Why Republicans are Losing the Cultural War

Conservatism and tradition are important staples for people.

Conservatives, Republicans, and limited government types have been appealing to tradition and trade and other non-transient elements to make their case for maintaining marriage, for resisting abortion on demand, for defending gun ownership, or even for combating global warming.

Social issues have been defined by 'right and wrong".

The dynamic must oscillate between death and life, which right and wrong are supposed to define and drive people towards.

There is death, there is life.

But life must be perceived as greater than our thoughts and feeling, and truth as more important than what I think and feeling, more than what makes me feel good or comfort.

Man's greatest need is righteousness, not thoughts or feelings, not self or others.

Dennis Prager was right. Without God, without the revelation of the Word of God, right and wrong turn into the empty traditions of men based on which has lasted longer, or which one has  more adherents, or which one is backed with more firepower, or consequences for not believing.

Part of the reason why conservatives are having a hard time defending certain positions, in my opinion, is that they appeal to tradition, when traditions and traditional people, places, and things are falling apart all around them.

The traditions of the Roman Catholic Church have now given way to the power differentials of clericism. The traditions of the  Founding Fathers and the federal government have given way to the leanings of modern liberalism and the traditions of Big Government, which is supposed to get bigger.

What is lost in all of this wrangling, of course, is the pursuit of the truth.

Conservatism implies staying put, or conserving what is already in place.

We are not technological conservatives, though, otherwise, there would never be any advancement in our lives.

God Himself does not want us to be "conservative" or static in our understanding of Him:

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3: 18)

Growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord means receiving more of His Truth, of Himself, in our lives.

The traditions of men are still those -- the traditions of men.

The truth, however, does not change, or it is no longer truth.

Either you believe it or you do not believe it.

It's just that simple.

We should always embrace change, change that bring us closer to a greater of God's grace and truth:

"17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1: 17)

Grace and truth come together as one - no way to separate them. Impossible.

This grace is foreign to all too many people in the world.

The reasons why Republicans, why conservatives, why limited government types are losing the culture war is that truth without grace is not truth.

Tradition alone cannot justify saying "No!" to evil:

"11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;" (Titus 2: 11-12)

This is the grace that teaches us to say "Yes!" to His life in us, and no to sin and death, which includes the present, prevalent perversions of abortion on demand, or homosexual conduct, or even depriving men and women of their freedom to defend themselves or to work out their living instead of depending on the self-defeating handouts of another.

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." (John 8: 32)