NationStates Jolt Archive

Not to sound offensive or anything with this question, but what actually have Conservative Christians in America accomplished, like ever? The only thing I can think of is prohibition, but certainly nothing recent. Can anyone think of any major gain they have made?

My point being is, people seem to be always talking about the 'power' of the 'Conservative Christian vote' and 'courting the Christian vote', but is their power largely overrated?

Didn't they get constituional bans on gay marriage thorugh the vote in some states ?

Not to sound offensive or anything with this question, but what actually have Conservative Christians in America accomplished, like ever? The only thing I can think of is prohibition, but certainly nothing recent. Can anyone think of any major gain they have made?

My point being is, people seem to be always talking about the 'power' of the 'Conservative Christian vote' and 'courting the Christian vote', but is their power largely overrated?

Unfortunately, no. Because the Christian Right is an organized voting bloc, they can wield much more power at the polling booth than other, unorganized groups.

They're roughly 15% of the population, but can make a lot more of that count than can, say, the Atheists at 10%, who are unorganized (and likely to remain so).

Some would say Bush Jnr's elections were a victory for the Christian Right.

Some would say Bush Jnr's elections were a victory for the Christian Right.

Some would be right.

Paranoia.

Christians are largely responsible for the abolition of slavery in the US.

If it wasn't for their abolition movement, we wouldn't have had the Civil War. And there would have been no internal political pressure of any consequence to free the slaves.

You'd have to say that a lot of early settlers only stuck with it because of their religion. They were quite a fanatic bunch, when saner people would have staid where it's nice.

Not to sound offensive or anything with this question, but what actually have Conservative Christians in America accomplished, like ever? The only thing I can think of is prohibition, but certainly nothing recent. Can anyone think of any major gain they have made?

My point being is, people seem to be always talking about the 'power' of the 'Conservative Christian vote' and 'courting the Christian vote', but is their power largely overrated?

end of slavery.
they were instrumental in FDR being able to accomplish the new deal (back then the democrats had the religious types)

Quakers invented public education.

Quakers invented public education.

I wouldn't call them conservative, well not in the American 'conservative' sense.

I wouldn't call them conservative, well not in the American 'conservative' sense.

Why not?

Christians are largely responsible for the abolition of slavery in the US.

If it wasn't for their abolition movement, we wouldn't have had the Civil War. And there would have been no internal political pressure of any consequence to free the slaves.

That would be the Quakers, not the Christian Right. The fundamentalists found justification for slavery in the Bible.

Why not?

Since they practice pacifism and equality etc...

Since they practice pacifism and equality etc...

I can see that, but those are not the only qualities that define (or un-define) "Conservative Christian."

I can see that, but those are not the only qualities that define (or un-define) "Conservative Christian."

Well an American conservative will have almost completely opposite ideals to Quakers, except for their basic Christian beliefs.

as a quaker you don't even have to believe in god so they're hardly strict christians, and they didn't invent mass education anywhere.
many would say that the christian right in america has acheived a lot, primarily in the culture wars but also in escalating the war with islamic extremists

Given that the whole point of "Conservatism" is "Conserve" as in, conserving existing social structures, isn't it rather odd to judge their success by what they've changed?

It's all in Point of View- you could consider the fact that public nudity is still frowned upon to be a Conservative victory.

yeah public nudity and a host of other perfectly harmless things, such as swearing on tv and equal rights for gay people

I'm sure they've accomplished many evil things, but I can't think of much else.

Not to sound offensive or anything with this question, but what actually have Conservative Christians in America accomplished, like ever? The only thing I can think of is prohibition, but certainly nothing recent. Can anyone think of any major gain they have made?

It really depends on your definition of "conservative," I think.

For instance, there was a very strong Christian presence in the Abolition movement, but I don't know what the typical political orientation of those folks was (given the historical context).

A large number of the supporters of Women's Suffrage were Christian, and I know at least a few who had pretty conservative values by today's standards, but again I'm not sure if they'd count as "conservatives" in their historical context.

In my lifetime, I believe the Christian conservative movement has been pretty much horrible through and through. I can't think of a single civil rights victory that didn't come over their loud objections. I know they still are the primary opponents of human rights in my country. I know they have financed and supported virtually all of the worst American politicians to serve during my lifetime.

Whenever I think of the "activist battles" that I've participated in, the opposition always includes conservative Christians. Every major gain I've worked for, every front on which I've tried to help improve the world, has been a fight specifically BECAUSE of the presence of Christian conservatives.

Which is weird, because most of the values I fight for are things that I think are 100% in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ, and most of them are also in line with the stated "conservative" ideology.

Not to sound offensive or anything with this question, but what actually have Conservative Christians in America accomplished, like ever? The only thing I can think of is prohibition, but certainly nothing recent. Can anyone think of any major gain they have made?

My point being is, people seem to be always talking about the 'power' of the 'Conservative Christian vote' and 'courting the Christian vote', but is their power largely overrated?

I've been taught that conservative means you want things to stay more or less the same. So, all the changes that have been discussed in the news that haven't happened (gay marriage, removing god from pledge of allegence, legalizing drugs...) are not happenning because of the conservatives.

I'm curious as to what Internet Stalinists have ever accomplished.

I'm curious as to what Internet Stalinists have ever accomplished.

Making this topic, for one.

I'm curious as to what Internet Stalinists have ever accomplished.

Hours of entertainment.

I'm curious as to what Internet Stalinists have ever accomplished.
Haven't you ever heard the sating 'more Stalinists than Stalin'?
As to comrade Stalin, well he built socialism...

Not to sound offensive or anything with this question, but what actually have Conservative Christians in America accomplished, like ever? The only thing I can think of is prohibition, but certainly nothing recent. Can anyone think of any major gain they have made?

My point being is, people seem to be always talking about the 'power' of the 'Conservative Christian vote' and 'courting the Christian vote', but is their power largely overrated?

As a former teacher I know that on a multiple choice test with four choices, the number 5 is always the correct answer. However, in this case I would accept 6 or 7 as the correct answer, :eek:

Quakers invented public education.

:confused: :confused: :confused: Where did you ever get that idea?

What have Communists in AMerica accomplished? Oh, nothing. Sorry Andaras, but Although the Conservative Christian vote dosen't SEEM to do anything, it's actually a major decider in many things. *Cough!* Gay marriage/Abortion!*Cough! COUGH! WEEZE! HACK!* Sorry, hairball. Wait a minute, what?:D

Not to sound offensive or anything with this question, but what actually have Conservative Christians in America accomplished, like ever? The only thing I can think of is prohibition, but certainly nothing recent. Can anyone think of any major gain they have made?

My point being is, people seem to be always talking about the 'power' of the 'Conservative Christian vote' and 'courting the Christian vote', but is their power largely overrated?

It really depends on what one considers a "gain" doesn't it? Which makes your question extremely subjective I think.

The fundamentalists found justification for slavery in the Bible.

Then the Democrats were fundamentalists? Most in the South leaned toward the Democrats philosophy didn't they? They were damn sure against the Republican philosophy. :eek:

:confused: :confused: :confused: Where did you ever get that idea?

Oh, excuse me, it was the Pilgrims, wasn't it? Pilgrims, Puritans, Quakers...either way.

Haven't you ever heard the sating 'more Stalinists than Stalin'?
As to comrade Stalin, well he built socialism...

And mass graves and torture camps(oops sorry. Re-education camps), the lost goes on and on. But those are some of the better things he's done.

Then the Democrats were fundamentalists? Most in the South leaned toward the Democrats philosophy didn't they? They were damn sure against the Republican philosophy. :eek:

It doesn't even have to go back to slavery to see that. Martin Luther King was a Republican and it was the Democrat southerners that hated him so.

The question bothers me though, because I know plenty of Dems that are conservative Christians. Is the OP assuming that ccs are only Republicans? :rolleyes:

What have Communists in AMerica accomplished? Oh, nothing. Sorry Andaras, but Although the Conservative Christian vote dosen't SEEM to do anything, it's actually a major decider in many things. *Cough!* Gay marriage/Abortion!*Cough! COUGH! WEEZE! HACK!* Sorry, hairball. Wait a minute, what?:D
Ummm well Communism was actively suppressed and Communists were persecuted in America during it's development, when thousands of people lost their jobs for being Communists when the movement was only in it's infancy, i so it's no real surprise generations of Americans were brainwashed by their bourgeois governments etc that Communism was inherently bad, so if you want to brag about being brainwashed and ignorant, as well as a pawn for capital, then that's fine, I just don't consider that's a virtue.

Oh, excuse me, it was the Pilgrims, wasn't it? Pilgrims, Puritans, Quakers...either way.

All of the above is not the correct answer. Why are you asking me if it was the Pilgrims? You stated it was the Quakers and now you are asking me! :rolleyes:

All of the above is not the correct answer. Why are you asking me if it was the Pilgrims? You stated it was the Quakers and now you are asking me! :rolleyes:

And the winner is.....Puritans! :p



United States' public education system, tracing its development from its roots in Puritan and Congregationalist religious schools in the 1600s and subsequently the availability of free elementary education thanks to the efforts of Common School reformers in the 1800s.

http://www.servintfree.net/~aidmn-ejournal/publications/2001-11/PublicEducationInTheUnitedStates.html

Ummm well Communism was actively suppressed and Communists were persecuted in America during it's development, when thousands of people lost their jobs for being Communists when the movement was only in it's infancy, i so it's no real surprise generations of Americans were brainwashed by their bourgeois governments etc that Communism was inherently bad, so if you want to brag about being brainwashed and ignorant, as well as a pawn for capital, then that's fine, I just don't consider that's a virtue.
You use that word too much.

On actually answering that, it's true. Communism was suppressed during the cold war. However, before that it had done absolutly nothing, and today it has done absolutly nothing. Calling people ignorant becuase they have seen evidence that Communism does not work doesn't really win an argument. Nobody has been brainwashed, and the movement was not in it's infancy. Communism had been introduced to the USA during the Civil war, and Susan B. Anthony was a socialist. People are not pawns for capital, no more then, the proelitariat/whatever you call it, are pawns of the state.

Ummm well Communism was actively suppressed and Communists were persecuted in America during it's development, when thousands of people lost their jobs for being Communists when the movement was only in it's infancy, i so it's no real surprise generations of Americans were brainwashed by their bourgeois governments etc that Communism was inherently bad, so if you want to brag about being brainwashed and ignorant, as well as a pawn for capital, then that's fine, I just don't consider that's a virtue.

The difference is that we used words and sugestions. The USSR used torture to make you a productive member of the Glorious Peoples Workers Party. Brainwashing is bad, but when its done with words, It tends to cause less rebellions then making them eat crushed glass with laxitives. At least we did it correctly. Which side overtook the over in the cold war again?

All of the above is not the correct answer. Why are you asking me if it was the Pilgrims? You stated it was the Quakers and now you are asking me! :rolleyes:

Well it was one of them.

They wanted everyone to be able to read the Bible. Started in Massachusetts.

And the winner is.....Puritans! :p

http://www.servintfree.net/~aidmn-ejournal/publications/2001-11/PublicEducationInTheUnitedStates.html

See? I knew it was one of those. My problem is that I don't actually know the difference between them.

You use that word too much.

INCONCEIVABLE!

[QUOTE=RhynoD;13715800]See? I knew it was one of those. My problem is that I don't actually know the difference between them.[QUOTE]

Then you should learn. Education is the key to success in life.

It doesn't even have to go back to slavery to see that. Martin Luther King was a Republican and it was the Democrat southerners that hated him so.

Democrat Southerners that filled the KKK too.


The question bothers me though, because I know plenty of Dems that are conservative Christians. Is the OP assuming that ccs are only Republicans? :rolleyes:


Most young people do. They don't realize how many Christian Democrats there are.

All of the above is not the correct answer. Why are you asking me if it was the Pilgrims? You stated it was the Quakers and now you are asking me! :rolleyes:

Once a teacher always a teacher. There are many pupils on here eager to be taught.

They succeeded in creating the mindset that produced Fred Phelps.

Take it outside of the US and see what they have done... sorry but US is global player so issues of this type impact on the world and we need to take a global context to it. They bring their influence through the US government, but their influence is not as powerful as the one brought through another religous group, the israeli

Then the Democrats were fundamentalists? Most in the South leaned toward the Democrats philosophy didn't they? They were damn sure against the Republican philosophy. :eek:Yes, they were for the Democratic and Republican philosophies of their time, which are somewhat opposite now of what they were then.

However, before that it had done absolutly nothing, and today it has done absolutly nothing. Except of course, the eight hour day, the minimum wage, workplace safety standards, and assorted other things.

Haven't you ever heard the sating 'more Stalinists than Stalin'?

No, and neither has google (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22more+stalinists+than+stalin%22&btnG=Search).

Of course you probably meant "Stalinist" not "Stalinists."


As to comrade Stalin, well he built socialism...

Yeah, but he wasn't an internet Stalinist.

Using Stalin to show what Internet Stalinists have accomplished is like me using Jesus Christ to show what Christian Conservatives have accomplished.

Not to sound offensive or anything with this question, but what actually have Conservative Christians in America accomplished, like ever? The only thing I can think of is prohibition, but certainly nothing recent. Can anyone think of any major gain they have made?

My point being is, people seem to be always talking about the 'power' of the 'Conservative Christian vote' and 'courting the Christian vote', but is their power largely overrated?


Much of their power is directed to keeping things the same and preventing change rather than initiating their own change.