Understanding Modern Progressivism
With the government seemingly under control of the progressive political philosophy, commentators have been struggling to understand just exactly what progressives believe.
The problem is made more difficult by the contradictions between progressive beliefs and actions. For example, President Biden shut down a pipeline project in the name of environmentalism when a pipeline is much less of a risk to the environment than the alternative of transport by rail. Progressives, the self-styled protectors of the environment, applauded his destructive act, seemingly oblivious to its contradictions.
This split between belief and action may have begun with the generation of the 1960s. It was a time of social and political upheaval, with a youthful counterculture which matured into the college professors and progressive leaders of today. Opposition to the Vietnam War led many to reject American capitalism in the face of communist totalitarian brutality. Drug use exploded even as pop stars dropped like flies to overdoses and lives were ruined by addiction. Sexual immorality also exploded, leading to disease, family breakdown and abandoned children. The prevailing philosophy of the counterculture was “If it feels good, do it” and ignore the consequences.
As the years passed, the counterculture moved further and further away from recognizing the consequences of its feel-good philosophy. People began to claim that truth was subjective, so “my truth” and “your truth” could be different. The philosophies of “If it feels good, do it,” the disregard of consequences and the denial of objective reality have come together to produce the modern progressive philosophy:
It is better to feel good than to do good.
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Look again at the pipeline cancellation. It felt good to the progressives because the hated Donald Trump had supported it. Making a decision which would do good was unimportant.
Perhaps the worst example of the modern progressive philosophy in action came in the wake of the George Floyd killing in 2020. As the legitimate protests were subverted into rioting, progressives supported the riots because it felt good to be “woke,” even as Black neighborhoods burned. Then progressive anger turned on police departments, and it felt good to defund them. As a result of the withdrawal of police protection from minority neighborhoods, murders skyrocketed. Apparently Black lives really did not matter after all. But to progressives it was more important to feel good than to do good.
A second example is the progressive fixation on climate change. As evidence mounts that climate change can easily be managed, progressives feel better crusading against fossil fuels. So now we have skyrocketing fuel costs undermining our economy, and in Europe we saw energy blackmail from Russians promoting their war in Ukraine.
Progressives are pushing for electric vehicles because it feels good to do something despite the fact that these vehicles produce no net climate-change benefits, and the costs include destruction of middle-class mobility and dependance on hostile nations such as China for raw materials. It felt good to push for total windmill and green energy, but people froze in the dark in Texas when green energy failed, and in Europe they were gathering firewood to avoid freezing. It feels good to the deluded climate change crusaders to think they are saving the planet, even though they are actually destroying civilization.
Now the progressive philosophy can be seen in all areas of our government. Open borders felt good, so we got an invasion of illegal aliens and drugs. It felt good to spend lots of money, but now we are facing record inflation. It felt good to teach radical racist theories in universities, leading to antisemitic riots in support of the most anti-progressive people on the planet. It felt good to legalize marijuana and other drugs, and now we have 100,000 drug-overdose deaths every year. And it felt good to pull out of Afghanistan, bringing shame to our country, doubt to our friends, encouragement to our enemies and leaving hundreds of Americans stranded. All because it was more important to feel good than do good.
This modern progressive philosophy is, in fact, exactly the opposite of biblical teaching. Paul said, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9). He also said, “Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).
In other words, we must do good even if it does not feel good. We must also stand firm in our doing good. And never give up.
This is a time when we must show our faith by our deeds, speak the truth boldly and proclaim the name of Jesus.
So let us come in the opposite spirit to the selfish deception of the modern progressive philosophy, and by our love and good works continue doing good to win over our enemies.
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Ron Allen is a Christian businessman who is active in ministries spreading a message of reconciliation to God, to men and between believers. He is the founder of American Wake Up Call.
