With the 2016 Presidential Elections gearing to be held this autumn, it is not an understatement to say that we can cut the political tension in America today with a knife like a big, sticky, greasy block of political butter. In a world where Facebook is exploding with one harsh, controversial opinion or another (from the Democratic Left or Republican Right) virtually every thirty seconds, let me see if I can complicate things just a little further.

I am a Christian, and I hold Democratic beliefs.

As a disclaimer, notice that I said I hold Democratic beliefs, rather than stating that I am a loyal Democrat. The reason why I am bringing attention to this is because I don't like classifying myself into one political party, as I would much rather be loyal to my beliefs as a human being than loyal to a party label, and I would happily and emphatically vote for any candidate, republican, libertarian, independent, etc. if I believe that they justly represented my views as an American citizen. It just so happens that, ever since I really began to formulate political opinions on my own, I have always leaned in favor of the Democratic platform and the ideologies of the policies it stands for.

And let me tell you, it is not easy.

It is not easy because of pictures like these:

So I am going to do what I always do when I am in qualms with an aspect of the world around me. Brace yourselves.

I am going to write about it; to explain, to educate, to inform, and to unite.

According to a portion of fellow democrats, I am a fascist. According to a portion of conservatives, I am an anti-semitic Bible hater.

And it is ridiculous.

It is ridiculous that we, as a nation, are so focused on being the best "conservative" or "liberal" that we can be, that we completely forget to be the best human being we can be.

It is ridiculous that we, as people, are making the mistake of clinging so hard onto our preconceived ideas on something or someone that we begin to think that the action of promoting what you love and stand for is interchangeable with ruthlessly bashing and insulting what we don't understand or agree with.

So how can I be both?

How can I be pro-choice and pro-family?

How can I be a Christian and support my LGBTQ brothers and sisters?

How can I be a humanitarian and believe in a monotheistic religion with a moral code?

How can I be a feminist and a Christian?

How can I be a Christian who believes in certain morals and also be an understanding, compassionate being from other walks of life?

Let me explain, and hopefully, debunk this abstract concept that has caused so much contention among the people of this planet.

First off, let's address the elephant in the room. Let's talk reproductive rights.

When someone who is not a Democrat finds out that I am a Democrat, the first thing (and I mean first thing) they ask is, "So, do you believe in abortion?" And my heart throbs. It hurts because I know what they are going to think when I say that yes, I am pro-choice. I know what they are going to pin me as, and I know that there are no words that I can say in that moment that are going to make them understand that I hold human life as something beautiful and valuable and wonderful and eternal.

Let me clarify something, pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion.

Pro-choice does not mean that I am for late or partial term abortion, because, in fact, I am not.

Pro-choice does not mean that I am for the abortion of fetuses diagnosed with a particular mental condition, because, in fact, I am not.

Pro-choice means that, as a woman, I do not have the right to go into an abortion clinic and see the aching and terrified women who are sitting, waiting, and act like I reserve the right to demonize them.

Pro-choice means that, as a human, I do not have the right to tell another human being what to do with their body when I do not plan on funding the child. Pro-life oftentimes means merely pro-fetus, because truly being pro-life entails willingness to invest in (directly, or through legislation) the life of the child and the mother before and after pregnancy, which means prenatal vitamins, doctors appointments and tests, labor and delivery costs, understanding that that mother may need help with food, child care, and government financial aid. Pro-choice means that since I do not have the financial means to instill and follow through with being truly pro-life, I cannot force motherhood on someone.

Pro-choice means that, as someone who has experienced sexual abuse, I know that I do not have the right to tell a woman how to heal after the fact. I know, deeply know, the feelings of terror and anger and guilt and grief and self-deprecation that she is facing, and I have to trust that she alone knows what she needs to do to heal from that situation if it resulted in a pregnancy caused by violence.

Pro-choice means that every aspect of abortion saddens me, but I realize that abortion is going to happen regardless of if it is legal or not, the only difference is a woman may die from it if it not done in a safe, sanitary place. So I stand with Planned Parenthood to provide service to women, and I hope that through the expansion of education and understanding of options, the rate of sexual abuse, of unplanned pregnancies, will continue to reduce, so that the number of abortions will reduce.

That being said, one may then ask, how can I be a Christian and be available for my fellow humans in the LGBTQ community?

My answer for this is always the same. I believe in Jesus, and I have accepted Christ's love into my soul and my life--and chances are, I am not going to be in a position where I have to see an individual being intimate in a heterosexual relationship, or a homosexual one. Who someone chooses to love and what they choose to do is of no concern to me, does not even remotely begin to influence the love I have for them as a human being, and quite frankly, is none of my business.

One of my favorite Bible verses, John 13:35, states that Christ says, "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." God is going to recognize me as His based on the love that I have for "others". Not straight others, not CIS-gendered others, just others. ALL others. While, as a Christian, I understand that the Bible states these things may be unbiblical, it also continually reiterates that everyone is held equal to God, and as a human, I love my fellow humans fiercely, regardless of their sexual orientation and identity, regardless of who someone identifies as. I believe that we are all beautiful souls, passionately loved by the one who created us, and that there is nothing we can do that will add or subtract our value to our Creator.

I also believe that my beliefs are my beliefs, and others' beliefs are others' beliefs, and no beliefs should compromise the safety and wellbeing and equality of any LGBTQ human in the work place, in an educational system, or in society.

Now, onto one of my favorite topics...feminism.

I identify as a feminist. I love empowering other women, helping them find their voices and encouraging them to express who they are in their womanhood and humanhood. Women are amazing, but sometimes we, as feminists, get so focused on making sure others are finding empowerment the way that we feel they should find empowerment, that we forget to actually empower them.

I am a Christian. This does not mean that I shy away from wearing a bikini because I am taught to be ashamed of my body (I wear one when I want to). This does not mean that I need to allow a man to be in authority over me. This does not mean that I believe I should identify and decide the dynamics of how someone else's relationship should work--because, again, not my business.

I am dating a fellow Christian, and he disagrees with me a lot, but he respects me, he listens to me, and he loves my intelligence and my words. Because I am confident in this, I trust him to lead me and help me throughout life hardships as a partner and potential future spouse, and I, in turn, will be there for him. This something that empowers me.

I choose to dress a way that makes me feel, well, me. I don't like to broadcast my body, not because I am ashamed of it, but because it is beautiful and wonderful and I want to be the one who is in control of who is looking at me. This does not mean that I see a woman on the street who dresses differently than me and thinks that she deserves any less respect. She is just as worthy as me. She deserves the rights to her own body and the respecting of it just as I do. She is a beautiful force to be reckoned with, so I don't make her feel any differently.

All in all, I am a lover of people. I am a lover of all souls, and I am confident that the reason why I am able to love and tolerate so intimately is because I humbly try to extend the fraction of the grace on grace on grace that I was shown by my Savior and my Friend and the people that Jesus put into my life to keep me safe and uplift me. I know that there is beauty in all people and in all things and it is my job to hold that sacred, and to ardently pursue finding it and seeing it, through tolerance, even though we may not see eye to eye. And I believe, I firmly believe, that if we took an x-ray of a mother holding a child, of a kiss, of singing, of dancing, we would not be able to see religion, sex, gender, or sexual orientation. We would, however, understand the joy and the love that resonates when people decide to embrace each other (maybe not through condoning, but through tolerance) for who we are, just as we are, as humans.

Love,

A Christian Who Holds Liberal Ideals