why i agree with conservative politics as a christian

As a twenty-one year old conservative Christian woman in 2020, it can sometimes feel as though nobody my age agrees with my political, moral, and religious viewpoints. This can be disheartening, mainly because I have no idea what that means for the future of our country. Young people have become so ignorant to American History, World History, Government, Civics, and Politics, so when we are fed the lies of the media so many people my age are hopping on board with no second thought because it appeals to their emotions. But in a lot of cases, these things that appeal to our emotions are either lies, fabricated truths, or just completely illogical when you actually take the time to do research and look into what they're saying. 

Luckily, there are also a lot of people my age who have begun to speak out against these lies and people are catching on. They're beginning to think for themselves, do their own research, and realize how corrupt Hollywood and the far left have become. Politics and cultural issues are two things that I have always been really passionate about. I love learning about how Christians should view cultural and political issues, and I think that it is more important now than it ever has been to pass those things along and help to educate and inform people on what is actually going on in our country and how we should be reacting from a Biblical viewpoint. 

For me, it has become impossible to see how I could identify as a liberal or vote for a Democratic candidate while simultaneously voting with my Biblical worldview at the forefront of my decision-making. So many of their stances directly contradict the Word of God or just don't align with it at all. I would never judge a Christian who votes for Democrat candidates, and I'm not going to sit here and shame you if you do. I just think it's becoming harder and harder to have a liberal worldview unless you also have a very liberal view of the Bible. I don't think Jesus will judge us based on the political party we were registered as while we were alive, but He will judge us on our actions and on whether or not we held His Word over the words of the world. Sadly, it seems as though a lot of Christians are letting the views of the world impact the way they vote more than they are letting the views of the Bible impact the way they vote and think about cultural issues. 

I'm hoping that by sharing why I agree with the conservative view the following current issues, I can either open your eyes to what is really going on in the crazy political world, or I can help you to feel more confident to stick up for your views in this intolerant and polarized country. This post will most likely be really long, but in order to keep it at a reasonable length, I plan to write individual posts on each topic at some point in the near future. A lot of them require a long and more thorough explanation than what I give here, so as I learn more and feel confident writing a whole post on these topics, I will be doing just that. 

one ///// abortion 

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." -Psalm 139:13-16 ESV 

God Himself formed us in our mother's womb. He already had a plan for our lives even before He created us. We were part of His special creation even before we entered this world. With that view of life, abortion is no different than the murder of a human that is already born. There is no difference between our life and the life of an unborn baby in the eyes of God. 

Even from a science perspective, there is no good argument claiming that abortion isn't killing an unborn human life. As a biology major, I've learned that there are generally six characteristics of all living things: responsiveness to the environment, growth/change, ability to reproduce, ability to metabolize and breathe, the presence of homeostasis, and being made of one or more cells. All of which are characteristics of an unborn baby either in the womb, or, in the case of reproduction, once it's older and is biologically mature (as is the case with young children as well). 

Democrats are becoming more and more pro-abortion every year. Some are even in support of abortion up until the moment of delivery, and even worse, some support the "abortion" of babies who survived an attempted abortion and were delivered alive. The views on abortion have gone from "safe and rare" to "on demand," "free," and a part of "women's health," and "reproductive freedom."

*At the same time, we can also rejoice in the fact that if you have had an abortion you are forgiven by the saving grace of God. Jesus gave His life for our sins, and that includes abortions.*

two ///// capitalism  

Capitalism, by definition, is "an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state." On the other hand, socialism is "a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole." Socialism is the economic state between capitalism and communism. In a socialist economy, "the community", in other words the government, have control over the entire market. They will tell businesses how much to sell their products for, how much they are allowed to keep in profit, and how much they will give back to the government. 

The goal of socialism is equality of income. They want everyone to make about the same amount of money all in the name of "equality." This may sound good on the surface to some people. Who wouldn't want people in poverty to be able to live the lives that we do? But the thing the proponents of socialism don't tell us is that it's always the other way around. Equality of income does happen, but the average income decreases leaving everyone in poverty with no chance to escape. Even worse, this usually happens while the leader (and his allies) is living in an abundance of wealth. 

The human nature is selfish. We know that as Christians. So when the leaders are in control of the distribution of money, it should come as no surprise that they're going to keep more of it than they give so that they can live comfortably. 

The individual thrives in capitalism. The leaders thrive in socialism. 

So would you rather have equality of income with no chance of escaping poverty, or inequality of income with the opportunity to have control over how much money you make. 

Take a look at history. We can see from Cuba, Germany, China, North Korea, and Russia that socialism never ends well. People in countries who turn to socialism always end up struggling and in poverty. No country's citizens have ever been better off under socialism than they were under capitalism. I really don't think that will change if America becomes a socialist country.

three ///// religious liberty

While Democrats say they support religious liberty, very few of them tolerate Christian ideologies. The Gospel is controversial and offensive. It always has been and it always will be. But politicians and people on the left have begun to fight when we stand firm to what the Bible teaches. Business owners are no longer allowed to make decisions based on their Christian beliefs because it is considered "hate crimes" or "discrimination." 

I'm not ignorant to the fact that Christians around the world aren't even allowed to worship God freely without risking real persecution. But part of religious liberty is being able to make decisions and have beliefs based on your religion, even when those things don't align with what the current culture says. 

So when a baker is ridiculed and almost prosecuted for not baking a cake for a gay wedding because of his Christian view on marriage, we should be worried. When we are no longer allowed to think or say things that oppose our culture without being called bigots or fascists, then our religious liberties are slowly being taken away from us. If we let our freedom to believe and stick up for what the Bible says be taken away, then it's only a matter of time before it gets worse and we do suffer real persecution for our Christian beliefs. 

four ///// the 2nd amendment 

I don't know who needs to hear this, but guns don't kill innocent people. Evil people kill innocent people. 

Taking guns away from good rule-following gun owners will only increase violence because the innocent people won't have a way to protect and defend themselves and their families. A criminal will get his hands on a gun whether they're legal or not. We see that exact thing with illegal drugs. So taking our 2nd Amendment rights away from us only hurts the innocent victims who will then have no form of protection against evil. 

Look at the shooting at West Freeway Church of Christ in December of 2019. If Jack Wilson, a member of the church who stopped the shooter, didn't have a gun himself, many more church members would have been killed or severely injured before the police arrived on the scene. 

five ///// medical freedom

Another form of equality many Democrat politicians are pushing is universal healthcare. This is where everyone is guaranteed access to healthcare regardless of their ability to pay. Again, this sounds great. Who wouldn't want everyone to be able to get the healthcare they need even if they can't afford it? But what these politicians don't say is that nothing is ever free. The funds for universal health care have to come from somewhere. So where do they come from? The government. And where does the government's money come from? Our taxes. 

There are two main problems with universal healthcare. The first is that taxes would be raised in order to pay for it. 

The second is even more troubling. Since the government pays for it, they get to choose what procedures are worthy of being payed for. If there aren't enough funds for all the healthcare needed, which would likely be the case, the government gets to choose if your specific healthcare need is important enough compared to someone else's. 

With medical freedom, we get the choice of which hospital we go to and whether or not we get a procedure done, and we have access to more high-quality health care. With universal healthcare, the government gets to choose those things, and the quality of available health care will most likely be much lower. 

six ///// educational freedom

School choice gives kids who live in low-income areas a chance at better education. With it, the public school funds follow the student to the school of their choice instead of going to the public school in that town/district. Without it, the child that can't afford to go to the private school or to be homeschooled is forced to go to the public school, no matter how poor of an education it offers. 

School choice gives everyone a fair chance at better education, but especially low-income families that live in low-income areas. These are the kids that will benefit most from getting a solid education, but in most cases their families can't afford to give it to them. The low-income areas aren't going to offer the best public school possible because they lack the funds to do so. That means that those children will continue to fall behind, and will be less likely to earn a good income that can improve their living conditions. 

Many democrat politicians are opposed to school choice, though, because it means there would be less unionized teachers, therefore the unions would lose money. A majority of the union dollars goes toward supporting the Democratic Party, so less money in the unions means less money for the Democrat politicians. 

We have to put money aside and look at what is best for kids and their families in situations like these. Low-income children deserve quality education just as much as middle class children do. The only way that can happen for many of them is if school choice is made legal in all states and counties, especially the ones with major cities and more low-income areas. 

seven ///// immigration 

I will admit that this is an area of politics that I don't know as much about as I wish I did. But what I do know is that immigration laws and borders are needed in order to keep a country safe and thriving. While it would be amazing if everyone in the world could come live in the United States, the greatest and freest country in the world, that doesn't mean we should let anyone cross the border whenever they want to. There are still laws and regulations that must be followed, as with almost anything. 

Democrats like to tell people that Republicans and conservatives are opposed to immigration, but that is the farthest thing from the truth. We're not opposed to all immigration, we're just opposed to illegal immigration, and there's a huge difference between the two. 

While I think our immigration policies need to be improved, I also think they need to be followed. 

We have to know who is entering our country for safety reasons. 

We have to know whether or not the children they're bringing are really their children, or if they're pawns they're using to make it easier for them to get into the country. 

We need to have documentation of the immigrants so they can have the same opportunity all citizens have to pursue the American Dream, the thing they're coming here for in the first place. 

We need to have limits because resources, jobs, money, and food are neither free nor readily abundant. 

If someone is fleeing persecution in their country, they can file for asylum so that the process is quickened and they get top priority to become a citizen. But if they're simply coming here to live a better life, they must do it legally. Not only is that the legal thing to do, but it is also the more loving thing to do. Illegal immigrants not only don't have the same opportunities to wealth and prosperity that citizens do, but they also have to live in constant fear that they will be caught and sent back. 

eight ///// free speech 

It seems as though our right to free speech gets closer and closer to extinction everyday. We've seen this first hand in the way that social media platforms are censoring anything that doesn't align with what the mainstream media is telling us about Covid, vaccines, and the election. They're deciding what we can and can't see, and deleting the things they don't agree with instead of letting us decide what we choose to believe or not. This is the epitome of inhibiting our rights to free speech.

The media has taken it upon themselves to determine what "truth" is instead of giving us the freedom to make rational and informed decisions ourselves. And it just so happens that the only "truths" they allow are those that fit with liberal ideologies even when those things are far from the truth. Anything that aligns with conservative ideologies is censored and cancelled so that nobody can choose to think that way. 

nine ///// gender & sexuality 

As Christians, we believe that God created man and woman, that marriage and sex are only between one man and one woman, and that God created each of us in His image with no fault or mistake. 

Democrat politicians don't believe any of this. They think that there are more than two genders, that marriage and sex can be between anybody despite their gender, and that people can change their gender if they feel as though they don't agree with it. Joe Biden himself even said that an eight year child should be able to choose to change their gender. 

Homosexuality and transgenderism, like abortion, is one of the political issues that the Bible speaks very clearly about, and therefore, as Christians we shouldn't agree with or be advocating for. But we should still love those people no matter what because Jesus still does and always will. 

Feminism is another political issue dealing with gender that I can't support. Feminists try to get rid of our God-given purpose as women: to be wives and mothers. There's nothing wrong with a woman having a job, but feminists consider women who are "only" wives and mothers to be less than those that have a successful career. I'd like to argue that being a wife and mother is way more important than having a career. Your career will only last until you retire, but your children and husband have souls that will live for eternity. 

The only way the true beauty of femininity will be recognized is when our differences from men are celebrated instead of trying to make our differences non-existent. 

ten ///// taxes 

Many of the things Democrats want to do (universal healthcare, a raised minimum wage, "free" college tuition, socialism, the Green New Deal) require billions and billions of tax dollars to complete. This means that taxes will be even higher. If you're an adult with a job, you know that taxes already seem higher than they should be. Could you imagine only getting a quarter of your pay check because the rest is going to government funded healthcare or free tuition for someone you don't even know? We should be able to use our hard-earned money in whatever way we want to. If we want to give to causes or charities that we care about we should be able to choose that, not have it forcefully taken away from us to be used in the way the government wants it to be used. 

eleven ///// race

Nobody should be hated or treated differently just because of the color of their skin. But we also know that racism isn't a political problem, a police problem, or even a racial problem. It's a sin problem, and the only thing that can fix it is the love of Christ in the hearts of everyone. Changing laws, defunding the police, posting black squares on instagram, and getting rid of brand names that are now considered "offensive" and "racist" will not change the hearts of evil people. Only Jesus can do that. 

Making everything about race also does nothing to help anyone. We've gotten to the point where every crime committed against a black man or woman is deemed as an act of racism, no matter the intent behind it. If a police officer shoots a black man the media declares it's because he was black, not because the officer's life was in danger. If someone states the facts about Black Lives Matter Inc. they're called racist and insensitive. If someone lists off the stats regarding police shootings, they're called ignorant. 

The words "racism" and "racist" are being used so flippantly anymore that they've begun to lose meaning. When everything is considered an act of racism, the real evil acts of racism tend to be forgotten about or lost in the giant pool of racist acts. 

Democrat politicians like to say that they are going to fix racism, but the solutions they offer never work. Conservatives know that the way to help black families and children is by offering them good education (school choice), supporting the police that protect many minorities from crime in large cities, and by stressing the importance of the family (children without fathers are more likely to be involved in crime and drugs, to be incarcerated, and to drop out of school).

twelve ///// police 

Police officers are important and should be respected.

 We never hear about the police officers that are shot, killed, or assaulted from the media. As of December 1, stats from the national Fraternal Order of Police showed that 283 law enforcement officers were shot this year, 44 of whom were killed. In July, the percentage of felonious officer deaths rose 28% from that point in 2019. 

Not only do we not hear about those deaths, but we also don't hear about how defunding the police has affected crime rates in large cities like Seattle, New York, Minneapolis, and Chicago. Shootings have increased by 127% in NYC after the NYPD had to get rid of 2,500 officers because of budget cuts. In Minneapolis, arson has increased by 76%, assault has increased by 24%, and homicides have increased by 87% after the city cut their police department's budget. Throughout the country, black Americans die from homicide at 13 times the rate of white Americans, so black Americans suffer from the defunding of police departments more than they gain from it. 

I'm sure there are police officers that use their power in evil ways, as there are in the rest of the population. But the majority of them are good people who are just trying to save lives and create justice and order in our towns and cities, and they need to be respected. 

thirteen ///// justice 

Social justice is not Biblical justice. With social justice, there is always two groups: the oppressed and the oppressor. In many cases, the "oppressor" is condemned and ridiculed while the "oppressed" is put on a pedestal and considered to be more righteous and deserving than the "oppressor." But that is not at all what Biblical justice is about. Biblical justice doesn't put one group above another; it doesn't say that the sins of one group are worse than another group. Biblical justice doesn't mean that everyone has equality. Biblical justice doesn't guarantee that everyone has a life free of struggle and pain. 

Darrell B. Harrison from the Just Thinking Podcast (highly recommend it by the way!) described the problem with social justice perfectly: "There is a lot of kingdom-building being undertaken today under the guise that social justice is a 'gospel mandate.' By 'kingdom-building' I'm speaking in the sense that a more just, equitable, and fair society and world is what many SJWs would argue is what the gospel is fundamentally intended to accomplish. I respectfully disagree. Yes, Christ is building a kingdom, but that kingdom is not of this world. Societal equity is not the mandate of the gospel. Racial reconciliation is not the mandate of the gospel. Gender equality is not the mandate of the gospel. Equal opportunity is not the mandate of the gospel. Ultimately, the mandate of the gospel is to make Jesus Christ known to those who don't know Him. And in coming to know Him, we love Him; and in loving Him, we obey Him; and in obeying Him, we become more like Him; and in becoming more like Him, we more consistently reflect to a world thirsting for justice the image of the One in whose image we are all created. That is what true justice looks like. Performing the works of the gospel is of no lasting social benefit apart from preaching the word of the gospel. Jesus understood this. And, as His followers, so should we." 

fourteen ///// small government 

There are some aspects of politics where I would consider my views to fall more under Libertarian even more so than Conservative, and this is one of them. While Republicans and Conservatives nowadays want a smaller government than Democrats and Liberals do, they're still for government involvement in most things as long as it aligns with the Constitution. But in my opinion, whenever the government gets involved with something, especially anymore, it only goes more poorly, so I think government should be as small as possible, which is where my more "Libertarian views" come in. 

When the government has a lot of power, it acts as if it is our savior. It has our lives in its hands when it has the power to make big decisions that affect all of our lives, and when it has the power to control all aspects of our lives. When you have big government, the people begin to rely on it for their well-being and livelihoods, and it does become a lot of people's "savior." 

But for Christians, we already have a Savior who offers us more than the government ever will. We are free in Christ and don't need the government controlling all aspects of our lives. 

We know that humans are selfish and evil in nature, so when the government gets too much power, it will most likely lead to tyranny and total control of the people. 

fifteen ///// environment 

Like with immigration, Liberals claim that Conservatives don't care about the environment. Again, in most cases, this is far from the truth. As someone who loves science and nature, I know that it is important to take care of the world God has given us, and I also know that most other conservatives agree with that. One part of our job as Christians is to have dominion over the Earth and to keep it and subdue it. That means we should care about the state and well-being of God's Creation. 

But we can't replace fossil fuels, crude oil, and coal with all energy-efficient and "green" alternatives without completely running out of money and getting rid of the majority of jobs in America (especially here in the midwest). There are ways to individually take care of the environment without hurting jobs and the economy in the meantime.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading the whole post even thought it was so long. Keep looking out for my more detailed posts on each of these issues within the next few weeks and months!