Once, when I had just started listening to talk radio, I heard Rush Limbaugh describe the difference between liberals and conservatives. He said that while liberals define success as how many people they have on government programs, conservatives measure success by how many people no longer need to be on those programs. That is true compassion. That is conservatism.
That explanation seemed so profound to me that I took to trying to find ways to explain the differences between conservatives and liberals myself. I'm rather fond of coming up with new ways to explain what separates the two. There is, of course, the old standard definition that says that conservatives believe in smaller government while liberals believe in bigger government. I've also looked many times to Edmund Burke and Russell Kirk to give well-formed explanations as to what conservatism is.
Today, however, I found a different source from which to grasp an answer to the question of what divides conservatives from liberals and vice versa. As I was reading for a class on Old Testament history, I came across a statement that struck me. The text read, "Establishing a monarchy did not solve Israel's problems. What God desires is the genuine devotion of each person's mind and heart to him.
No government or set of laws can substitute for the rule of God in your heart and life."(emphasis mine)
That last sentence hit me with great truth. Many in our government would like for government to replace God himself. While liberals seek to replace God with government, conservatives seek to protect God's laws from government. Now, don't get me wrong; I'm not so partisan that I think it's only liberals who want to do so. No, I recognize that there are those in both major parties that would like to establish themselves as the final word in truth and law. But as a general rule, it seems to me that liberals seek to make laws as a means to reach a utopia. And in my view, conservatives try to pass laws for the good of those on this earth, without the unrealistic expectation that these laws will lead to a perfect civilization.
The reason this text had such an impact on me probably goes back to something that someone asked me recently. The question was brought up that, since I consider myself a Christian, how can I take part in earthly politics. After all, I should be considering the things of the next life, not this one; right? Well, my answer to that was that I feel obligated as a Christian to protect the very right we have in this country to worship freely. If we have no freedom of religion, then whose fault is it? I don't fight only to protect the rights of people who belong to my religion to worship. I fight for the rights of all citizens to worship as they please, regardless of what religion.
While the current liberal administration seeks to repeal "conscience laws", forcing medical professionals to perform procedures that they morally oppose, conservatives feel that the ability to express our conscience is at the core of our rights. Redefining what is right and wrong through legislation and not allowing for conscience is indeed trying to replace God with government.
