Conservatism

Are we losing our minds? It is maddening to watch the demonization, redefinition and intentional misrepresentation of what Conservatism is. To lazily, or deliberately, conflate conservatism with the Republican Party, the Trump Administration, or some activist group like Qanon is to not understand what conservative ethos truly is.

The tsunami of outrage is understood - but words and language matter. To say I embody conservative thought does not place me in the Rotunda rioting physically or metaphorically. Conservatism is not an ideology but rather a philosophy, which is to say — it transcends, informs and overarches political ecosystems, not vice-versa .

I began writing a piece discussing and critiquing Conservatism vs. Progressivism, but it’s now over 7000 words so who knows what I will do with it. I do know this; my identity is in Christ, not conservatism. I love God, love His creation, and cherish things like the sanctity of family, a sense of community, ordered liberty, economic freedom and the unalienable rights, value and worth endowed to each by the Creator. (Watch out, I just smuggled a few commonly held tenets of conservatism in here).

We are in desperate need of more thoughtful debate and communication: It matters now more than ever.