Would Jesus be a liberal or conservative?

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Via_Dolorosa

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I’m interested in hearing all points of view.

Who goes first?
 
He would be perfect. So, neither, unless you can prove that one or the other is also perfect. Alright, I’m done being too literal. Real answer:

He tells a rich man to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. If that advice is for all people, then we would be completely even in wealth. That is closer to modern liberalism than conservatism. However, he also reaffirms “traditional values” and morality. This is embraced mostly by conservatives. Although Jesus does not say that they are good *because *they are traditional, he simply explains that some things are part of God’s plan (like marriage for life). Just one example from each side, as a representation of my point:

He was a revolutionary in his own time and would be today, not fitting into existing molds.

Contemporary politics could be described as mostly selfish, loud, people who are wrong on more than one opinion. I would say the same thing about all people except for “loud.”
 
seanflynn said:
He would be perfect. So, neither, unless you can prove that one or the other is also perfect. Alright, I’m done being too literal. Real answer:

He tells a rich man to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. If that advice is for all people, then we would be completely even in wealth. That is closer to modern liberalism than conservatism. However, he also reaffirms “traditional values” and morality. This is embraced mostly by conservatives. Although Jesus does not say that they are good *because *they are traditional, he simply explains that some things are part of God’s plan (like marriage for life). Just one example from each side, as a representation of my point:

He was a revolutionary in his own time and would be today, not fitting into existing molds.

Contemporary politics could be described as mostly selfish, loud, people who are wrong on more than one opinion. I would say the same thing about all people except for “loud.”
Click to expand...
Interesting response. I think I agree with you.
 
What are most religious christian people, real religiously faithful Christians in America considered? Think mom and pop. Yep, conservative, old-fashioned, non-fad loving types.
 
Im not sure if Jesus would be concerned with politics whatsoever. He never took a definitive position in the bible on the politics of the time because he was concerned with more important matters. I think today he would be way more concerned with the salvation of souls than politics. I know he would be very upset with abortion and birth control though as well as the general corruption in society.
 
Via_Dolorosa said:
I’m interested in hearing all points of view.

Who goes first?
Click to expand...
Jesus was a-political. He set the example of how one should model their life.

That said, which liberal or conservative would you nominate that is most like Jesus?

Maggie
 
seanflynn said:
He would be perfect. So, neither, unless you can prove that one or the other is also perfect. Alright, I’m done being too literal. Real answer:

He tells a rich man to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. If that advice is for all people, then we would be completely even in wealth. That is closer to modern liberalism than conservatism. However, he also reaffirms “traditional values” and morality. This is embraced mostly by conservatives. Although Jesus does not say that they are good *because *they are traditional, he simply explains that some things are part of God’s plan (like marriage for life). Just one example from each side, as a representation of my point:

He was a revolutionary in his own time and would be today, not fitting into existing molds.

Contemporary politics could be described as mostly selfish, loud, people who are wrong on more than one opinion. I would say the same thing about all people except for “loud.”
Click to expand...
I disagree. I would not wish to live in a socialist/communist society run by man, which is our only choice if we are talking about redistributing wealth. In a real Theocracy, i.e., God ruling over us and us being perfect, redistribution of wealth would be the solution.

In the Bible, God’s people clamored for a government. Well, they got one in the form of King David (and he was handpicked by God!) and it was pretty much downhill from there.

So the question re Jesus’ political leanings remains invalid because Jesus was perfect and we are not.

Maggie
 
RWMorris said:
He would appear very conservative to liberals, very liberal to conservatives, and radical to everyone. Just as he did 2000 years ago.
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Yes. I would think that he would appear as he did in the Gospels. Confounding to those that would try and trip him up and box him into a corner.

I doubt that he would ever give a ‘straight’ answer to many detailed questions either.
 
RWMorris said:
He would appear very conservative to liberals, very liberal to conservatives, and radical to everyone. Just as he did 2000 years ago.
Click to expand...
I am conservative so that does make since that I’d see him as a liberal.

I believe you hit the nail on the head.👍
 
I’d wager He’d support what is right.

There are good things about liberal ideals and good things about conservative ideals.

But then there are terrible things about liberal ideals - abortion for example, and then there are awful things about conservative ideals, like the death penalty.

As someone mentioned, Jesus is truth. He’s not going to be confined to any political leaning by human opinions.
 
Via_Dolorosa said:
I’m interested in hearing all points of view.

Who goes first?
Click to expand...
Just my two cents to get at the heart of the question: what ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ exactly are is rather ambiguous, since apparently each country and every person has their own idea of what a ‘liberal’ or a ‘conservative’ is. Not being American in each and every sense of the word, I don’t exactly have any knowledge of what the terms mean for Americans aside from what I hear from outside sources. So, are we talking about whether Jesus would be ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’ from the POV of American politics? 😃

Since Jesus is Jesus, I guess (I know?) He’ll stand up for what is true, being truth and all - which would probably make Him difficult to put in a single category. 😉
 
Here’s something that I spotted on a different forum that may be pertinent to this silly, silly discussion:
Code: 
If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone..

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who's to blame and who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh.
A liberal will delete it because he's "offended".
I guess that makes me a conservative.
 
:rotfl:
dusza said:
Here’s something that I spotted on a different forum that may be pertinent to this silly, silly discussion:
Code: 
If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn`t eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone..

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who's to blame and who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh.
A liberal will delete it because he's "offended".
I guess that makes me a conservative.
Click to expand...
:rotfl:

🍿
 
Neither, His teachings were very libertarian. He never advocated government tyrrany including tyrrany for people’s own good. He did not advocate government forcing people to be good. He did not advocate government forcing people to be “generous” or “moral”. In fact he was rather anti earthly law all together. Both liberals and conservatives want to use government to force their values on the population at large, libertarians are the ones who share his belief.

Jesus wanted individuals to make their own moral decisions and give to the poor of their own free will. libertarians agree, but conservatives and liberals want create laws which undermine personal good deeds and personal implementation of morality.

(He wanted people’s morality to be executed of their own free will and judged by God, not be forced into involuntary morality by other humans, except as needed for a safe, civil society)
 
I betcha Jesus would be pro-life.

Sooooo, that would put Him pretty much as a right wing Conservative Republican.

By the way, he was not against money; since His missionary travels around the countryside depended heavily on contributions form people with money [people without money didn’t contribute heavily].

He worked as a carpenter. So, he would demand top dollar for his work [since it was perfect] and He would need an IRA and life insurance so that His mother would be provided for after He was gone, although He did rely on His disciples to look after her. [The Apostles were busy evangelizing and traveling].

As a carpenter, He had tools and a workshop that He, no doubt, inherited from St. Joseph. Although being Divine, He could have invented power tools. Under liberal/socialist inheritance tax laws, He might not have been able to keep St. Joseph’s tools, but would have had to sell half of them to satisfy the tax collector.

And He probably would drive a 4WD pickup truck with a trailer hitch so he could pull St. Peter’s boat out of the water to service and repair the hull.

He and His friends, the Apostles, were skilled people, not lawyers. That would also incline Him to the Conservative side of the political spectrum. Probably not a union member.
 
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