It seems to me that there is a cowardly timidity among Christian leaders in the public sphere. On the one hand, I can appreciate the fact that engagement has not always been to Kingdom purposes. It is very possible that the gospel has been identified with a political program. I understand that desire to speak prophetically to all factions. Even so, it seems only the political Right hears the tsking of some.
I'm gonna speak bluntly to my good friend here, and trust that the brotherhood we have in Jesus isn't doubted in the process. You want to be liberal? Fine. You want to hammer the Right all day long? Fine. You want to doubt the wisdom of natural ethics as applied to modern America? Fine. Stupid, but fine. But you have an obligation to speak Christian truth in this public space as a disciple of Jesus Christ, no matter who it offends.
And I would appreciate the public space to defend myself in like manner. You don't have to agree with me. I don't care. But I tire of knowing exactly where you'll fall, because--pardon the frankness--politeness is more important than truth. It'd be OK if you were consistently broad-minded, but you're not, I'm sorry to say. The Right hasn't politicized the public space, and neither have orthodox Christians. The Left has. If you don't like me trying to take it back for all of us, I have to ask what you want.
This isn't the first time you've intimated that my Catholicism is the true motivation for my advocacy, even though that had nothing to do with the matter at hand, and nothing whatsoever with my disagreement I had with another person.
I only opined that an opinion grounded in natural law was allowed as a part of the public discourse, and is not a priori illegitimate, just because it's Republican or conservative.
And quite frankly, I don't care if your friend John Schneider has 20 degrees from Oxford; he was rude, and he deserved to be called a bully (which I did). If not in that space, then here. And I'm not ashamed, because I believe I am right, and I was more than fair. As I have said many times, politics can be tough. I don't believe that the mandates of civility or Christianity require that I be disrespected.
I'm gonna speak bluntly to my good friend here, and trust that the brotherhood we have in Jesus isn't doubted in the process. You want to be liberal? Fine. You want to hammer the Right all day long? Fine. You want to doubt the wisdom of natural ethics as applied to modern America? Fine. Stupid, but fine. But you have an obligation to speak Christian truth in this public space as a disciple of Jesus Christ, no matter who it offends.
And I would appreciate the public space to defend myself in like manner. You don't have to agree with me. I don't care. But I tire of knowing exactly where you'll fall, because--pardon the frankness--politeness is more important than truth. It'd be OK if you were consistently broad-minded, but you're not, I'm sorry to say. The Right hasn't politicized the public space, and neither have orthodox Christians. The Left has. If you don't like me trying to take it back for all of us, I have to ask what you want.
This isn't the first time you've intimated that my Catholicism is the true motivation for my advocacy, even though that had nothing to do with the matter at hand, and nothing whatsoever with my disagreement I had with another person.
I only opined that an opinion grounded in natural law was allowed as a part of the public discourse, and is not a priori illegitimate, just because it's Republican or conservative.
And quite frankly, I don't care if your friend John Schneider has 20 degrees from Oxford; he was rude, and he deserved to be called a bully (which I did). If not in that space, then here. And I'm not ashamed, because I believe I am right, and I was more than fair. As I have said many times, politics can be tough. I don't believe that the mandates of civility or Christianity require that I be disrespected.
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