Religion in Political Discourse
Weaver -- Wednesday, November 03, 2004 -- 08:59:11 PMThe role of religious motives, methods, organizations, ideas, words and people in political activities: good or bad, effective or ineffective, how and why?
This thread is tagged: religion(All users will see what tags exist for a thread. Please tag carefully!)
Wouldn't almost any devout person have to believe this, even if he were not willing to say it. I know if I believed in God Almighty, and that he was a Good God I would be unable to avoid believing that my God, and by extention my faith (which is how I understand Him) should drive our policy. REally, how could you not believe that?
Thanks; I haven't yet caught up with that.
Yes, this troubles me too. I'm not sure what draws some to this view and not others; it's nothing as clearcut as sect membership or theological conservatism.
j. ross, I agree with that, actually. The extension described in Greg's final paragraph is where I see trouble. I can believe that I need to put my faith into practice in my leadership without believing that no one of good faith can disagree with me.
Shelby was helping calling Dems to GOTV yesterday, her first outing with the local Dem organization. She was really upset however by how the other Dems there talked about the right in general and people of faith specifically. The left really does have a hate of religion problem. A good portion of religious people are on the right because they empathize politically with the left but don't feel like they're wanted or trusted there. Calling them all "stupid Nazi assholes destroying the country and creating a totalitarian state" is not only untrue but does nothing to win people over, which is what the Dems need to do to avoid falling out of the game altogether.
(Deleted message originally posted by ktp on Wednesday, November 03, 2004 -- 10:48:22 PM.)
Yes. Because I wonder (fear?) what the stance on the next issue will be. Religion is inherently authoritarian. It derives it's moral impact from the authority that gives it birth and sustains it. That authority is beyond question and criticism or the faith falls.
I regarded Liberation Theology as highly suspect, seeing it as a way to combine the efficient tyranny of Stalin with the mythical Papal power to chase opponents beyond the grave. What we saw in Carter and LT was a failed effort to wave the cross against the cross. In the end authoritarian strains of Christianity were enhanced simply because it conformed more to "Fundemental" and "Orthodox" forms.
MATTHEW 6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
One of those Bible verses that doesn't get quoted very frequently...
A good portion of religious people are on the right because they empathize politically with the left but don't feel like they're wanted or trusted there.
I always thought the environmental movement could make far greater strides if they allied themselves with religion in some ways. Xtian, not like, Wicca and stuff.
A good portion of religious people are on the right because they empathize politically with the left but don't feel like they're wanted or trusted there.
And how is the not being trusted or welcomed demonstrated?
Frank, given that most Chrisitian faiths hold to a form of "the earth and all its creatures were created by God for the use of man" ideology as a opposed to "the earth and it's creatures have value in their own right" ideology of the Greens, I'm not sure how that would happen.
Like this:
except for without the Green response of "We hate you, you religious bastards."
Stomp your foot a little harder weaver. A fanny waggle would be good too.
I don't think Greg is telling a lie, I think he is incorrect that he's identified a significant factor. Religious people vote on the right because the right currently supports many of their views of importance.
A lot of my Catholic friends were very torn by this election. They didn't support the war in Iraq because of their feelings about the sanctity of life but also felt a vote for Kerry was a vote for stem cell research and abortion rights. Without the war in Iraq they would have voted for Bush in a heartbeat.
I never once heard them talk about being trusted or welcomed, they talked about the impact of policy on the what they beleived to be important.