Engaging In Semantics
ENGAGING IN SEMANTICS
In many cases, when someone insists that a believer shouldn’t use labels like “conservative” or “liberal” in describing people or policies, they are mostly engaging in semantics, not addressing the actual moral or spiritual issues at hand. Here’s why:
1. The Core Issue Isn’t the Label
Labels are simply a way to communicate and categorize reality. Calling someone a “liberal” or “conservative” is not inherently political or sinful; it is a tool for clarity.
What Scripture addresses is behavior, teaching, and moral truth, not the semantic comfort of a label. Ignoring labels doesn’t change the reality of actions, policies, or the sin being promoted.
2. Avoiding Labels Often Avoids Accountability
When believers refuse to name ideologies or policies, it can be a strategy to dodge confrontation or responsibility.
Romans 16:17 and Ephesians 5:11 command believers to watch for false teaching, expose deeds of darkness, and rebuke error. Avoiding labels does nothing to fulfill this command—it simply softens the message to avoid offending people.
3. Semantics Over Substance
Focusing on “don’t use labels” is often a distraction from the real task: confronting sin, false teaching, and ungodly policies or actions.
The problem is not the word “liberal” or “conservative”; the problem is what those labels represent in terms of morality, justice, and obedience to God.
4. Labels Are Tools, Not Targets
Used wisely, labels help people understand truth and error, making exposure and rebuke clear.
Rejecting labels in the name of sensitivity or “keeping politics out” often just masks a fear of confrontation or a desire to remain comfortable.
Insisting that Christians cannot use political labels is often just semantics. It does not eliminate sin, false teaching, or societal error. The real question is whether believers will identify, confront, and expose wrongdoing, regardless of the comfort of human ears. Scripture calls for boldness, clarity, and truth, not euphemisms or avoidance.