Dear Friends:
I have heard it said that we shouldn't mix politics and religion, but in a sense, how can you separate them? I mean, theocracies are dangerous and have never worked without oppression and bloodshed, but in a way, we can't divorce our set of values from the way we vote.
I have noticed that if one goes to a new-thought church, it is assumed that he or she is a liberal in his or her politics. This is an erroneous assumption. There are many of us who believe in the universality of the divine principle, and of our connectedness. That does not mean we all believe in the same principles of governance.
I have had friends who bring up Jesus with regard to so many of the issues we are debating about today, trying to prove that Jesus was a liberal, I guess. Well, we can't say with certainty what he WOULD do if he were alive today, but we know there are things he did not do.
Jesus did not demand that the government take care of the poor or sick. He told his followers to do that. He did not tell his followers to force someone else to do it, nor to shame them into doing it. No, the responsibility was firmly on their shoulders. Jesus told his followers to turn the other cheek, but he did not tell the government to do so. Jesus did not demonstrate against the government about the wars it was involved in--if fact, he did not demonstrate against the government at all about anything. This makes Jesus more like a conservative than a liberal.
If you are a political conservative who feels out of place among new-thought people, then relax. Your view is valid. It is compatible with universal principle and connectedness. Holding people accountable to work and take care of themselves and their families is a good thing, a compassionate thing--and so is charity. Conservatives statistically give more to charity than do liberals. We are all one in a sense, of course--but our checking accounts are not. Every individual has a lesson to learn about money and work and the relationship between the two. Every individual must find their own way, and it is our joy to help when we can.
There is nothing to be ashamed of for a conservative position on politics. It reveals your love of freedom and a desire for that freedom to be preserved for everyone.
Namaste,
Bob Roushar
I have heard it said that we shouldn't mix politics and religion, but in a sense, how can you separate them? I mean, theocracies are dangerous and have never worked without oppression and bloodshed, but in a way, we can't divorce our set of values from the way we vote.
I have noticed that if one goes to a new-thought church, it is assumed that he or she is a liberal in his or her politics. This is an erroneous assumption. There are many of us who believe in the universality of the divine principle, and of our connectedness. That does not mean we all believe in the same principles of governance.
I have had friends who bring up Jesus with regard to so many of the issues we are debating about today, trying to prove that Jesus was a liberal, I guess. Well, we can't say with certainty what he WOULD do if he were alive today, but we know there are things he did not do.
Jesus did not demand that the government take care of the poor or sick. He told his followers to do that. He did not tell his followers to force someone else to do it, nor to shame them into doing it. No, the responsibility was firmly on their shoulders. Jesus told his followers to turn the other cheek, but he did not tell the government to do so. Jesus did not demonstrate against the government about the wars it was involved in--if fact, he did not demonstrate against the government at all about anything. This makes Jesus more like a conservative than a liberal.
If you are a political conservative who feels out of place among new-thought people, then relax. Your view is valid. It is compatible with universal principle and connectedness. Holding people accountable to work and take care of themselves and their families is a good thing, a compassionate thing--and so is charity. Conservatives statistically give more to charity than do liberals. We are all one in a sense, of course--but our checking accounts are not. Every individual has a lesson to learn about money and work and the relationship between the two. Every individual must find their own way, and it is our joy to help when we can.
There is nothing to be ashamed of for a conservative position on politics. It reveals your love of freedom and a desire for that freedom to be preserved for everyone.
Namaste,
Bob Roushar
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