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Danforth's faulty judgment
By Carol Williams
I detest judgmental attitudes and pride that attempts to elevate one's self over those who are "different." I love diversity, justice and mercy, and admire humility. I try to practice the golden rule and to love all people with the kindness and compassion of Christ.
I am a conservative Christian, and contrary to what John Danforth implied in his opinion piece ("Moderates follow this Golden Rule: Love, don't judge," June 21), I believe that I represent most conservative Christians.
According to Danforth, conservative Christians are mean and judgmental, and want to force their beliefs on a reluctant nation made up of people of all faiths. Nothing could be further from the truth. Never would we want our elected officials to legislate religion.
We do expect them, however, to protect our country from policies that will be harmful to future generations. When the people of our great country elect Christian men and women to public office, we who are also Christians expect them to pray, seek God's wisdom and legislate with the wisdom that they receive from Him, not to make decisions based on popular opinion.
The question of stem-cell research is a hard issue, and politicians who take a conservative stance are not hard-hearted and stubborn. Many of them have been touched by the heartbreak of multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease in some way, and we all want desperately to find cures. We are not against the research, only the taking of human life to do it.
Conservative Christians believe in the truth of God's Word and that His decrees are for our protection. Moderates' rhetoric sounds so "righteous," but does it really show love? They seem to think that they can selectively edit the Bible to fit their fancy. When conservatives take a stand against something that the Bible declares unethical or immoral, it is because we do not want our country to forfeit the blessing of Almighty God and reap the consequences of wrong choices.
If you see conservative Christians as arrogant, judgmental and mean, I hope it is a misjudgment. But if true in some individuals, please don't assume all conservative Christians are this way. We love God and all the beautiful, wonderful, diverse people that He placed on this earth. And we love our country enough to stand for what we believe is best for future generations, even if it means we must endure the criticism of those who misunderstand us.
Carol Williams lives in Kansas City. This story first appeared in the Kansas City Star and is posted with permission. Senator Danforth is also a priest in the Episcopal Church.
