Saturday, October 25, 1997

"Liberal" and "conservative" hard to define in religion

By MICHAEL O'CONNOR

Abilene Reporter-News

A caller the other day identified herself as a conservative of her denomination and made reference to liberals in that denomination. I thought later that I was apparently supposed to know what those terms meant. But I don't.

The terms "conservative" and "liberal" are slippery ones. Some of my friends and acquaintances would probably view me as being a liberal Christian, but if forced to pick one of the two terms, I would classify myself as conservative because I believe the classic doctrines of Christianity. But my belief in those doctrines results in some viewpoints that are often described as liberal.

Conservatives believe they are maintaining - conserving - traditional beliefs and values. They love the orthodox formulation often phrased as what the church in all places and at all times has believed. But what they forget is that conservatives have had a bad track record in history.

Consider one of the most famous conservative groups of all time. They looked at a society they believed had abandoned traditional faith and sought to bring reform to their nation. They initiated a kind of back to the Bible movement, insisting on a literal reading of the scriptures. And they succeeded in creating a sizeable following.

Then along came an itinerate preacher who challenged what they said and did. He said their efforts were wrong-headed and more likely to lead people to hell than to a vital relationship with God. His following grew rapidly, even pulling some followers from the conservative group. So the conservatives created what they deemed to be the best solution to this challenge to traditional belief - they plotted the itinerate's death. Pulled it off, too, until three days later the itinerate showed up alive again.

Umpteen centuries later an Anglican clergyman was coerced by a friend into preaching in an open air venue, something shocking to his conservative brethren. Surprisingly, listeners responded to the message, and the clergyman continued to minister outside the walls of the church, creating a religious society that attracted people from all walks of life.

His conservative colleagues expressed their outrage at what he was doing, some even refused to allow him to preach in their churches. But John Wesley persisted, and the revival he started is credited with being a significant force for change in England.

Were Wesley and Jesus liberals? Depends on who you ask. Depends on what's being conserved.

If what we want to conserve is a faith that calls all to repentance but emphasizes grace, call me a conservative. If what we want to conserve is a faith that preaches God so loved the world that he gave his only son, call me a conservative.

But if what we want to conserve is a faith that is identified by the people we seek to draw to it as being primarily concerned with what it's against, then I'll just have to settle for being a liberal.

Michael O'Connor is Online Editor for the Abilene Reporter-News. He can be reached online at religion@abinews.com or by mail at P.O. Box 30, Abilene, TX 79604