The myth of the Liberal Christian

Rick Santorum said in his 2008 presidential bid
that there's no such thing as a liberal Christian

you can be one
or the other

but you cannot be both

and I've been thinking about this

maybe he's right

maybe being a christian is about judging
our brothers and sisters
because they are gay
or because they have sex outside of marriage

maybe being a christian is denying women
the choice to receive good health care
unless she can afford to pay for it

maybe being a Christian is shouting epitaphs
at poor girls in the street on the lowest day of their life

maybe it's passing laws to protect the wealthy

maybe it's making sure that the poor don't get
welfare

maybe being a Christian is getting what you believe
by any means possible

maybe it's about
shaming women
implying that they are unclean
and deserve no dignity

the people I hear speaking loudest about being Christians

all seem to believe these things

and I struggle with this

I've always thought I was a Christian
I've always identified as a Christian

from what I've seen

maybe I'm not a Christian at all.

maybe what I am is a follower of Christ
or not exactly

maybe I'm someone who strives to be a follower of Christ

Christ urged us to care for widows and children
He urged us to feed the poor
comfort the mourner
use our money to help people

He taught us not to judge

am I that now?

I hope to be
I strive to be

I want to be a follower of Christ
way more than I want to be a Christian

so maybe Santorum is right
maybe you can't be a liberal Christian

but I don't think you have any choice
but to be a liberal follower of Christ.