Liberal/Conservative

I still plan to preach a sermon that I have threatened to preach for years.  It is entitled, "Why I am a conservative/Why I am a liberal."  I am a little of both. And labels never fit anybody perfectly, I guess.

I am a liberal-minded guy in a lot of ways.  I like to think of myself as progressive thinking.  I am not a literalist when it comes to Biblical interpretation.  I read the "liberal" scholars.  I am an "open and affirming" kind of person.  Back in Pikeville, I was the most liberal minister in town by far... by FAR! 

But here in Lexington, I am probably conservative.  Same guy.  Different setting.

So my conservatism showed up today when I read a piece in a denominational magazine in which the author kept referring to "the bible."  Since when did the Bible lose its capital letter?  The bible?  I think I have never seen it when it was not capitalized.  I have been racking my brain to determine why it lost the capital, but I am at a loss.

I love the Bible and respect it.  I actually have a high view of the Bible.  I wrestle with it, but I don't just throw out parts because I don't like what it says.  There are parts I don't understand, but I still stand on it.  (Yes, that's an old line, but I like it.)

I hate to admit that I am offended, but I think I am.  Calling the Bible "the bible" seems to demean it.  It seems to be a gross lack of respect.  "The Bible" is its title.  If any other book were referred to I think it would be capitalized.

Okay, while I am admitting my conservative ways, I will admit to struggling with inclusive language as well.  I am sympathetic.  And when I write, I always try to remove unnecessary masculine references.  I can do it in writing, when I am concentrating, but when I speak, I resort to old habits.  I just can't think fast enough to say "God does what God wants when God wants to" instead of "God does what He wants when He wants to."  I try.  I really do.  But that one slips in.  I was raised in another age.

And for the record I hate the double-Gods as in "God does what God wants."  Or worse "God's self."  When I write, I am always able to find a better way to write the sentence than using the awkward double-Gods.

My liberal/conservative sermon will be an interesting sermon if I ever get around to writing it.  I am hoping to do it in May, but we'll see if it arrives on the scene.

 

Hee-hee. I feel ya, man. Liberal and conservative make lousy pigeonholes.

But for the record I really like the redundant "God"s, ever since I heard a conservative African-American seminarian say, with no irony whatsoever, "Let God be God all by Godself!"