Why do we (including myself) always suspect baser motives on the part of those we disagree with? Are "they" really as evil as we believe? And, are we as clean as we think? Just an
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Idle musings by a once again bookseller, always bibliophile, current copyeditor and proofreader. Complete with ramblings about biblical studies, the ancient Near East, bicycling, gardening, or anything else I am reading (or experiencing). All more or less live from Red Wing, MN
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- jps
- Red Wing, Minnesota, United States
- I'm a freelance editor/proofreader in Red Wing, MN along the Mississippi River.
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2011
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February
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- The problem of perception
- But, what would Calvin say?
- Decision making
- Jesus' view versus the view from the top
- Thought for today
- Thoughts from a former Wisconsinite
- The gods-again!
- Finney for a Thursday
- Listen and learn
- Indiana, the land of extremes
- Assumptions
- Today with Finney
- Some interesting links
- Thought for a Monday
- Work and mission statements
- New e-mail options
- Some projects take a while
- Teachers
- Attaining to mediocrity
- Ah yes, the weather...
- Top down?
- Joy and Legalism
- Knowledge that you can use
- Can you say biased?
- Pray for peace
- Thought for the day
- Drucker on quality
- A thought and some interesting links
- Paperwork
- Thought for today
- Where's the cross?
- More on food
- Doing all in love
- Take action
- Real food options
- Remember when Customer Service meant service?
- Today's thought
- Where's the snow?
- Motivation
- Thought for the day
- Don't do this with my books
- This has got to stop!
- Some good stuff from Peter Drucker
- How about that garden?
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February
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3 comments:
Can't help but think you had the Wisconsin thought in mind, and though you are undoubtedly correct, consider this: the progressive view is defined by the notion that the state can "improve" humanity; the conservative view is defined by the sober judgment that humanity IS evil and that the role of government is to balance curbing of evil among its citizen with promoting their freedom to pursue their various God-given callings (think Paul and the sword in Rome's hand).
I'm afraid I can't help but think there is a substantial philosophical and theological difference that I just can't get past.
Actually, it wasn't. It was my reaction to another person's Facebook status.
I can't really say that I am a progressive, if that is how you define progressives. My view is that humanity is evil, fallen—but there is a lot of prevenient/common grace running around. The problem is that I/most(?) tend to see the prevenient/common grace as only being on "my" side of an issue.
I see government's role as protecting from evil—just as you do. Perhaps we see evil a bit differently? Perhaps I fear the role of big business more than you do? What do you think?
James
I agree wholeheartedly with you; not sure whether it is our view of evil that differs or whether it is simply that you fear big business more than government and I the reverse. What sways me that way is that whereas big business creates wealth that at least in part spills into the economy, even if they are corrupt (e.g., employees), government merely takes money from the economy and gives back very little—hence the reason why the growing government workforce is threatening to bankrupt local, state, and federal budgets.
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