Understanding “the Right” and “the Left” from a Biblical Perspective

Solomon was the wisest man on earth in his time (1 Kings 4:29-34) and this explains why God utilized his great knowledge and wisdom in three books of the God-breathed Scriptures. Notice what it says about Solomon when the Queen of Sheba came to visit him:

Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions… ³ Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her.

1 Kings 10:1,3

The king’s wisdom was renowned and so the Queen came to test him with hard questions and verse 3 shows that “nothing was hidden from the king which he did not explain to her.” “Solomon answered all her questions” and there was literally “nothing” he did not explain to her. Do you think that one of the questions she asked concerned the glaring contrast of human nature revealed in Conservatives and Liberals; that is, Rightwing people and Leftwing folks? Of course she did; after all, this is one of the most common observations of people & societies, modern or ancient.

As such, Solomon made a couple of stark commentaries on Right and Left in the book of Ecclesiastes. Here’s the most notable insight:

The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.

Ecclesiastes 10:2

One renowned minister suggested that this insight was based on the fact that, commonly, the right hand is defter than the left. But this verse is not a commentary on right-handedness or left handedness, which is something people are born with and have no control over. The text shows that, generally speaking, those on the Right naturally veer toward wisdom while those on the Left naturally veer toward folly. Thus Conservatives tend to support law & order whereas Liberals incline toward lawlessness & disorder. Please notice I said “tend toward.”

Hence Conservatives have morals & restraint and naturally desire order & tranquility while Liberals are creatures of impulse with a lust for immediate satisfaction. The Leftist mindset is that of an immature, rebellious child who wants it their way or no way at all and as fast as possible. This was true 3000 years ago when King Solomon lived and it’s true today. In other words, the contrasting inclinations of Right and Left are universal to humankind and thus have manifested in societies throughout human history, whether in countries, kingdoms, tribes, clans, families or cliques. Every one of these has Right and Left factions, mild or pronounced, overt or hidden.

Christ took the concept of Right and Left further in his prophecy of the Sheep and Goat Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46 where the “sheep” are separated from the “goats” when the Lord returns to Earth and judges those still alive after the 7-year Tribulation. The “sheep” he puts on his right while the “goats” he puts on the left. The former go to eternal life whereas the latter are cast into the lake of fire to suffer the second death. This shows that Christ is speaking of Right and Left strictly in terms of morality and not in any other way, like Jacob being a Momma’s boy Liberal and Esau being a hairy Rightwinger (more on this momentarily).

It should be stressed that those on the Right can succumb to the flesh and become corrupt, which is clearly observed in Solomon’s other commentary on Right and Left in Ecclesiastes:

Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself? ¹⁷ Do not be overwicked and do not be a fool—why die before your time? ¹⁸ It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.

Ecclesiastes 7:16-18

To be “overrighteous” or “overwise” refers to legalism whereas being “overwicked” or a “fool” refers to libertinism. The former is far Right and the latter is far Left. You could say that Legalism and libertinism are two sides of the same bad coin. Both are equally corrupt conditions and should be avoided at all costs. As you can see, Solomon puts it thusly in verse 18: “it is good to grasp one and not let go of the other,” which indicates that the truth lies somewhere in between the two. The extremes — far Right and far Left — should be avoided. This can also be observed in the Parable of the Prodigal Son with the prodigal representing libertinism (far Left) and the older son representing legalism (far Right). Go here for insightful details.

The Pharisees & Teachers of the Law that conflicted with Christ during his earthly ministry were legalists and were basically what we would now call Rightwing fascists. In America Today – and Western civilization in general – the problem isn’t Rightwing fascism, but rather Leftwing fascism. You can observe this in many ways: Conservatives being afraid to openly support Christianity or a conservative politician due to the threat of persecution; afraid to say such-and-such is a sin because they might lose their job; taxpayers forced to fund baby-killing & the sales of body parts; wise voices being prohibited at universities and on social media; Liberal leaders in school, government, media & entertainment shoving sexual perversion down the throats of the common people as legitimate lifestyles; etc. In summer 2016 when President Obama gave his absurd executive order to legally permit mentally ill men to use the women’s restroom it was the last straw. Conservatives & Independents in America finally had it with Leftwing fascism — even some Liberals — which paved the way for Trump’s election.

For anyone who argues that Leftwing fascism is an oxymoron, it’s not. Leftwing fascists of course say they’re anti-fascist, but they’re ideology & actions involve dictatorial control and forcible suppression of opposition, which is the definition of fascism. The centralized autocratic government that Far Left fascists bow to may not be an actual nation, but a more ambiguous shadow government or global-oriented cabal or Deep State, which is a dictatorial power. When such forces overtake a nation, as witnessed in modern America (detailed above), Leftwing fascism abounds.

Interestingly, the Rightwing corruption of the religious leaders of Judea in the 1st century provoked John the Baptist & the Messiah to righteous name-calling; some good examples can be read in Matthew 3:7-10 & Matthew 23:13-33. The outrageous Leftwing wickedness in modern America provokes a similar response in disciples of Christ.

For instance, due to Liberal fascism and their constant lies & slander, I sometimes amusingly refer to Liberals as LIEberals. One glaring example of their fallacious ideology is their insistence that Bruce Jenner – now known as Caitlyn Jenner – is a woman, even though he still has male DNA. Anyone who disagrees with their absurd claims and simply shares the truth is persecuted and branded a “bigot,” “misogynist,” “homophobe,” “xenophobe,” “transphobe,” “Islamophobe” and similar clichéd terms.

I also occasionally refer to the Democrat Party as the Demonic-rats, obviously with a wink of amusement. Why? Because they’re clearly Satan’s favorite political party in America in light of the fact that they’re anti-Christ, anti-Christian, pro-thug, anti-cop, pro-lawless, pro-strife, pro-perversion, pro-deviance, pro-baby killing (including letting abortion survivors die on the table), pro-silencing Conservative voices and more. Remember, Christ said that you can easily identify false prophets “by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-23).

For those who might argue that Christians have no place commenting on politics with much-needed truths or being involved in politics, please. If believers allow political parties like the Demonic-rats to take control of their communities & countries you can kiss goodbye many freedoms and say hello to “hate crimes” for merely preaching/teaching the Scriptures. Don’t be surprised when you can’t purchase a Bible at a local store because it contains “hate speech” (rolling my eyes). Don’t be surprised when your business is shut down for not baking a “gay” cake, refusing to make a gay-pride t-shirt or declining to photograph a homosexual wedding. Don’t be surprised when Liberal Governors and Mayors close down Church assemblies while allowing thugs to Burn/Loot/Murder and keeping abortion clinics & strip joints open.

I should add that, if you’re debating someone, focus on logical reasons & facts that support your argument and not ad hominem tactics. Let the other side be guilty of the opposite. Remember, people resort to ad hominem antics when they’re losing the debate. That said, there’s a time & place for righteous name-calling, albeit infrequent. Sometimes a ‘pattern interruption’ is precisely what is in order and (hopefully) effective in a situation (Proverbs 27:5).

Please no comments on President Trump because it’s irrelevant whether you like him or not. I don’t care what you think about him. I’m politically Independent in the truest sense, à la Joshua 5:13-15. I’m just citing modern examples of the biblical concept of Right and Left.

Don’t Be One-Dimensional About Right and Left

Except for moral issues, please don’t be one-dimensional with your understanding of Right and Left and hence unbalanced. Be careful not to look down on people who don’t fit into the box of what is cliched Right or Left. For instance, Jacob was renamed Israel and became the progenitor of God’s nation on Earth, but he was a Momma’s boy who favored hanging around the tents while his half-brother, Esau, was a hairy manly man who preferred the outdoors and hunting (Genesis 25:27, 27:11 & 27:22-23). In short, Jacob was stereotypically Liberal whereas Esau was stereotypically Rightwing. In the New Testament Christ reveals his loving gentleness at times (Matthew 11:29) — a supposedly Liberal trait — while at other times being a veritable holy terror (Mark 11:15-18). As Solomon said, “It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.”

The Left’s Unbalanced View of Christ & Christianity

Is Name-Calling Ever Appropriate?

Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms

Libertinism — What’s Wrong with It and How to Walk FREE

Human Nature — Spirit, Mind & Body

How to Confront & Correct (and How NOT to)

(Pseudo) Science is the “New God” and Dubious Scientists are the “New Gods”

Women of the Bible / Women in Ministry