So true and this is where the polarization has occurred much in the world. Red/Blue. Liberal/Conservative, Gay/Straight and the list goes on. What has happened in the church that we label others such and such and rally in the wagons so that we won't be or think like one of them. I see fear, and judgment at the head not the grace and truth that Jesus lived out in much of the church. Truly a sad state we've chosen for ourselves.

I don't like labels much myself. I prefer to just go by "Christian". When people ask what kind I reply "One that believes in Jesus Christ and the Bible". "Well what denomination?"... ugh.

Liberals think I'm conservative and conservatives think I'm liberal (at least at times). I'm not really in the middle. I just believe in the Bible and I've accepted Jesus into my heart. *Shrugs*

Labels stink.

First, as Christians we don't have a "theological position or observation". We live by God's holy word, both the Old and New Testaments. And God's Word is clear on all "political issues" we have faced in the past, in the present, and in the future. God's word hasn't changed, but society wants us to believe that we as Christians should conform to someone else's religious beliefs, while at the same time restricting and persecuting Christians for their beliefs.
Second, Red/Blue, Gay/Straight is not the same thing as Conservative/Liberal. God's word is clear about human sexual relationships. It is between A husband and A wife. Not between a man and a man, or a woman and a woman, or between a human and an animal, or between a human and multiple others.
Further in society's effort to promote Equal Opportunity we have DIVIDED ourselves into color/culture categories. Labels fortunately or unfortunately are here to stay and personally, I don't mind being called a Conservative or a Christian.

I, too, am often thought liberal by conservatives and conservative by liberals. I think that the liberal and conservative philosophies, if there really is any such thing, have a tendency to zero in on the portions of scripture which support their pre-existing biases while at the same time, ignoring or discounting those which would moderate their dogmatism or lead them to seek harmony or shared values.
Some Biblical admonishments may seem more popular with "conservatives", and others with "liberals", but I think that these same scriptures are often manipulated by power-seeking politicians who use God's Word inappropriately to galvanize Christians voters into doing what they [the politicians] want. The ethical Christian will read what the Bible says without categorizing God's word into U.S. political divisions in which God has no part or interest.
"Gay and straight" may not fall into the same broad categorization arena as liberal and conservative, but when it comes to Christ's commandment to "love your neighbor", I don't remember that ANY sinners, even gay ones, were excepted from the definition of "neighbor". If Jesus came today, I'll bet "The Good Samaritan" would be an overweight, homeless, gay guy, of some currently unpopular ethnic composition.
How should we explain this petty, unscriptural, divisiveness to Christians in Africa, Pakistan, or China?

I definitely can not be confined to a specific category. Especially because falling into one or the other is subjective to the person observing your views. I know I lean on the conservative side but, to some may fall slightly liberal on some issues. It's like when people call me "religious", I say I have a relationship with God. If 'THE BIBLE" is conservative, then that's what I am because that's what I follow.

The problem with labels is that they change meaning over time. What is understood as being "liberal" or "conservative" changes every generation, or so it seems; Certainly quite rapidly as viewed from an eternal perspective. And God's word is NIETHER. It is just God's word and has nothing to do with our political labels. On some issues, the Bible can be easily aligned with the "conservative" agenda (i.e. personal and fiscal responsibility, work ethics, etc.) but on other issues, it aligns more easily with "liberal" issues (i.e. caring for the sick and poor, or stewardship of the earth). It's not that both liberals and conservatives are not concerned about all the issues, but they "trade off" on the values with a different emphasis.

It seems to me as if the political parties, as well as those who call themselves liberal or conservative, are trying harder and harder to diffentiate themselves from their counterpart and the end effect is frequently, if not always, a very UNnecessary divisiveness. It's not much different than how advertisers try to get you to choose their "pain reliever" over another brand. The actual differences are usually a matter of degree, not of actual function but we are coerced into choosing a "favorite" by the rhetoric between brands. To say conservatives are all war-mongers is just as inaccurate as saying all liberals want to give money away irresponsibly. But we still buy into the labels and stereotypes. I think such labels should be left out completely when discussing God's will and God's word.

Rick touched on the red state / blue state thing and my problem with that is that I can't remember which color applied to which Party! I mean, it was cute at the time of the last election but since we're all "red, white, and blue", I can't seem to hold onto what the color is supposed to designate. But even if I could remember which is which, I would resent it being used to oversimplify both political and spiritual tendancies. Am I a red person in a blue state or a blue person in a red state?

Me again. I just came across this quote on tonight's online edition of Relevant Magazine: "Derek Webb—Singer/Songwriter, May 2006 > “The way that moral issues have been co-opted by a political party for nothing else but to develop a constituency whose votes they can depend on is really dangerous. I feel like it is nearly impossible to walk a party line—especially in a two-party system—and follow Jesus.” I SO agree!