Liberal Compared to Conservative ~ Narrow is the Way

No, this post is not what you think it’s about, at least not directly.

This is not a political question, nor does it concern politics in regards to partisanship in general, or party affiliation in particular.

This has to do with words.  Words are the backbone of every society.

Words are what we used to define the type of government we have, the type of relationships we have, our interaction with each other on a daily basis, and who we are; which includes our belief system.

We are going to examine these two words, liberal and conservative from a biblical standpoint, not a political one.

I think it would be wise to start off with a review of our articles during the last few weeks.

1) On October 30th I wrote an article entitled: “Figures of Speech ~ Part 2,” which dealt with words used as rhetorical devices, meaning when we use words beyond their normal meaning to mean something else entirely different.

The easy ones to spot in the English language are the combination of words into phrases which mean something totally different than the independent words themselves.

Examples such as: “far out,” “get off my back,” “you stuck a knife in my back,” “jumping for joy,” “out of my mind,” and “you drive me crazy,” but for a few.

These phrases are used in a symbolic manner different from the individual words.

You don’t actually drive somebody crazy, or act in a way which makes me go out of my mind, or when I’m happy I actually don’t jump for joy, and even though it feels like it when I’m betrayed I’m have not actually had a knife stuck in my back, and when somebody is nagging me they’re not physically on my back, and when something is great it is not further out than anything else.

It is the use of words within “Figures of Speech” that are meant to present emphasis and understanding beyond the words normal meaning.  What I presented is a very small sliver of the over 217 different types of figures of speech, so diverse it blows my mind to even attempt to explain it.

Words hold power, even when used in unusual manner.

The old adage that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me, while meant to keep children from fighting each other over discourse, in theory is totally false.

Words are more important than anything else in life.

Consider what the Bible says in Proverbs 18:21, which states:


The power of words can be found in the following examples.  Consider being the person that here’s the following words: “I want a divorce,”  “guilty as charged,” “I sentence you to death,” “your cancer is malignant,” “you only have a few days to live,” “I don’t love you anymore,” and “I can’t trust you anymore.”

Words are very powerful when there coupled with the power behind what is necessary to make them come true.

Meaning that it’s when a judge says “guilty as charged,” that these words are devastating, meaning that when a spouse says “I want a divorce, I don’t love you anymore,” these words are horrible to hear.

It is when words are not coupled with the ability to carry them out that they become void of power.

The reason why sticks and stones, physical objects inflect physical pain, where mere words with no action behind them do not, is in reality seldom the case.

2) Next, Rocky presented an article concerning the extra-constitutional (actually unconstitutional) expression, “Separation of Church and State;” and how it has been taken out of its original context as a personal letter from Thomas Jefferson to a minister, and been entrenched in the Supreme Court’s definition concerning religious matters and the government.

Another case of the power of words, when taken out of their context and placed into a context never meant to have been done in the first place.

3) Next, Rocky wrote an article entitled: “Thoughts after the Election,” speaking about how it was apparent that America was departing from its original foundation of Christianity, forsaking God and the principles taught in the Bible, and ending with insight concerning us being in the last days, and how Christ’s return is where we should keep our focus.

4) Next, I wrote an article on “Perception,” continuing on the thought of last days prophecy, and how God is ultimately in control of everything, no matter what it looks like in the here and now.

5) Lastly, I wrote (“Refusing to Make a Choice, is Still a Choice – and All Choices have Consequences”) about the responsibilities and accountability of the choices we make, especially when our choice is to do nothing.

The commonality of these last 5 articles deals with the power of words, and the substance that is behind their meaning.

Now to the issue of this article.
Concerning the power words, we should consider what in secular circles is referred to the small-mindedness of Christianity, wherein Christians are often called “narrow-minded” concerning their worldview.

It is because real believers persist that the salvation available to mankind is only through Jesus Christ and faith in Him and His atoning work on the cross alone.

That He, and He alone paid our price for our sins, and that without Him, we pay the price ourselves in an eternity in hell.

What we must agree with is that those who make accusations concerning us being narrow-minded are actually speaking the truth.

Christians that hold to the principles the Bible, and follow what it says are normally defined as conservative, meaning restrictive, or narrow.

Also true is the fact that nominal Christians, or those that don’t take the Bible literally, are usually referred to is “liberal,” meaning that they are less restricted by the constraints of what the Bible says and biblical doctrine.

Though these individuals may resent this accusation that they are nominal in their practices, it is their refusal to take the Bible literally and therefore allow it to regulate their life that shows that they are less restrained in their religious life – their belief system does not cost them as much as someone who is truly dedicated to the commitment that the Bible presents.

Many times individuals will say they’re “just not that religious” as a rationality for their lack of commitment.

Many say it is hypocritical to say there’s only one way to heaven, that being Jesus.  They say we all worship the same God, and one is not any more right than any other.

Even though each religion opposes each other, and any attempt to homogenize them such as Baha’i faith, does violence to all the religions that have different principles, instructions, interpretations and laws.

What we must remember is what Jesus said:


It is self-evident that based upon this Scripture as well as many others which display the individuality, and uniqueness of the Bible; that Christianity by its very definition has a narrow scope concerning not only the doctrine of salvation, but many other doctrines wherein denominations are in dispute.

Yet what all Christians should be able to agree on is Jesus own description of how narrow is the way that He has left for His believers.

“The difference between ‘involvement’ and
the pig was ‘committed’.”


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