We Can Do Better

In our most recent class discussion we touched upon the need for a progressive voice and movement to, as Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite stated, “take back the family and deal with the REAL threats to ourselves and the lives of our children”.
One obstacle to creating such a progressive family agenda is that we simply don’t like to be told what to do. I think most “liberal” Christians have become so accustomed to a secular framework of thinking and living that any organized effort to articulate a set of shared principles might frighten some who enjoy their freedom of choice in a broad spectrum of areas. This comfort and expectation of freedom is natural. We have come to worship individualism over community and become skeptical of any corporate agenda that requires our critical thinking to extend into those personal realms that might be considered off limits like one’s sexuality, choice of entertainment (like violent movies and video games), drug use, and family dynamics.

We can do better than the Value Voters who manufacture fear concerning homosexuality and abortion. In my opinion, by rooting their movement in hatred and misunderstanding, Christian conservatives have effectively proclaimed their rejection of the teachings of Christ. I don’t think this is too extreme a view. Clearly their dogma, not taken from the Gospels, trumps the teachings of the one they call Savior, Light of the World. His call to love one another, to care for the orphaned, the widowed, to embrace the forgotten, the hungry and to fear lust for money and power are regarded as musings of the Son of God. According to the Value Voter agenda, our concerted attacks against abortion and homosexuality will almost single handedly heal our families and our country. We can do better.

We need to begin setting the agenda and not just responding to one thrown our way. We need to be pro-active and creative with our language and vision of a society in which children, families, community, education and health come first. We can’t always be afraid to offend. I know I am constantly tiptoeing around certain issues and language in order to keep everyone happy but how can peace come second, how can responsible family planning be a hushed subject? Roll up our sleeves, roll out the butcher paper, take out the pens and let us forge our way toward the Kingdom of God.