just the opposite,
my questioning mind was drawn to look deeper into said “facts.” In some cases it became obvious to me that
one or both side was twisting the “facts”, or omitting other facts that would
be damning to their argument. Or, the
“facts” were worded so vaguely that they could mean just about anything. Another problem I observed was that political
stances of a party would change depending on who proposed the idea. When a party was in the majority they
supported an idea, but then when they became the minority party they would
oppose the same idea. I observed this
going both ways by both parties. While I
am not completely cynical to the point of fully believing the statement, I
would say there is more truth in the phrase “how do you know a politician is
lying? Their lips are moving” than I
previously thought.
After leaving my job in radio in 2007 I moved to Japan to
live. Living as a minority, both
ethnically and religiously, in a culture much different than the culture I was
accustomed to changed me. The town I
grew up in was 99% Caucasian—give or take 1%-- and both colleges I had attended
were overwhelmingly white. In such
environments it was easy to buy into the mindset “if you come to my country you
need to learn my language and assimilate into my culture.” I remember visiting a bookstore in Ohio,
pre-Japan, and rolling my eyes at the foreign language section. My attitude was in America you should read
English. That attitude drastically
changed while living in Japan. I vividly
remember going to a bookstore in Sendai, and after several months in Japan, the
sight of a very small English section at the bookstore was so exciting. I don’t recall if the books were all that
interesting to my taste or not. Just the
sight of books that I could read the title to was excitement alone. And the grace and kindness the people of
Japan showed to an outsider has greatly affected me, and how I view foreigners
and those whose culture is different from mine has forever been changed.
After returning from Japan, another belief that had been
part of my political upbringing was called into question. The economy crashed a few months after I
returned to Ohio, and I was laid off of work.
I remember hearing negative thoughts about people who are able bodied
who accept government assistance. Among
these handouts included things such as unemployment, Medicaid, and food
assistance. As the sole provider for my
family, I was unable to find work—any work at all—and had to swallow my pride
or let my family (which now included a son) suffer. I applied for unemployment, and as a family
we signed up for WIC. In the 3 months or
so I was collecting unemployment I applied for more than 120 jobs, and only
received two calls (and no job offers).
I applied everywhere from McDonalds to jobs in radio to banking to
grocery stores. I wouldn’t let my pride
keep me from applying for jobs, even those that the thought of working filled
me with dread. And going to the grocery
store and being “one of those people” with the WIC coupons for milk, cheese,
cereal, and so forth was another shot at my pride. After all, the political party of my youth
instilled in me the need to “pick yourself up by your own bootstraps.” But sometimes in life we cannot and should
not insist on doing things on our own that we cannot or should not do on our
own. Sometimes we need help, and there
should be no shame in admitting it.
Being laid off, or being in need of food, should not be stigmatized the
way it is by many in our society. Yes,
there are those that will abuse programs that are intended to help those in
need. But we should not throw out the
baby with the proverbial bathwater. And,
what my experiences have taught me is to show grace towards those who face
tough situations that I have faced. And,
maybe even give them a word of encouragement, saying that you’ve been there and
understand what they may be going through.
One of the biggest influences on my evolving political
philosophy I cannot pinpoint to a specific time or incident. This factor ties in with my faith and study
of the Bible. Starting in my mid to late
20’s I began to see some inconsistencies between my political ideology and my
understanding of the teachings of the Bible.
The more I studied, the more aspects of my political ideology came into
question. While some of the aspects that
came into question were logical positions to hold, they seemed to be out of
step with the teachings of Jesus. My positions
on war, the use of force, Christians in the military and police force, nationalism,
patriotism, materialism, self-reliance as well as other issues, began to be
reshaped in light of my study of the Bible.
In some cases the Bible seems to say that my former position was wrong,
and on other issues I see that there is room for differing opinions among those
seeking the truth. In regards to both,
the former and later, I am learning the importance of showing grace towards
those I do not agree with, and, if and when possible, seeking to start dialogue
on the issues.
My political upbringing held the Second Amendment, and the
right to self-defense, in high regard.
Yes, I heard passing mention to the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus’ other
teachings on turning the other cheek, and not repaying evil for evil, but at
the end of the discussion it always came back to violence, at least when it is
provoked by another, is acceptable. I am
not anti-gun. I own multiple hand
guns. And, I do not wish to see harm
come to anyone, especially my family.
How I would respond in the face of such a situation I am not sure, since
in most cases we won’t know until such a time when we may face such a situation. However, whether or not I would use force to
prevent the oft asked intruder question shouldn’t be the focal point. Whether it is right or wrong to attack such a
person is a better question. If I use
violence to stop evil, and yet my use of force is in violation of the teachings
of Jesus, this doesn’t make me a good guy, just possibly the lesser of two
evils.
As for war, patriotism and nationalism, my current beliefs
are night and day from the beliefs of my youth.
I remember cheering emphatically when the U.S. began Operation Desert Shield
and later the first Gulf War. I
collected the Desert Storm trading cards, and was enamored by the might and
power that the U.S. had. Patriotic
fervor was evident, both in the nation as a whole, in my church and in my
home. America was the last beacon of
hope for the world, or so it was said.
But as I began to seriously study what the Bible, both Testaments, said
about war, and where our allegiances are to belong, most of the beliefs on this
topic from my upbringing came into question.
Reagan, as well as others before and after him, promoted the idea of
power through might. Men look to large
armies, superior weaponry, and impressive strength to win. God often asked his people to battle with
smaller, sometimes insanely small armies, inferior weaponry, and in humility,
and yet He gave the victory. That way,
if the people were to boast, they definitely couldn’t boast in themselves, but
would have to boast in God.
As far as patriotism and nationalism, as a follower of
Jesus, I am told that my citizenship doesn’t lie in the nation I dwell in, but
in the Kingdom of God. I am to seek
first that kingdom, and remember that I am an ambassador of God’s in this
world. When a nation sends out
ambassadors, the emissary must remember that even though they reside in another
nation, their allegiance must remain with the land from which they were
sent. God told those taken into
captivity in Babylon that while they lived in exile, they should seek the
welfare or good of the land where they lived.
But that didn’t take away from the fact that Babylon wasn’t their
home. As one living in the U.S., I
should seek the good of the land in which God has placed me. However, I must remember that my ultimate
allegiances are to be in the kingdom of God, and when the two are at odds, I
must obey God.
Going back to the subject of foreigners, and those of
different cultures, I already mentioned that for the first quarter century of
my life I would have looked down on foreigners, and strongly stated that when
outsiders move to “my” country, they need to learn “my” language. Looking back, as I already stated, living in
a land where I was the minority, where I didn’t speak the native tongue, played
a big role in helping to change my attitude.
However, learning what the Bible has to say about how foreigners,
outsiders, outcasts are to be treated has also played a big role in changing my
attitude. God had a lot to say about
those who do not care for the oppressed, strangers, orphans, widows, poor and
so forth. This is why Sodom was
destroyed, not for homosexual activity as I have heard many pastors say, and
Jesus says that how we treat the poor, sick, imprisoned, etc., will play a role
in future judgments He hands out. In the
end, God shows us time and time again in the Bible that it is the downtrodden,
the underdogs, the oppressed whom He chooses, and God says how we treat these
as well as all mankind shows how whether or not we love God himself.
The pro-life issue was probably one of the two pivotal
points in separation of right and left, conservative and liberal in my
political education as a youth. However,
as with many issues, there is more at play here than simply pro-life vs.
pro-abortion. I have met many people who
are anti-abortion, and yet not pro-life.
And I have met some who support abortion in some cases, who seem to
embody more genuine care for people than those on the opposite side. Ultimately, I believe abortion is wrong,
because all human life is made in the image of God, and therefore I do not
believe humans should discard any life as being of less value. My pro-life stance leads me to believe that
we need to work with women who feel torn over whether to give birth or abort,
and seek to help them in all areas of their life. I was surprised when I started doing some
digging and I found out that, in spite of the rhetoric, abortion rates are
higher when a Republican is in the White House and lower when a Democrat
is. If the issue of abortion is the
critical issue for some, maybe we need to ask if lowering the number of
abortions is the objective, or talking the talk is the objective.
Being pro-life doesn’t simply mean that I oppose abortion,
but rather that I am willing to come alongside the mother and help her as she
seeks to care for this child that she has given birth to. I also believe that my pro-life position
should encourage me to stand for life from conception to natural death. While I believe a case can be made,
biblically, for the allowance of the death penalty, I believe there are enough
flaws and injustices in the way it is administered that I personally oppose its
use.
I stated earlier that one of the strong positions held by
many political and religious conservatives in my past has been their unwavering
support for the nation of Israel. God
chose the children of Israel to be His chosen people, nearly 4 millennia ago,
and so it has been said, anyone who stands in the way of Israel is in
opposition to God. I believe there are
many factors that need to be considered before we can fully understand what is
at the heart of the Israel debate. First
off, was the promise made by God to all descendants of Abraham, or only to
those who followed Abraham’s path of faith?
Secondly, are the Israelites today the descendants of Abraham, either by
faith or blood, and if not does this make a difference? Thirdly, even for those who support Israel,
what should be done when Israel acts in ways that are not ethical, legal, and/or
humane? Fourthly, if our support for the
nation of Israel becomes a hindrance to the spread of the gospel, which takes
priority for us? I believe that all
humans are created in the image of God, we are called to love both friends and
enemies, and we must keep the good news of Jesus as the main focus.
Justice is a hot topic in some circles today, but it also
something the Bible spends a lot of time discussing. Growing up, what often was taught was that
the spoken gospel message was the primary mission that followers of Jesus were
sent to spread. The gospel is important,
yet I do not see the Bible teaching justice and the gospel as being an
either/or proposition. I believe we are
called to both share the gospel and promote justice. A friend of mine recently asked when someone
should know it is time to leave a church.
He said it isn’t when the Bible isn’t taught with as much fervor as
before, but when evangelism (outreach to those who are not followers of Jesus)
and social justice are abandoned. A
group or church can teach teach/preach the Bible, but if evangelism and social
justice aren’t actively pursued then there is a problem.
Politically speaking, many people have bought into the
mindset that people face problems due to their own failures or mistakes. If they can’t pick themselves up by their own
bootstraps, they don’t deserve a second chance.
While some problems people face are consequences of their own mistakes,
others are a result of a lack of justice in our society. For example, the percentage of Caucasians and
African-Americans who use drugs is relatively close percentage wise. Studies find that 14 million Caucasians and
2.6 million African-Americans report using drugs – one in 18 among whites and
one in 16 among blacks (NAACP Criminal Fact sheet and CIA World Factbook). More than 80% of the over 1.5 million drug
arrest in 2014 were for possession only (Drug Policy Alliance). Yet the same report found that African
Americans (who make up less than 13% of the U.S. population), and Latinos (who
make up roughly 17% of the population) account for 31% and 20% of drug arrest
respectively. And, when it comes to
those incarcerated for drug violations, blacks and Latinos make up 77%. This is just one example of apparent social
injustice in our society. And this
doesn't get into education discrepancies between urban and suburban areas,
discrimination of job applicants based on their name sounding "foreign,"
and the list can go on and on. While some
who face discrimination will be able to rise above, this does not mean we can
ignore that injustices that exist. Just
as past generations fought injustices, followers of Jesus should seek justice
where injustices exist today.
Bringing up environmental issues is another way to quickly
divide a crowd into two or more groups.
On the one end of the spectrum you have those who blame all
environmental issues on human actions.
On the conservative side, most if not all environmental issues that do
exist (if any are acknowledged) are unrelated to human actions. I grew up in the later camp. If Rush said it, I believed it, and that
settled it for me. Today I find myself
somewhere between the extremes. I
believe humans are having some impact on the environment, but I do not believe
we are totally to blame for all changes.
I do believe that as a follower of Jesus I should be a good steward of
all that has been entrusted to me. I
believe it is wrong to elevate the environment to the level of deity
however. If we can change our habits and
reduce the number of species going extinct, for example, we will pass along a
world with many of God's created creatures for our children and grandchildren
to experience. God's creation is
amazing, and proper stewardship can go a long way toward sharing the planet for
future generations to enjoy.
This may be one of the most difficult confessions for many
people I know to take. When it comes to
the “science” of Creationism, I do not subscribe. I believe in the Genesis 1-3 account as to
the origins of the world, but I do not believe in “Creation science.” Yes, I had Ken Ham as a professor in college,
and yet I do not believe that scientifically we can “prove” Creationism. “By faith” I believe that God created the
world, and I am OK with that. I do not
need the scientific method to “prove” it.
And, when it comes down to it, Creationism cannot be duplicated in a
lab, and therefore cannot be proven.
My beliefs and "political" positions have
drastically changed since I was a young man in Alden, N.Y. As one person said of me recently, "you
are a bleeding-heart liberal."
Maybe. However, I would rather
describe myself as one who is seeking to follow Jesus, and one who wants his
following Jesus to play an active role in how he views the world around
him. Are my positions perfect? No. This
is in part because I am not perfect, and my understanding of the scripture isn’t
perfect. Will my positions change over
the next 15 years, just as they have over the past 15? I hope so.
I don't want to ever reach the point where I am convinced I know it all,
and therefore am not willing to learn.
Various factors have played roles in helping me change my
views. And, maybe I have swung too far
on some positions as I've wrestled with balancing my former positions, my
education, and my experiences. When all
is said and done, I don't want to hold the political positions I do simply
because it gives me a favorable rendering.
I want to hold the positions I do because morally, ethically and yes,
even as a result of my religious faith, I believe they are the right positions
to hold. In the end, if I hold unpopular
positions, yet live in accordance with my conscience, I believe I will have
done what is right. And, even when I do
live in accordance to my conscience, I must show love towards those who do not
agree with me. Otherwise, I will be
nothing but a clanging cymbal.
