A biblical explanation of why historic Christian doctrine differs from modern progressive theology — and why the question of authority ultimately shapes everything.
From The Craig Bushon Show Media Team
On this show, we operate from a simple conviction: truth is not hate speech.
That principle matters deeply in theological conversations. In today’s culture, disagreement on moral issues is often interpreted as hostility. Christianity, however, has always distinguished between condemning a person and confronting an idea.
This article is presented not as confrontation, but as an educational exploration of important theological differences.
Many believers hear terms like “conservative Christianity” and “progressive Christianity” without fully understanding what those words actually mean. The confusion often surfaces around issues of sexuality, identity, and symbolism — particularly surrounding the modern use of the rainbow and the celebration of “pride.”
But the real divide is deeper than culture wars or party affiliation.
It comes down to one foundational question:
When culture changes, does Scripture change with it?
Conservative Christianity answers no. It seeks to preserve what Christians have historically believed about God, sin, salvation, and moral order. Progressive Christianity often seeks to reinterpret portions of Scripture in light of evolving cultural and social understandings.
This is an educational examination of that divide. It explains why historic Christian doctrine holds what it does, why it uses the word “conservative,” and why questions about pride and the rainbow ultimately return to one issue: authority.
Because whoever defines truth ultimately defines morality.
The Rainbow Was God’s Sign First
In Genesis 9:12–17, after the flood, God establishes a covenant with Noah and every living creature:
“I have set my bow in the cloud… never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
The rainbow is not a human invention. It is a divine sign.
The Hebrew word for “bow” refers to a warrior’s weapon. The imagery suggests God hanging up His bow — judgment restrained, mercy extended.
The rainbow represents:
• God’s authority over creation
• Judgment that has already occurred
• Mercy toward a sinful world
• A covenant initiated by God
It reminds humanity that morality is defined by the Creator, not negotiated by creation.
What the Bible Means by Pride
Scripture does not treat pride as harmless self-confidence. Pride refers to self-exaltation — elevating human autonomy above God’s authority.
Proverbs 16:18 declares, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
From Genesis 3 onward, sin begins with the same impulse: “You will be like God.”
Pride is the desire to define good and evil independently of divine revelation.
This conversation, therefore, is not merely symbolic. It is about submission.
What Does “Conservative Christianity” Actually Mean?
The word conservative comes from the Latin conservare — to preserve or guard.
Conservative Christianity seeks to preserve historic Christian doctrine. It does not mean nostalgic. It does not mean partisan. It means guarding what Christians have historically believed about Scripture and morality.
It affirms:
• The Bible is divinely inspired and authoritative.
• Moral teachings revealed in Scripture remain binding.
• Doctrine is inherited and stewarded, not reinvented.
If Christianity were a historic structure, a conservative approach maintains its foundation rather than redesigning it when cultural tastes shift.
The Historic Consensus: Catholic and Orthodox Agreement on Authority and Morality
This commitment to preserving moral truth is not confined to Protestant traditions. It is shared by the two oldest branches of Christianity — the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church — which trace their roots to the apostolic era and separated in 1054 over questions of authority structure, not core moral doctrine.
Both affirm Scripture and Sacred Tradition as authoritative. Both reject the idea that cultural evolution justifies revising foundational moral teachings. Neither recognizes or performs same-sex marriages, viewing them as contrary to God’s design for marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman (Genesis 1–2; Matthew 19; Ephesians 5).
The Catholic Catechism (2357–2359) teaches that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and gravely sinful, while distinguishing between acts and inclinations. It calls individuals experiencing same-sex attraction to chastity and insists they be treated with respect, compassion, and without unjust discrimination.
The Eastern Orthodox Church similarly teaches that homosexual acts are sinful, rooted in departure from God’s created order of male and female. Sexual union is blessed only within heterosexual marriage. Those experiencing such attractions are welcomed as persons in need of Christ’s healing, called to chastity, humility, and spiritual transformation.
In both traditions, pride — understood as self-exaltation — is considered the root sin opposing humility and submission to God. The rainbow remains God’s covenant sign of mercy after judgment, not a symbol for celebrating conduct they view as contrary to divine design.
This ancient consensus underscores that the conservative position is not a modern cultural reaction. It is historic Christian doctrine preserved across centuries and traditions.
Understanding Progressive Christianity More Fully
Progressive or liberal Christianity does not view itself as abandoning faith. It often sees itself as re-examining Scripture in light of modern knowledge and cultural awareness.
Many progressive theologians argue that biblical authors wrote within ancient cultural frameworks. Therefore, certain moral teachings — particularly regarding sexuality — should be reconsidered in light of contemporary understandings of psychology and identity.
They emphasize inclusion, affirmation, and social justice. From their perspective, affirming same-sex relationships expresses love and compassion.
The dividing line, however, remains authority. Progressive theology often treats Scripture as requiring reinterpretation when cultural understanding advances. Conservative theology treats Scripture as permanently binding in its moral structure.
This is not simply disagreement about one issue. It is disagreement about how truth itself is determined.
Does the Bible Authorize Moral Revision?
Scripture repeatedly affirms the enduring nature of God’s Word.
Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Jude 3 speaks of “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
Revelation 22 warns against adding to or subtracting from what has been revealed.
The Bible does contain progressive revelation — God revealing more of His redemptive plan over time. But that progression occurs within Scripture itself and culminates in Christ.
When Jesus addresses marriage in Matthew 19, He does not revise Genesis. He returns to it:
“From the beginning it was not so.”
There is a critical distinction between clarification and revision.
Clarification seeks to understand original meaning more fully.
Revision declares that original moral meaning no longer applies.
Conservative Christianity permits clarification. It rejects revision of moral structures rooted in creation and affirmed by Christ and the apostles.
What Scripture Says About Homosexual Practice
Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 6 describe same-sex sexual behavior as outside God’s design.
Genesis defines marriage as male and female. Jesus reaffirms that structure. The apostles teach consistently within it.
Scripture also declares: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Homosexual practice is not uniquely unforgivable. It is one expression of humanity’s broader fallenness.
The issue is not whether people experience desire.
The issue is whether desire becomes authority.
The Rainbow and Modern Pride
The modern pride movement uses the rainbow to symbolize identity affirmation.
From its own perspective, pride rejects shame.
From a conservative Christian theological perspective, when pride — understood biblically as self-exaltation — is attached to conduct Scripture defines as sin, tension arises.
The rainbow in Genesis symbolizes mercy after judgment and covenant authority.
The deeper issue is not a flag.
It is authority.
Is identity self-defined?
Or is identity rooted in God’s design?
The Call Is Repentance and Grace
Christian teaching does not single out one group as beyond hope. All stand in need of redemption.
1 Corinthians 6:11 says: “And such were some of you. But you were washed… sanctified… justified…”
The gospel offers forgiveness and transformation.
To reject homosexual practice from a conservative Christian viewpoint is not hostility. It is submission to what is believed to be divine revelation.
Christian discipleship has always involved surrendering desires that conflict with God’s design.
Bottom Line
This debate is not ultimately about politics or symbolism.
It is about who defines truth.
Conservative Christianity seeks to conserve historic biblical doctrine because it believes truth is revealed, not invented.
The rainbow remains God’s sign of mercy toward a sinful world.
Mercy is still available.
But mercy does not redefine sin — it redeems sinners who turn back to Him.
Disclaimer: This article presents a traditional conservative Christian theological perspective grounded in historic interpretations of Scripture. It is intended for religious reflection and teaching, not personal condemnation or civil policy prescription.
