The following was sent to me by a friend in response to my recent blog posts. While I’m not sure I agree with her conclusions on the issues of welfare, it is a Conservative viewpoint that I can respect. This is what Conservatives should be, not single issue voters but people concerned with how our government is run at all levels.
I have read on your blog opinions expressing frustration with the Republican Party. As a conservative Republican myself, I want people to know that I share their frustration. There are a number of shortcomings within the Republican Party; I work for a Republican politician who feels the same way. Therefore, I feel as if I need to stand up and explain why, with all the frustration they cause, I have not been moved to the center or to the left.
I know that being an evangelical Christian conservative is nothing out of the norm. However, many of those who bear this title are severely misguided or just unwilling to broaden their perspective and hear out all sides of issues (I think the same can be said of many liberals). I don’t count myself as one of these and I know plenty of others who do not fall into this category. Throughout this election, from the time I heard Senator Obama announce his candidacy live, I have been wondering what his actual policies are. He can certainly move a crowd (seriously, I almost cried) but after sitting and reflecting on what he said, I felt like there was not much substance. When Senator McCain emerged as the Republican nominee, I wanted substance and specific policies solutions from him as well. I want to know how they want to change America other than by winning a historic election. After doing some research and watching part of the debate last Friday, it’s starting to become clearer what their policy goals are, 19 months from the start and 2 months before Election Day. (Side note: I work in the legislative branch of government and still do not understand why in the world we get so caught up in presidential elections and presidential promises when the executive has no power to actually write law, it’s your locally elected Representative and Senators who do the lawmaking!)
I don’t doubt that politicians on both sides of the aisle are doing what they think is best based on their ideologies, which brings me to my main point. I am a conservative not because of abortion or life issues or homosexual marriage. I am a conservative because I fundamentally believe that caring for the poor, the homeless, the widows and the orphans is not the job of the government. This is the role of the church. Can you imagine how much the church could do if Christians gave and reached out through the church? The pastor of the church I grew up in has a vision for that church of being what he calls the “social center of kindness”—they have a café that serves affordable meals, a game room for youth to have a safe place to hang out, church members can “adopt” widows (at home and abroad), a community exchange for those looking to get rid of/ obtain furniture or other necessities, and he one day sees our church having a health clinic of sorts for those who can’t afford to go see the doctor on their own. The problem is, of the over 1200 members of the church, less than ten families tithe faithfully.
Reaching out to those in need is the church’s chance to show the love of Christ! When we abdicate that role and pursue policies which perpetuate reliance on government, we fail to do so. I work in government because I believe in the political process, in the average American having a voice in Washington, and in legislation and policy that can make our country a better place without increasing the size and scope of the government. I want to find a church where I can throw myself into volunteering because I see it as my duty as a Christian.
People say Republicans are cold hearted—they don’t care about poor people; they hate the environment; they’re a bunch of whiners in Congress this session. I would say only the last one of those statements is true. My heart breaks for those living in poverty. I don’t think a government program on the federal level is going to help. The same goes for universal healthcare. We live in a large, culturally and economically diverse country. A federal healthcare plan is not only huge and costly, but what works for Americans in New York is not necessarily what works for Americans in Kansas. In my conservative opinion, decisions and funding for programs such as these are better left to individual States.
I could go on with examples, but I hope my point is clear. The Republican Party has turned into an incoherent group of whiners who have no idea how to craft their message and cannot handle being in the minority. Still, fundamentally, I’m conservative and cannot agree with liberal policies proposed by the Democratic Party. I don’t think this means either side is going to hell for holding the political beliefs that they do
Tags: conservative, republican
