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One Citizen's Views On Morality
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Borrowing a line from my work with AA: Hi, my name is Dr. Bob. I’m a Democrat. I’m also a Christian and a Baptist. But the last time I checked, our Constitution guarantees you as much right to be a Methodist or a Presbyterian or a Catholic or a Jew or a Muslim or a Buddhist or a Shintoist or a Taoist or an animist or an agnostic or an atheist as it does me to be a Christian and a Baptist. But that’s just me. And the last time I checked, our Constitution didn’t give our government the right or power to impose my Christian and Baptist religious and moral doctrines on any citizen who happens to hold other beliefs, or no beliefs at all. But that’s just me. Also the last time I checked, abortion and same-sex marriage were not the only two moral values that American citizens were concerned about. In fact, most American citizens don’t seem to be abnormally preoccupied with reproductive organs and what their owners do with them. But that’s just me. A lot of American citizens seem to be concerned with moral questions such as these: Is it moral to invade a secular nation in order to replace one government with another? Is it moral to go to war to give freedom to others and take away freedom from your own? When Jesus said he had been sent to deliver good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who were bruised, he didn’t say a word about preventing abortion. But that’s just Jesus. And when he told some inquirers that because of his ministry the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and to the poor good news is proclaimed, he didn’t say a mumblin’ word about preventing same-sex marriage. But that’s just Jesus. |
But Jesus was a revolutionary. And, by today’s standards, he was a liberal: having, expressing, or following social or political views or policies that favor progress and reform and the freedom of individuals to act or express themselves in a manner of their own choosing; tolerant of the ideas or behavior of others; tending to give freely; generous; bountiful. But that’s just Jesus. And the last time I checked, Jesus wasn’t a Republican. So the Republicans don’t own Jesus nor do they have a monopoly on his ethics and morality. And a lot of citizens of these United States need to be reminded of that. And that’s part of our task as the Issues Committee, to help you keep reminding American citizens that the Republican party doesn’t have a monopoly on morals or social values! And that “liberal” is not a dirty word! And that’s not just Jesus; that’s me too! And it ought to be you! I don’t have to like George W. Bush to love my country? How about you? I don’t have to endorse George W. Bush’s war to be patriotic. How about you? Down in my secret heart of hearts, I’m essentially a pacifist, but not so much a pacifist to prevent my serving in the Air Force during the Korean Conflict, nor to denigrate my brother who was a paratrooper during World War II and a career officer in the army reserve, or his three sons who were career active duty army soldiers, nor my daughter or her husband, both of whom served honorably in the United States Air Force. But I believe that war should be the last resort, under extreme circumstances, not the first response to impose political ideology. But that’s just me. And I believe that abortion should be the last resort, under extreme circumstances, not the first response to an unwanted pregnancy, and it’s not any of the government’s business. But that’s just me. --Bob Hartsell, Ph.D.
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