Rant and Rave #1: Conservative vs. Liberal

Rant and Rave #1: Conservative vs. Liberal

Ahh, the age old debate, or at least on college campuses. Being in my senior year at Azusa Pacific University, I have seen this argument time and time again, and I have begun to feel an awful bitterness towards both sides.

A little history: I grew up in a midwestern, middle class suburb. My parents and I have attended church since I can remember, and I have grown up in circles with conservative biases. My church, neighborhood, and schools growing up all told me that it was Christian to be conservative. Furthermore, they all seemed to reject liberalism as some sort of demi-religion. A religion that has replaced God with the worship of humans, nature, and any other number of evil things.

However, my dad is a scientist (gasp!). An earth scientist. A geologist. My relationship with my dad has largely informed the current beliefs I hold. Not wanting to stray to far off topic, I will simply say that he has shown me that religion and science can not only coexist, but they actually inform each other. Science, the study of God's creation, actually informs Humanity's understanding of the Divine.

Bringing it back: So, conservative or liberal? In my opinion, neither.

I don't think either actually defines the majority of the people who identify themselves as such, but the lack of other appropriate titles forces the majority of people to choose one or the other.

People who are really similar throw insults back and forth, and then hold to party lines and platforms that make no sense with the rest of their values, but they have to, because it is all or nothing.

Either it is right to be a conservative. Or it is right to be a liberal. Cognitively you and I might not believe that, but that is how our system is set up, and that is why both sides fight the other with such tenacity and maliciousness.

Both camps present their platforms as being one complete structure. Every precept, of every claim, or every stance, on every topic is interrelated, and this causes an inability to admit flaws in any position.

If conservative A were to admit to liberal X that the conservative view on immigration may be slightly flawed, every other belief the conservative had would be called into question. This is the dominant mentality I have seen, and as a result, students on this campus refuse to engage in conversations with each other.

Great man and woman from both the Left and Right engage in disgraceful arguments.
I see conservatives acting like 4 year olds all the time, but I also see liberals acting the same. Both sides enforce poor values and morals, and both sides promote good values and morals. The problem is people actually think one side is better/worse than the other. You get 6 with one, and half a dozen with the other.

So, which is it? Again, in my opinion, neither. Where does that leave us? I am not sure. But I will address this in future posts.