Was Jesus a liberal? why/why not?

Answer 1

The word liberal is, to be serious, far too liberally used nowadays. Define what you mean by that term and we can give you a better answer.

Answer 2

Well Jesus was not an American politician so it is a bit hard to pigion hole him like that. I love how in the US you are either Liberal or Conservative. You can mix ideas. If you believe in health care then you are a liberal if you are prolife you are Conservative. Weird.

Anyway, I think there is a lot of evidence in the Bible to support social systems. In the book of Acts the Church members lived communially and shared goods. Jesus was also very hard on tax collectors who were taking unjustly but told people to pay taxes. Personally I believe in the seperation of Church and State and come from a Country where the socialist party was started by, get this, a Baptist Minister. When I look at all the Christians who proclaim themselves conservative I think of that verse that says it is easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to get into heaven.

Answer 3

It's hard to transfer what Jesus taught in that day to present times, politically speaking.

Example; Because he saved the woman caught in the act of adultery, does that mean he would be against ALL death penalty cases?

And, if you noticed, while he saved her, he didn't back down on saying she was wrong. ("Go & sin no more.") I can imagine liberals screaming, "Who are you telling her what to do with her own body!"

He obviously wanted the poor to be taken care of, but does that mean he would have wanted the government to be in charge of it? And 50% of the rich man's income being confiscated to pay for it? That sounds more like Robin Hood than Jesus Christ!

He said you have to pay your taxes, but would he have voted for a politician who advocated fixing things by higher taxes?

He taught obedience to the government, but does that mean he wanted a big government?

I can't imagine Jesus being anything but disgusted by mid to late- term abortions, but the Bible is not specific on the subject. The issue of "when life begins" would have to be answered, first.

There might be two Christians who both want to take care of the poor. One (a conservative) wants to start a private charity - the other (a liberal) wants to start a government program. They may disagree with one another, but they should not act like one is more of a Christian than the other just because they have different ideas on WWJD.

Answer 4

This hints at Jesus displaying actions or speech that was political in nature. I think that a person could say from how is portrayed in scripture, he is a little of both - liberal and conservative.

That's perhaps something we could all learn from; that all of one or the other is not necessarily good.

In some ways, Jesus was portrayed as a man of moderation, although in terms of benevolence and charity he was far from "moderate."

Answer 5

I don't think Jesus was liberal, as the views today would put Him conservative. But Jesus was radical in His time. He knew the law and fulfilled it. The people of His time couldn't understand this. He even amazed his disciples and close friends.

Answer 6

Jesus was not a liberal, He came representing the same values as God, not trying to change them. Liberals are about change, always looking for something else.

Answer 7

One thing for certain is that Jesus Christ of Nazareth repeatedly refused to become entangled in politics or the discussions about them of this temporal realm. That is why the Sadducee's and Pharisees of the day despised him because he would not side with their politics and their agendas in civil law. Jesus continually conveyed, when approached about political topics that his kingdom was not of this world and that he was establishing an eternal kingdom yet to come because all of the "works" , yes, politics included , of this temporal realm were going to be burned up at the end of this present age of man.

Answer 8

He stood for what was right. He was liberal in the ways in which he treated the poor and sick and diseased, but he also stated that when in Rome do as the Romans do, when asked about their civil laws and taxes.That would be considered conservative today. He also threw the money changers out of the temple for fraud and stood for the laws of the old testament.

Answer 9

Relatively speaking, according to the Jewish establishment at the time, he was a radical liberal.

He broke their sabbath.
He claimed he was God.
etc.

But not a liberal in the sense of sin but with religious establishment. He would not be involved with politics of the world. He'd only be interested in helping people and not lobbyists.

Yet, he fulfilled the law perfectly and did not sin.

Answer 10

Depends. Liberal compared to what? Politically liberal compared to... Hillary Clinton? Dogmatically liberal compared to Moses?

Jesus was who he was, it is futile to attach things to him whether he was black or white, republican or democrat, conservative or liberal, communist or capitalist..... That is just turning Jesus into a political weapon and using him as a propaganda tool.