Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Why is being religious so closely tied with conservative politics?

Ustwo · 10-24-2007, 11:03 AM

Ah now this is an excellent type of question for tfp politics instead of the usual cut and paste and I appreciate the effort.

I don't have time for all of the reasons, but I think much of it is perception more than reality. You don't hear that the democrats are a Jewish party, even though Jews vote far more consistently for democrats than Christians do republicans. I'll also add that as far as I know there are no openly atheist members of congress or the senate and I doubt there have been more than one or two in all of the nations history. I'm not saying that there are none, I'm saying no one would admit it due to it being political suicide, Liberal or Conservative.

Further, someone google Al Gores concession speech after the election and note how many times he uses God in it. At the time I remember it felt like every 4th line.

But what I think we deal with as conservatives is a almost purposeful stigmata (pun intended). After the 2004 election it was all about the evangelical Christians, and 'moral issues' became the buzzword of the day for Bush's re-election by a liberal press stunned that people were still voting for Bush.

Its being used by the enemies of conservatism as a rally cry, a way to make it more of an 'Us vrs Them', or more accurately 'Intelligent people vrs Fundies' as they see it.

That being said, Conservatives do need the religious voters to survive, much like the democrats need their own wacky radical leftists. Democrats need to keep their radicals at least marginally happy so they don't get another Nader, and Conservatives need to keep their religious nut balls happy so they don't get a similar treatment.

Just like the average liberal voter isn't part of the radical left, the average conservative voter isn't borderline Amish and will tend to be the C and E Christian majority of the nation.

10-24-2007, 11:03 AM	#2 (permalink)
Ustwo Pissing in the cornflakes	Ah now this is an excellent type of question for tfp politics instead of the usual cut and paste and I appreciate the effort. I don't have time for all of the reasons, but I think much of it is perception more than reality. You don't hear that the democrats are a Jewish party, even though Jews vote far more consistently for democrats than Christians do republicans. I'll also add that as far as I know there are no openly atheist members of congress or the senate and I doubt there have been more than one or two in all of the nations history. I'm not saying that there are none, I'm saying no one would admit it due to it being political suicide, Liberal or Conservative. Further, someone google Al Gores concession speech after the election and note how many times he uses God in it. At the time I remember it felt like every 4th line. But what I think we deal with as conservatives is a almost purposeful stigmata (pun intended). After the 2004 election it was all about the evangelical Christians, and 'moral issues' became the buzzword of the day for Bush's re-election by a liberal press stunned that people were still voting for Bush. Its being used by the enemies of conservatism as a rally cry, a way to make it more of an 'Us vrs Them', or more accurately 'Intelligent people vrs Fundies' as they see it. That being said, Conservatives do need the religious voters to survive, much like the democrats need their own wacky radical leftists. Democrats need to keep their radicals at least marginally happy so they don't get another Nader, and Conservatives need to keep their religious nut balls happy so they don't get a similar treatment. Just like the average liberal voter isn't part of the radical left, the average conservative voter isn't borderline Amish and will tend to be the C and E Christian majority of the nation. __________________ Agents of the enemies who hold office in our own government, who attempt to eliminate our "freedoms" and our "right to know" are posting among us, I fear.....on this very forum. - host Obama - Know a Man by the friends he keeps.