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Religious differences between political parties
After having just returned from Washington D.C. in a whirlwind trip that included tours, meetings, and even a confrontation with FEMA, I was rather interested in discovering this entry when it popped up on my Bloglines column. It details a recent Barna survey about religious differences between Democrats and Republicans. What think ye?
I’ll post a follow up to this later.
Perhaps my take on this comes from my experience growing up in a much more liberal state (Washington), but these statistics are not all surprising. Naturally, members of a party who are more politically conservative are also likely to be more conservative in other aspects of life as well. In my experience, Christian morality is much closer to that expressed in the Republican platform than in the Democrat platform, which flies in the face of Christian values so often. Yet, I continue to be surprised at how many “Christian Democrats” live in the South…to a northerner, that is the definition… Read more »
I agree with Mark.
I can’t remember what the word is, but there is a line in “Princess Bride” . . . “I don’t think that word means what you think it means”.
I think that statment is true of many who use “religious words” like, Bible, God, Christian, Born Again, etc. I am not sure those words mean what they think they mean, so their answers screw up the whole poll and in the end, we don’t really know who thinks what.
I don’t know what I just said, but I think it was what I meant.
Jerry – the word is “inconceivable” (love that movie!) What the shame is, they both have it so stinking wrong. I wish a strong candidate would come up from either side who would stand for all things that are right. To stand up for life issues, and then do practically nothing about children going to bed hungry in this extremely prosperous nation is quite hypocritical. What’s also sickening is that two Democratic presidential candidates are allowed to give political speeches in a couple of churches last Sunday – yet if these were Republican candidates in churches that are more welcoming… Read more »
When you get polarised politics (having to choose one party over another) and polarised faith (conservative over liberal) you always have a recipe for misunderstanding! In the UK some might think that we’ve avoided such a state of affairs, but we haven’t. We have folk who can’t imagine how a Christian could vote for a left-wing agenda and vice versa. It seems to me that what we have to do is to remove from our thinking the concept that one party is any closer to a “Chritian perspective” right across the board of political questions than any other. For me… Read more »
Welcome Home!
I think Richard needs to read the last sentence of my comment again because he’s just demonstrated the kind of “disconnect between ones moral values vs. ones political agenda” that I described. To deny any significant moral differences between the political parties in this country shows a real lack of familiarity with those parties. I wonder what his stance is on abortion and gay marriages? To say one would vote Democrat because “it’s an ethos thing, not a religious thing” is the same as saying that the dictates of religion are meaningless and you really have your own constructed system… Read more »
Mark –
for years I have been trying to figure out the best way to say what you just said so well!
AMEN!!!!
Any other democrats read this blog?LOL
Great comments from all of you so far. Let me throw myself to the lions and just say this… I don’t think a follower of Christ can identify which party is more “Christian” or “moral” by selecting a few favorite issues to use as a litmus test. For instance, Christians who vote Republican tend to point to abortion, the homosexual agenda, and the sanctity of marriage and life as being indicative of the Democratic Party’s moral vaccum. However, Christians who vote Democrat are equally disgusted by the Republican Party’s ignorance and tardiness to address moral issues such as concern for… Read more »
Sorry, I think I’ve misrepresented myself a bit. I am bothered about ethical and moral issues, and my faith does affect my political position. They’re not disconnected at all.
Enough said.
Jeff, For the record, I wasn’t pointing out the issues of abortion and gay marriage simply because those are the Republican “high ground.” I asked about Richard’s position on these as a way to point out that personal morals and political preference ARE inextricably entwined whether we like it or not…one often cannot make a political statement without simultaneously making a moral claim (or uncovering a moral assumption at least). Not to get testy, but the slippery, non-committal posturing as a way to escape “coming out” with a political stance was very evident in your comment. I still feel the… Read more »
Mark, the oil on your screen is caused by your Windoze machine leaking. You wouldn’t have that problem if you’d bought a more enlightened product. Simply use a soft, dry cloth, and you can remove that grease. I just noticed some oil on my screen too, but then I realized it was from my forehead. I fell asleep reading your comment since it was so trite and PC itself. I’m not going to read between any more lines in your comment and just take it as a non-oiled, off the cuff response. My ultimate point, I believe, still stands: Christ… Read more »
Hmmm I think some people live their lives in Christian faith but do not necessarily feel the need to force the same beliefs on the general population(hence the way they vote).Free will is a very popular concept…although not firmly accepted by all….After much consideration,I would have to position myself as more independant leaning to the left than sway severely either way….on the fence is the worst place to be.But I position myself there because of my faith,not in spite of it.I love everyone,plain and simple,enemies,friends,homosexuals,abortionists,sinners and saints.I believe that is “What Jesus would do.” Of course these are all matters… Read more »
In what way was my comment trite and PC??? I’m sure you have absolutely NO evidence for such a statement. Perhaps I’ve just pushed a sensitive button a little, hmm?
Nice try at throwing my words in my face, but I’m not tirading here…trying to justly balance the underhanded anti-republican nature of your first comment. Talk about reading between the lines….clever boy! I saw it plain and clear.
Actually, Mark, I’ve voted Republican for as long as I have voted. Not straight ticket, but because I have genuinely felt that that party aligns most closely with my leanings and convictions. However, I in no way, consider myself a “Republican” and would vote Democrat or Green for any candidate that better expresses a cohesive Christian worldview. Saying that environmental stewardship smacked of “PC-meaningless” is trite. We are called to be good stewards of Creation as Christians. It was part of Adam and Eve’s original mandate. Don’t evoke tones of something being politically correct simply to deflect the accuracy of… Read more »
Hi Jeff
Ik now this is an old trial, and I don’t want to stir up the waters too much, but I came across an interesting article by Gordon MacDonald that might interest you.
You can find at:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2007/cln70305.html
Richard