NationStates Jolt Archive


Why do people think that the words "Conservative" and "Christian" are interchangeable

Neo Cannen
25-11-2004, 19:14
They arent!

I mean realrly one is a political ideological idea and the other is a religious pracitce and belief. Why is it that so many people think that the two are simmialr. Espically Americans who dont seem to know that there are other concepts in politics besides Conservatism.

(On an aside the two American political parties
Democrats = Those who believe in democracy
Republicans = Those who do not believe in autocracy or absolutist rule
those are the two English words and basicly they mean very simmilar things so why are they diffrent parties. The only political diffrence I see is one being slightly more liberal than the other)
La Terra di Liberta
25-11-2004, 19:16
I'm a moderate conservative and a very liberal christian. But as you point out, they aren't attached at the hip.
The God King Eru-sama
25-11-2004, 19:16
Not by definition, but in reality, it is often times the case, at least in the United States.
Eutrusca
25-11-2004, 19:17
Um ... lack of education? Lack of understanding? Lack of intellect? Who knows??
Dobbs Town
25-11-2004, 19:19
They think they're interchangeable because Christianity in America has been hijacked by Conservatives who aren't particularly 'Christian' in anything other than a dues-paying sense of the term.
Greedy Pig
25-11-2004, 19:19
Because Christians tend to be leaning on the more conservative side rather than being liberal, because we have different (or more stringent) moral values and a God to please :D

Liberals aren't democratic nor are they republican. Neither are conservatives.

But in general, liberals tend to be democrats, because democrats tend to be more liberal than republicans. But this rule doesn't necessarily apply to absolutely all liberals either.
New Granada
25-11-2004, 19:20
Not all christians are conservatives, but most conservatives are christians.

That is why.
Kanabia
25-11-2004, 19:21
You do get conservative-christians, and they're FAR more vocal (and possibly numerous) than liberal-christians and thus get placed at the forefront of conservative movements. That's probably why. The two Christian political parties over here are both very conservative...
The Underground City
25-11-2004, 19:22
It seems to me that in the US, conservatives appeal to christians to get votes, because otherwise only the rich would vote for them and they wouldn't have very good chances of being elected.
BastardSword
25-11-2004, 19:26
It seems to me that in the US, conservatives appeal to christians to get votes, because otherwise only the rich would vote for them and they wouldn't have very good chances of being elected.

Christians vote so often republican: when it follows the duck, walks like the duck, it seems to be just like the duck.

So Christians is now the same as Repuiblican 4/5 times.
Siljhouettes
25-11-2004, 19:50
It's the Republican's fault. They are hijacking Christianity to try to make people think that they own it. This way, Christians will feel that they have to vote Republican.
DeaconDave
25-11-2004, 19:55
It's the Republican's fault. They are hijacking Christianity to try to make people think that they own it. This way, Christians will feel that they have to vote Republican.

With all due respect: Are you a christian, and if so, would you vote republican?
BLARGistania
25-11-2004, 19:55
I don't think they are interchangable, I know plenty of liberal christians.

Its people like Jerry Falwell that make people think conservative and christian are the same thing. His new plan to revive the moral majority will only further that image.

The simple thing is to take religion completely out of politics and let people decide for themselves, without having a religious label attached to their party of choice.
Sblargh
25-11-2004, 19:59
Jesus was a liberal.
He was not even close to being a patriot, to him, life of the people matter lot more then the interests of the nation.
But, as christians are with their fascinating hability to read all backward, they read "jesus teaches that people are more important then a flag or even a church" and understand "jesus teaches that you should die under a flag and always obey the church", so, they chose the party that cares least about the people and more about the power of the flag.
Violets and Kitties
26-11-2004, 00:28
Because they 1)haven't read the bible and 2)believe everything they hear on the television.

A brand of Christianity that has arisen and become most popular (or at least most vocal and therefore best known) in the United States is a type that wish to have Christians morals codified into law (even though Jesus said that the law of man and the law of God are separate things) and seek to punish those who break these laws (even though Jesus said that was for God to do at judgement time and not for men to decide). In an attempt to gain a larger voter base, the Republican party (that which puts financial and political conservatism before human welfare) decided to adopt and tout these Christian morals as part of their platform in an attempt to get more voters. And these particular types of Christians flocked there (even though Jesus said that it is impossible to serve both God and money).
DHomme
26-11-2004, 00:30
Thankyou. Somebody NEEDS to be saying this.

Christo-communist for life!
Haloman
26-11-2004, 00:43
I know plenty of democrats who are chirsitan as well. It's merely a stereotype. Most blacks are democrats and christians. However, the majority of conservatives are christians. They are not "hijacking" the religion, they are merely communicating their beliefs. I have no clue why, but most people view christians, and it apalls me. Christians are among the nices people I know.

(On a side note, I'm christian, and somewhat conservative myself.)
Siljhouettes
26-11-2004, 01:00
With all due respect: Are you a christian, and if so, would you vote republican?
Yes, I suppose my post was rather anti-Republican. But they're not called "the evil party" for nothing are they? ;)

I'm not a Christian. If I were I would prefer to keep religion as a personal belief rather than impose it on everybody else. Thus I would not vote Republican.

I said that "Christians will feel that they have to vote Republican". I wasn't trying to say that Christians are stupid or can't think for themselves or any such thing. I'm trying to say that if the Republicans continue to try and integrate themselves with Christianity, you could end up with the nightmare scenario of Republican candidates being promoted from the pulpit.

Read Violets and Kitties' post. He is spot on.
Siljhouettes
26-11-2004, 01:04
Christians vote so often republican: when it follows the duck, walks like the duck, it seems to be just like the duck.

So Christians is now the same as Republican 4/5 times.
That doesn't make sense. It's true that 4/5 of Evangelical Christians voted for Bush this year. This does not take into account other types of Christians, who may be less pro-Republican. We know that 4/5 of Evangelical Christians are Republicans. This doesn't mean that 4/5 of Republicans are Christians.

I would say that the majority of Republicans are Christians, but I would say the same about Democrats. This is due to America being a country with a large majority of Christians.
Lethargic Triviality
26-11-2004, 01:11
Simply because conservative people want the government situation to remain as it is. "go with the flow" so-called. And the flow happens to be christian, because most Americans are christian (that's definitely a fact, not an assumption). I agree with whoever assumed that most conservatives are christian, although not all christians are conservative. Cheers. Wish we had some hard evidence.
Goed Twee
26-11-2004, 02:17
That doesn't make sense. It's true that 4/5 of Evangelical Christians voted for Bush this year. This does not take into account other types of Christians, who may be less pro-Republican. We know that 4/5 of Evangelical Christians are Republicans. This doesn't mean that 4/5 of Republicans are Christians.

I would say that the majority of Republicans are Christians, but I would say the same about Democrats. This is due to America being a country with a large majority of Christians.

Bingo.

Because evangelical christians are usually the loud ones, and they vote republican.

One of my friends is a christian and she votes green ;)
BLARGistania
26-11-2004, 02:33
oneof my friends said jesus was a free market capitalist (libretarian). I had to laugh at him because he only had two bible verses to back it up, not nearly as many as would back up Jesus being a commie.