in religion, conservatism is really lukewarmness. better to be hot or cold.
in religion, conservatism is really lukewarmness. better to be hot or cold.
Explain, please, since you are not a conservative, in religion, what is your “hot” and what is your “cold?”
Laodicea was a city whose water had to be piped in.
You see it was by a river fed by two tributaries: one a cool mountain waterway and the other fed by sulphur springs which were warm and (reputed to be) healing.
But by the time they reached they were completely mixed, they tasted awful and were good for nothing.
Christ was essentially telling the church there they tasted like their waters.
This does not describe the church where the Word is taught and which does not taste like the world.
But it does describe well the church that tries to be hip, with it, and which makes alliances with the world which we are elsewher called to come out of.
Yes, conservatism in the church (similar to political conservatism, but not the same) is more of an opposition to big changes in any direction- left or right (mostly left). It’s more a behavioral or personality disposition- continuity, steadiness, tradition with small changes over time, somewhat stoic & unemotional. I kind of think of it as an affinity for teaching tradition & also moderation in behavioral traits.
I think sometimes we conservatives (political & religious) forget that outside of our favoring traditional teachings & advocating beliefs supported by history & practice, there is another half to our philosophy that often gets overlooked. By nature, conservatives oppose rapid change & are skeptical of most “new” things that are introduced as they are unfamiliar, don’t have a track record, are unproven & aren’t based on decency. Conservatism is in a lot of ways an argument of moderation (not, of course, the bastardized modern variety of moderates we wrongfully associate with indecisive, overflexible establishment types in politics & church that are unmoored & unprincipled).
I guess in a church sense, I’d put myself in that category. I disagree with the sjw changes adopted by the church in the last 30+ years & the adoption of anti Biblical teaching. I also recognize that the membership, life experience & generational experiences will change over time. I absolutely support traditional, Biblical moral stances, but am not offended by different ways of reaching those that don’t come from a faith tradition 😉