"If God had been a liberal, we wouldn't have had the Ten Commandments - we'd have the Ten Suggestions"

This quote by Malcolm Bradbury is a funny method of explaining the distinctions between liberal and conservative ideologies. The Ten Commandments are a set of laws that are viewed as outright and unchangeable, and are typically connected with conservative values. On the other hand, liberals are typically seen as more open to alter and more ready to jeopardize. Bradbury is recommending that if God had actually been a liberal, the Ten Commandments would not have been so strict and absolute, but instead would have been more like ideas. This quote is an amusing way of highlighting the distinctions in between liberal and conservative worths, and how they can be seen in the way laws are developed and imposed.