A primer on “Progressivism” for Christian Conservatives
Increasingly, as I offer a defense against the expansion of LGBTQ culture into evangelicalism, I find that Christians are mostly unaware of the impacts on churches over the last 75 years of Progressivism in America. Today’s polarization goes far beyond Democrats and Republicans, and even beyond liberal versus conservative. The essay below is an effort to reveal the depth and risks of this divide and what is at stake for Christians worldwide, particularly as they seek to understand LGBTQ and its impacts. Ultimately, I hope this is the beginning of a larger conversation about what L-G-B-T-Q (the individual life experiences, rather than the broader movement) really is and means today, and how Christians will respond with Christ’s compassion to those who question their sexual identity.
Is the U.S. experiencing an anti-democratic, hostile takeover by a fascist leader?
Two opposing worldviews and political philosophies are shaping our cultural moment: Progressivism and Conservatism. Progressivism has dominated US politics for over 50 years, subtly shifting American governance toward a socialist model akin to Western Europe. Trump’s conservative administration has sent shockwaves across the nation and the world by forcefully reestablishing conservative governance. Reactions from each side have become increasingly radical, even marginalizing moderate classical liberalism, leading to a left-wing, illiberal—even authoritarian—Progressivism that seems unchecked worldwide.
Progressivism v. Conservatism
Progressivism is a political philosophy and reform movement that seeks to “improve” society through active government intervention and social reform. It is called "progressive” because it supports the ongoing adaptation of laws and cultural norms based on new knowledge and changing circumstances. The core idea of progressivism — government-supported social progress — is a global phenomenon that developed after WWII. It can also be seen as an Americanized version of Socialism found in modern Central European Social Democracies[1].
In contrast, conservatism prefers to uphold (“conserve”) or restore social and moral traditions, resists rapid change, values organic community (family/religion/nation), and often favors slowly evolving policies and limited government. Today’s Christian conservatism focuses on social strategies supported by Christian, biblical ethics. When conservatives become authoritarian, it is usually to defend perceived threats to tradition rather than to push for rapid reforms.
Marxism within Progressivism
While Progressivism often seeks to expand rights and opportunities, it is gradually drifting toward authoritarianism, using coercive methods if necessary to address inequality, identity politics, and rapid social change at the expense of civil liberties and pluralism. This move further left has resulted in the adoption of Marxist tendencies, which some call “cultural” or “identity” Marxism, linked to Progressive social-engineering goals. Identity Marxism modifies Marxist theory—originally centered on class struggle—toward cultural and social identities like race, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity. It emphasizes group identity as the main lens for analyzing power, oppression, and social change, prioritizing identity-based equity and grievances over economic class alone. Conservative radicalization is a reaction to the threats posed by Authoritarian Progressivism and its identity Marxism, which actively suppresses Christian social values and First Amendment rights.
Matters of “Family” and “Sexuality”
Progressivism’s “Sexual Revolution” encourages the weakening or transformation of the traditional biological family. It emphasizes extreme personal freedom and self-determination, advocating for people's right to define their own identities, family types, and life decisions without conforming to traditional norms or inherited roles. Consequently, progressivism supports nontraditional family arrangements and chosen families, ensuring legal and social equality regardless of biological relationships. A key part of this ideology is a critical view of traditional structures, often seen as maintaining inequality and restricting opportunities based on biological or social hierarchies. Progressives aim to break down these hierarchies by eliminating privileges related to such categories—a move that led to the legalization of gay marriage. Furthermore, progressive reforms often favor state or community services—like education and healthcare—over family-based care, reducing reliance on traditional family units and stressing government-supported systems.
Progressivism's emphasis on personal autonomy naturally aligns with postmodernism, which rejects the idea of objective truth and facts, paving the way for today’s sexual identity extremism. It sees all knowledge and truth as relative, constructed, and deeply shaped by context. Postmodernism argues that there is no absolute truth or single meaning, i.e., “my truth.” As a result, claims to ultimate or objective truth are viewed as disguised attempts to wield power over others.
“...it is precisely facts that do not exist, only interpretations.” — Friedrich Nietzsche in “Notes” (1888)
Today’s LGBTQ movement is part of the broader Sexual Revolution, which draws on postmodern philosophy. Each of these “letters” indicates a break from biological reality and a redefinition of human identity. The identifiers stand for both sexual preference and self-expression, but their scientific basis is highly debated. “Sexual orientation” has always been subjective, and genetic research has questioned markers like the Kinsey Scale. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize that so-called “gay” feelings go beyond just same-sex sexual desire; they also symbolize an alignment with the Progressivism that supports this worldview. A “gay person” isn’t merely someone who experiences same-sex sexual arousal; they also adopt a specific, ideologically driven self-concept. Note especially that LGBTQ culture and its sociopolitical identities are modern developments, even though the behaviors are ancient.
Biblically orthodox perspectives view same-sex sexuality and gender nonconformity as behaviors rather than social identities, thus maintaining the biological human anthropology that is dimorphic and centered around human procreative potential. The use of LGBTQ labels within Christian communities suggests some level of embrace of leftist Progressivism and its challenge to traditional views of human anthropology.
Weaponized Progressive Policies
Progressives have successfully promoted Identity Marxism into the mainstream by using its indoctrinating, “intersectional” language related to LGBTQ culture, feminism, and race to push their social reform goals. Identity Marxism misuses human rights rhetoric to manipulate the public and expand its authoritarian political control. Phrases like “Love is love” and “born that way” serve as mantras for its thought control. The so-called “conversion therapy” bans are a tool to spread Progressive socio-political dominance globally. Unfortunately, LGBTQ-identifying individuals are often its victims, not beneficiaries, since “personal autonomy” may never include leaving that ideology.
Identity Marxism influences and distorts victims of the sexual revolution by promoting pseudo-scientific beliefs that emphasize ideological consistency over objective, empirical facts. One such belief is that LGBTQ identities are primarily genetic rather than shaped by developmental factors influenced by social environment. The prevalence of Identity Marxism within Progressivism has led to the violent radicalization of transgenderism and the rise of so-called “Gender Affirming Care,” which undermines biological reality.
“Conversion therapy” bans aim to promote the ideological values of radicalized left-wing Progressivism by limiting the integration of Christian morality in society. They mainly achieve this by promoting their transgressive sexual mores to openly challenge Christian social values. For example, Christian therapists rarely conduct counseling specifically for conversion purposes—such sessions are mostly client-led. However, their methods are based on Christian ethics, which makes them targets of this political movement.
Socialism and the Western Church
Just as traditional Christianity opposed historical Marxism and its totalitarian political controls, it stands firm today against the social engineering strategies of Authoritarian Progressivism and Identity Marxism. Failure to recognize the advance of Identity Marxism via “LGBTQ” and its cultural norms is enabling syncretization with Evangelical doctrine, further eroding Christianity’s influence and authority within society. This is seen most readily in the use of Postmodern hermeneutics that empower the acceptance of LGBTQ ideologies within Christian settings.[2] Wherever this happens, the Church fails in its Christian witness. Mainline denominational churches that have embraced LGBTQ culture and its required postmodern hermeneutic have imploded, draining themselves of members and shuttering churches across the U.S.
What Now? A New Way Forward
Today, too many assumptions surround L-G-B-T-Q. We often echo outdated rhetoric about the movement—ranging from “equality” to “born that way” to “love is love”—ideas that scientists, psychologists, and doctors have repeatedly failed to substantiate scientifically. The concept of personally defined identity without sexual boundaries is now well-established. As this ideological movement further aligns with left-wing politics, it has become a divisive and authoritarian social force that is reshaping Western views on personhood, human biology, and the traditional family. LGBTQ has expanded beyond basic human rights. Same-sex sexuality is no longer seen as an anomaly, and its broad acceptance challenges the civil rights rhetoric of the 1960s and 1970s about “equality.” No matter how much they try, civil rights arguments cannot justify childhood sexual mutilation, furries, or the social contagion of LGBTQIA among Gen Z.
And so, we are calling for a redefinition and reevaluation of L-G-B-T-Q to reveal its political undercurrents, but also to provide a lifeline to the millions caught in this movement—those who find themselves with these feelings seemingly mysteriously and are blinded by the left’s forced indoctrination: “embrace and adopt.” This societal manipulation must end and create space for the realities behind these feelings. There ARE causal factors, and there ARE different pathways available. Male and female sexuality and sexual behavior differ. Each man and woman behind a label is individually unique, beautiful, and worthy of love and understanding. It is time to face reality and move away from all things LGBTQ.
[1] Globally, these movements seek to:
• Address economic inequality and systemic injustice
• Promote human rights, minority protection, and gender equality
• Expand government roles in welfare, health, education, and environmental sustainability
• Challenge traditional power structures and seek continuous democratic reform.
In Europe, Parties such as the UK’s Labour Party and Liberal Democrats, Germany’s Greens and Volt, France’s Radical Party of the Left, Spain’s Socialist Workers’ Party, and others frequently pursue progressive agendas in social policy, environmental regulation, and anti-discrimination measures. In South America, Brazil’s Workers’ Party, Chile’s Broad Front, and Argentina’s Union for the Homeland promote economic justice, social inclusion, and democratic reforms. In Asia, parties in Australia (Australian Greens, Labor), New Zealand, South Korea (Justice Party), and Japan (Social Democratic Party), as well as India’s Congress Party, advance progressive platforms on healthcare, education, labor rights, and gender equity. However, in the Global South, especially Africa, progressive movements are often intertwined with anti-colonial activism, economic justice, and democratization efforts.
[2] See https://www.elizabethwoning.com/essays/2024/1/13/as-we-enter-2024-what-do-you-need-to-know-about-lgbtqia