There are many misunderstandings of the actual definitions and ideologies of such labels as conservative and liberal. Each word has come to be a negative term when in truth the terms are not that all evil in themselves, rather needed in defining the ideals. While in each view their can be an extreme it is important not be ignorant to their multiple uses. It is the misunderstanding of these views that causes additional confusion and even more hostility towards them that requires one such as I, who knows the roots of these words and views to correct the sea of misguided labeling. First and foremost it is vitally important to know that these terms outside the political arena have multiple meanings and in different areas of life. Someone who is conservative in their politics maybe liberal in their theology or life philosophy. One may be liberal in their poltics but conservative in their money or visa versa. So understanding these terms in the fullness of their meaning will help to set unwanted confusion aside. Our next step must be in defining these terms and using them in context. Below are the definition of the terms.
CONSERVATIVE:
1. Favoring traditional views and values
2. Traditional or restrained in style
3. Moderate; cautious
LIBERALISM:
1. a political or social philosophy advocating the f reedom of the individual, parliamentary legislatures, governmental assurances of civil liberties and individual rights, and nonviolent modification of institutions to permit continued individual and social progress.
Now according to the same site read this is under the defintion of liberalism.
A 19th-century Protestant movement that favored free intellectual inquiry, stressed the ethical and humanitarian content of Christianity, and de-emphasized dogmatic theology.
You see what alot of Evangelical Protestants fail to see is that their very own church identity came from a liberal philosophy and theology. The word protestant is someone who is in a state of protest. Liberals tend to protest, it is in fact a part of the belief. That belief that all voices and views are equal. While some protestants would not think that they believe this in respects of other religions, that is what exatctly their founders believed. Even if in some small part the belief is centered in freedom of their views. Protestants opposed the rigid and 'conservative" dogma, traditions, and practices of both the Roman Catholic Church and the state run churches in Europe. America was found on this very ideal of religious freedom and it is an liberal ideal. Liberalism is about change and the Protestant view point was built on changing the at the time current view that only Rome was right, they also protested the 'tradtions' of the the church. So before Protestants can call themselves true conservatives they need to know the difference in being conservative in politics, philosophy,theology, and even in personal life choices. Liberalism on the other hand has been built on the idea of personal freedom, personal rights to a better government, and to change. America is a liberal country whether people see or not. This does not mean it is a progressive liberal which is what the current 'liberals' are. However America was built on the ideals of religious freedom, individual freedom, and the right of choice, we where founded men who where at later stages of a movement we call Classical Liberalism. Most of today's political conservative ideals are based on Classical Liberalism. Truly the only reason we call those conservatives is because they are trying to hold on to those ideals which are being changed by the radical liberals or progressives. It's truly hard to call today's liberals liberal the big government approach they take to institute their change is producing larger government more control and they have gone so far on the pegilum that they go back to feudalism and despotism the oldest and most restraint form of government. Far from freedom far from liberalism.
Today's progressive liberals have become almost theocratic in their religion of tolerance and promoting their believes their push towards being "green" is just as religious as any other group. The fact is even people who borrow money, who are not fiscally responsible and wreck less spenders are liberal! Have you ever heard the term liberal with you money? The question I have is if you live liberally, worship liberally and believe in freedom and choice, face it your a liberal. You may not be radical but you are a liberal. Truth is today the modern conservative movement is more true liberal than the liberals. Freedom is a liberal value and yet many are confused on this issue. On the other true conservatives are more frugal, it is some ways understands that freedom while good can be wreck less and dangerous. The monarchy system and parliamentary system are more in line with true conservatism. The Catholic Church until recently was a Conservative churhc holding to traditions and values. Now reformed evangelicals in the line of Lutherans,Calvinist, and some Baptists are more in line with a traditional and conservative doctrine. All of them have some trace of Liberalism in them. Does this make them bad, no not really, in more moderate view point they are more at balance with liberalism and conservatism than other churches despite on the surface what might in a cultural since seem to be traditionalist, and more conservative. However we cannot let the culture factor distract us from the preset factors of what defines a church or theology as being conservative.
In all truth moderate thinking people are more in tuned with conservatism then liberalism, despite the urge to label them so from the radicals. Most moderates are a balance of classical liberalism political ideologies, in some certain lifestyle choices, but hit more conservatism tones in philosophy, even theologically. The moderate balance is recognizing the need of traditions, their place, the history but also recognizing the importance of freedom. If we to take the scale of radicals being the ultra left, and the more reserved, regal elements of classical conservatism the balance in the middle is between classical liberal and what I call paleoconservatism. Which is a form of classical conservatism. Without the feudal understanding. Truly in my mind paleoconservatives are true moderates, for they balance conservatism with liberalism. It is important to note that by moderate I mean not of being modern in culture or history but in being in the center, being balanced. While the term for paleoconservatism seems by its appearance in wording to be that regal or very old traditionalist. In political terms its more in showing its contrast to neo conservatism or new conservatism. The misconception of neo conservatism is that its old or extreme conservatism, however neo conservatism is far from what true conservatism is about. While it may share similar views like in the protection of the state and its people, its far more closer to neo liberalism which is the background of communism. The neo liberals in Russia used the military as its machine of revolutionary change. Where Neo Cons usually use the military industrial complex not for revolution but for retaining the power of it. We find its roots in the Civil War in America where Lincoln and the Republicans used the army for strengthening of the federal government. When the democrats of the south wanted freedom and practice their American rights the early Neo Cons swooped in attacked.
While many neo liberals or progressive liberals look at Hitler as a sign of neo conservatism and install their fears of that kind of regime. In all truth Hitler was more a neo liberal for wanting to use the power of the government to make changes to his country. Just like the liberals of today do, he seeked to use that power for his revolution, but Hitler also used it after he got power, in alot of ways he turned neo conservative. That's the threat of both neo conservatism and neo liberalism, they use the same tactics and eventually become each other. Today in our country we have neo libs in power who are on the verge of becoming Neo Cons. While I put Lincoln as an example of neo conservatism, and Stalin and the communists in Russia as the example of neo liberalism, both are at play in Hitler. True fascism comes these groups despite what the other thinks. So why I am writing this? I want people to truly understand where these terms come from and where they have root in. I also want you to ask yourself what you truly believe, despite the moral trappings, the political banner most liberal Christians are conservative because of the tactics of infusing Christ into it. They think the conservatives are the only Christians, and that's why they have to be there but its the same for how the extreme left think they are true liberals. They think neo liberalism is true liberalism, they are attracted to it byt the lure of government change for their religion of environmentalism and equal rights, but they may be shocked to know how close to neo conservatism they are. I go more into this issue, maybe even right a book but it's important to define the terms, before going further.
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