Many conservatives think they have a monopoly on Christianity. They have even turned liberal into a “dirty word.” Liberals believe in equality, and they opposed slavery, segregation and child labor.

Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King were liberals. Strom Thurmond and George Wallace were conservatives. If you had to choose, which side would you be on?

I consider myself a centrist, but my favorite liberal is Jesus. No matter how hard you thump your Bible, Jesus wasn’t orthodox or conservative. He wasn’t a warmonger, a hawk or a hardliner.

When some called for “an eye for an eye,” Jesus said, “Turn the other cheek.” He believed in peace, love and the Golden Rule. He didn’t support pre-emptive war, the death penalty or tax breaks for the rich.

Jesus was a liberal. What’s wrong with that?

Chuck MannGreensboro, NC