Human Nature and Political Ideologies

I've been thinking a lot about human nature lately. While attending a Boise State University class in Political Ideologies, I've realized is that at the heart of each ideology is a basic understanding of human nature. For example, Fascism claims that human nature is related to race. Certain races, by nature, have particular characteristics and certain races are inferior. What a horror that ideology inspired! Did Jesus ever blow that theory out of the water! My husband, Tom just preached about Jesus meeting the woman at the well (John 4). The Samaritans were viewed as an inferior race, a mixed and impure race. But that was not Jesus' view. He loved Samaritans. He purposely traveled through Samaria in order to encounter a Samaritan woman who needed to know of him.

The socialist view of human nature is that humans are basically caring and good. In the "right social conditions", humans cooperate with each other and relieve the suffering of others. Karl Marx envisioned a socialistic revolution that would ultimately lead to a utopian society. What he didn't realize is that humans will not always seek the common good of others; they will seek power.

In a paper I wrote for my class, I discuss this problem of power-seeking: "Human nature can also become corrupt, given certain circumstances, and the individual’s choices in those circumstances. In All The Pretty Horses (by Cormac McCarthy), the great aunt of a hacienda, where 16 year old John Grady Cole is working, tells him the story of the man she loved in her youth. He had helped to bring about a revolution in Mexico and was elected president. Unfortunately, he believed in the goodness of people and this was his downfall. Those who shared power with him were only in it for themselves, not for the good of the people. Eventually he was executed and a corrupt government continued. The ills of society were never solved. It is apparent that power corrupts people."

Interestingly, the view of the Religious Right is mentioned in my textbook (Political Ideologies by Terence Ball and Richard Dagger) as having a very negative view of human nature. It reminds me that I use to be exposed to the teaching of "total depravity", meaning that our human nature is totally sinful unless redeemed by God. When I heard that teaching years ago; it troubled me. "Yes, I'm a sinner and needed to come to repentance," I believed, "but surely that doesn't mean that there was no good in me at all."

Then I remembered Genesis 1: 27: We are created in the image of God. That means that we have the divine characteristics of love, creativity, and sensitivity. Yet, at the same time, we are flawed. But not completely. When I enjoy photographing the Boise River, I am exhibiting God's characteristic of creativity. When I express love or concern for others, I am exhibiting characteristics of God.

These characteristics exist in all humans. However, when we come into a personal relationship with Christ; they blossom as he works in our lives. It reminds me of a song we use to sing in the 60's: "Things are different now, something's happened to me; since I gave my life to Jesus. Things are different now, I was changed it must be, since I gave my life to him." (Things Are Different Now by Stanton W. Gavitt). How thankful I am that God does make things different in our human nature!