Fight for the right to party...

I've been thinking about Roe v Wade a lot lately....and other hot button issues that continually widen the divide between liberals and conservatives. I have realized lately that (and I don't think these are new thoughts...just one that newly occurred to me and I can be a little behind in these things so forgive me if this is obvious) the whole problem is simply people's choice to prioritize different rights. Or maybe more accurately, it's this weird balance between wanting to protect something (fetuses, the environment, children from guns) verses wanting to sustain certain RIGHTS that are perceived as vitally important (with the helpful and riot-inducing addition of a little slippery slope propaganda...like if we can't have abortions, we won't be allowed to use birth control soon and then they'll tell us we can't have sex...or if I can't own a semi-automatic sub machine gun and take it to the mall with me, I soon won't be allowed to have a snub nosed revolver at the shooting range and next they'll come an dconfiscate all of my kitchen knives...

The right of a woman to make choices about her body. The right to pioneer amazing scientific breakthroughs that could save lives. The right to have a gun in your bedside drawer. For each side, obviously, hence the sides, it's different...what they want to protect and what they want the right to do. Conservatives want to protect unborn children. Liberals want to protect the environment. Conservatives want the right to worship as they choose even if it's offensive to some people and even if it makes people of other faiths feel marginalized. Liberals want the right to pretty much any sexual lifestyle they desire even if it MIGHT be wrong or offensive. Conservatives want to protect people's rights to make money despites its negative effects on a community. Liberals want the right to end a life if it is inconveniencing their body. Liberals want to protect children from weapons. Conservatives want the right to defend themselves and their children with weapons. Liberals want media uncensored. Conservatives want to shield their children and themselves from certain types of nakedness and violence and profanity.

How do these values come about? It can't simply be religion because, biblically speaking, all of these issues are of concern to God. Christians are instructed by the bible to protect children (from everything from disturbing images to gunfire) the environment, our minds.

I don't see God spending a lot of time telling us to defend our own rights though. And that's what we seem to spend so much of our time doing.

"Be a voice for the voiceless," He says. "Show kindness to orphans and widows," He says. "Feed my sheep" He says. "Put others before you," He says. "Honor others above yourself," He says. "Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel," He says.

And of course, there is always the issue of unity. In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis maintains that we, as believers, should never appear divided in front of non-believers. I wonder if he would have maintained his position if he had been around to experience the American Religious Right...oh alright, some of those extreme lefties are way out of line too. In this rare instance, I disagree with the late Mr. Lewis although I certainly do see his point. There are quite a lot of Christians I do not want to be associated with.

Wait, is that me, focusing on my RIGHT to seperate myself from what I perceive as insensitive, self-centered and pious? Am I putting my RIGHT above what might be for the good of the people? It's all so complicated and tiresome, I usually get somewhere around here in my thinking and then just kind of stop and opt to go and eat some yogurt or something.