[Vision2020] A Liberal World

Thu, 15 Jan 2004 14:29:05 -0800

My apologies. I was trying to avoid the liberal conservative distinction
when I asked my question and inadvertently got caught in the liberal
Christian conservative Christian one instead. As they say I misplaced the
antithesis.

To answer Sunil's question, I don't think liberal Christians are not
Christians. But I do think that depending on how liberal they are, they may
not be individually saved either. By saved I mean going to heaven when they
die. I also don't mean to infer from this that I know exactly where the line
is that makes a person too liberal. However, Jesus did say to some of his
followers, "Get away from me, I never knew you." So, even though they
claimed to know him and to be serving him and to do all sorts of miracles in
his name, he didn't agree. And what he thinks is ultimately what is
important.

The reason I asked the question was because I was getting the strong
impression that to be a liberal meant to be against anything that smells
even remotely of moral decency. If a thought or a system or an institution
has been around for a while and lays any claim to moral uprightness in any
way, the liberal is out to get rid of it and to tear it down.

The problem as I see it, based on Melynda and Joan's answers is not as
simple as that. The liberal, it seems, is not against respectability, or
morality, or purity in all areas of life. The liberal is against anyone more
conservative or liberal than they are defining those things for them.

Perhaps this explains why running around with your top off to wash cars is a
good thing (it goes against all those stodgy conservatives townies) and why
raping those same topless women is a bad thing (even though the next
generation of liberals might think that a perfectly good thing). 

I'm just trying to figure it all out.

Mike Lawyer

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com] On
Behalf Of Melynda Huskey
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 9:26 AM
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] A Liberal World

Dear Mike,

I know I sound like a broken record, but I can't possibly let this go.

Christian and liberal are not contradictory terms.  Some of us are liberals 
precisely *because* we are Christians.

What kind of town would I want?  Me, the Christian liberal?

One in which citizens treated each other civilly and respectfully.  One in 
which the most vulnerable people--children, for example--were safe from 
oppression, abuse, and harm.  One in which our local governing bodies 
reflected our population, and were scrupulous about protecting the rights of

the minority.  One in which we cared for our physical environment and were 
careful stewards of limited resources such as water and clean air.  One in 
which local businesses (like my kids' favorite place on Planet Earth, 
Hodgins) weren't endangered by enormous chains which gain a competitive 
advantage by exploiting producers and workers.  A town in which lesbian and 
gay families were treated just like their heterosexual counterparts, and had

the same civil rights.  One in which neither personal nor institutional 
racism prevailed.  One in which a rich diversity of faith communities 
flourished.  One in which our extraordinary public library was appreciated, 
and funded, as it deserves.  A town in which people with disabilities could 
enter every business and every public building without barriers, could vote 
freely, and could be employed.  A town without meth labs or 
Neo-Nazi/Confederate/Christian Identity organizations.  A town in which the 
University of Idaho was a respected and trusted institution.

I could go on, but I bet you've got the idea.

Melynda Huskey

>From: "Mike Lawyer" <mike_l@moscow.com>
>To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Subject: [Vision2020] A Liberal World
>Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2004 09:05:17 -0800
>
>Hello all,
>
>
>
>As I was reading Dr. Gier's letter regarding the progressive stance on
>clothing and sexuality in Denmark, it occurred to me that there seems to be
>a particular direction the liberal folks would like society to go.
>
>
>
>The question that springs to mind from all this is: If there weren't any
>Christians getting in the way of progress and the liberal folks could have
>everything they wanted with no restrictions, what would the world look 
>like?
>And specifically, what would Moscow look like?
>
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>
>
>Mike Lawyer
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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