What is a liberal?

Question

That word is thrown around quite a bit. What exactly defines a liberal?

Is a liberal going to burn in hell? Many in Christian circles have stopped using the word "unbelievers" or "world" and have started using the term "liberal." What does it mean to them?

Liberals hate Christians? Many have called me a liberal, and I am a Christian.

Answer 1

It seems, at least to me, in many circles the term Liberal means anyone that is not a Republican.

I am a Christian and I could never be a Republican. I guess that makes me a Liberal too.

Liberals aren't going to hell beaus they are Liberals. If Jesus were on earth today, he would easily be labeled as a Liberal.

Answer 2

The Liberal ideology is a theory which holds forth beliefs that have no basis in reality.
They are Advocates of a policy that empowers a strong government to enslave its people with a high tax burden incident to the support of extravagant and unnecessary social programs destructive to both the work ethic among the lower class, and the incentive to innovate and succeed among the working class.
The problems we face today are because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.
A democracy will continue to exist up until
the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous
gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority
always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from
the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally
collapse over loose fiscal policy

Answer 3

A liberal is a person who wants change, who believes that the government should follow its citizens rather than the opposite, and that we should be giving more of ourselves to society. For a while, liberal became a stigma, an insult - fabricated by the conservative and religious right.

But now, liberal has become a good word again, as the country is coming out of a Republican induced slumber.

Answer 4

a liberal believes in freedoms

such as the choice to wear a seatbelt
or a helmet
or do drugs
or an abortion

we believe in the govt staying out of our lives

we also believe the govt should take from the rich and give it to help the poor, thus reducing crime and suffering for all of america
we think america gave a rich person the opportunity to be rich and if achieved owe america a debt

anon e mouse

that was pretty good but some of those attributed to libs are not true as of any libs i know,, but you are right, that that is the appearance of libs in the culture....

those are not even cohesive in any logical manner

why make cigs illegal but make pot legal?
oddly inconsistent

Answer 5

"Liberal" means different things depending on context.

In classical terms, a liberal wants minimal government and maximum freedom.

in modern American terms, a liberal:
-supports abortion
-opposes private gun ownership
-supports legalizing drugs
-opposes keeping cigarettes legal
-supports minority rights/preferential treatment
-opposes police officers/US armed forces
-supports gay marriage
-opposes global warming
-supports the censorship of talk radio
-opposes the censorship of pornography
-supports raising taxes
-opposes gutting government programs
-supports illegal immigration
-opposes racial profiling
-loves teachers/lawyers/hollywood
-hates christians/conservatives/ nascar

A "conservative" (by modern American standards) would be the opposite.


In European terms "liberal" and "conservative" can mean something completely different.

xialou1:

Most liberals wouldn't support an outright ban on cigarettes, but would support (for example) raising taxes on cigarettes to $5 per pack.

The majority of liberals in my area (California) support all the aforementioned positions, with the possible exception of opposing the police/military. However, if you examine any "the police are evil" or "the military is evil" protest, you will find that 95% of those protesters are liberal. Thus, it is an accurate (though apparently not popular) description of the term "liberal" (in the modern American sense).

Answer 6

Broadly speaking, liberalism emphasizes individual rights and equality of opportunity. Different forms of liberalism may propose very different policies, but they are generally united by their support for a number of principles, including extensive freedom of thought and speech, limitations on the power of governments, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market or mixed economy, and a transparent system of government.

Answer 7

A liberal is a person who leaves the room before a fight begins

Answer 8

Liberal is one who wanted to have gay marriage, abortion and death penalty.

Answer 9

JIMMY CARTER!!