Labels, judgments, and ASSumptions

In college, these were my conceived definitions of “liberal” and “conservative”:

Liberal

Typically non-religious, Democrat, pro-choice, pro gay marriage, sexually active, lives by the motto “Everything is permissible if it feels good.”

Conservative

Very religious, Republican, pro-life, anti gay marriage, affirms sex in straight marriages only, advocates faith over science.

Both boxes are starting to get claustrophobic. Both boxes have perceived ideas of what everyone should believe and what lifestyle choices everyone should make, completely trivializing the complicated journeys that take place before deciding what’s important; what’s worth fighting for.

Sure seems that if you say the wrong thing, ask the wrong question, propose the wrong theory, the lids on the boxes go flying and everyone starts losing their minds.

This is something that most people won’t notice or care about, but it helped clear my mind a bit to remove my religious and political beliefs from Facebook – not because I’m ashamed (though I’ll admit to being slightly confused), but because I’m sick of the assumed judgments about my character and my values that come with identifiers like “Christian” or that of any political party. I’ve been asked whether I’m trading “biblical Christianity” for “progressive Christianity,” and I don’t know how to begin to answer such a question; even “progressive” Christians believe their interpretations are biblical. Implied in that question is the idea that questioning doctrines I don’t understand and listening to the struggles of people who believe differently is somehow not allowed.

Seriously, I say something about how it’s possible to have a religious conviction against gay marriage but affirm it legally in a country that practices separation of church and state, and suddenly I’m put in the liberal box? Really?

I used to think it was silly when some of my Christian friends decided to forgo the Christian title and instead call themselves “Followers of Jesus,” but I sort of get it now. Rather than come up with a new clever title (which is only bound to get tarnished again anyhow), I decided it’s pointless to quantify everything I am that will allow me to check off a box on a Pew Forum poll or something. I am a person with a unique journey. Ask me about that instead.

Filed under: Religion Tagged: Christian culture, Christianity, Controversy, evangelicals, Facebook, gay marriage, marriage