Where are the likeminded?

[Mariya116]

Geez folks...

I'm dreaming of...

an online community where it's okay to be both Orthodox and Democrat. Does one exist?

I went on my other Orthodox/Catholic forum - I got booed to the point of personal attacks for not sharing their far fight views (racism and sexism included). It got so bad that comments were deleted and the thread locked by the female moderator.

I went on a Democratic forum - I kept my mouth shut because I felt I would get booed for not being far enough on the left (everyone here knows how I feel about pot).

If anyone knows of an appropriate forum for an open-minded, all ethnicities - accepting, tax - paying, social program - supporting, personal freedom - respecting, pro - Israel, college - educated young female Christian Democrat to fit in - let me know!

Thanxxx

 

[gracefullamb]

Uh, here going by this past election. Most of the political posts here knocked the GOP, their platform, and their candidates.

 

[Mariya116]

Oh okay. I'll look at the older threads. Thanks!

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I think the Orthodox are probably the most open to there being flaws in ALL parties and, as a result, friendlier to your opinion. My own priest blasted me pretty hard for going for Obama despite my open frustrations with him on the life and gay marriage issues. But nobody has told me I'm going straight to Hell for voting for him.

Catholicism is the area where the Republican Party is considered your ONLY OPTION and you're persona non grata if you say otherwise.

While there are Republicans, Libertarians, Independents, Democrats, and other folks in TAW, they're all pretty good to me and patient with my crazy political opinions.

 

[gracefullamb]

You probably won't find pro-Israel the nation but the rest of your list was here in the posts. There are people here in favor of and against each of the rest of your list, enough that you won't be tarred and feathered for those thoughts.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I'm pro-Israel the nation. gurney adjusts his kevlar, riot helmet, visor, gloves, salad bar sneeze guard and other equipment to avoid the incoming bullets from his fellow anti-Israel posters

You probably won't find pro-Israel the nation but the rest of your list was here in the posts. There are people here in favor of and against each of the rest of your list, enough that you won't be tarred and feathered for those thoughts.

 

[Mariya116]

I think the Orthodox are probably the most open to there being flaws in ALL parties and, as a result, friendlier to your opinion. My own priest blasted me pretty hard for going for Obama despite my open frustrations with him on the life and gay marriage issues. But nobody has told me I'm going straight to Hell for voting for him.

Catholicism is the area where the Republican Party is considered your ONLY OPTION and you're persona non grata if you say otherwise.

While there are Republicans, Libertarians, Independents, Democrats, and other folks in TAW, they're all pretty good to me and patient with my crazy political opinions.

Okaaaaaaaay... that explains the Catholics' reaction to my posts. Although there are Catholic Democrats and I subscribed to the Catholic Democrat mailings, and I got the following email from them yesterday:

[FONT=Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=book Antiqua,Palatino]We are thankful for so much this Thanksgiving... [/FONT]
[FONT=book Antiqua,Palatino]
Especially for your support[/FONT]
[/FONT]

Dear Friends,


Hopefully, this Thanksgiving, we will all emerge from a difficult campaign season and years of economic turmoil feeling renewed and optimistic for the future. Tomorrow, we will celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends. We wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some of the things that we can all be thankful for this year:

• Once again, our nation elected a president who believes that we are all our sisters' and brothers' keeper - that we are all in this together - and that we have a responsibility to that;

• The slow - but steady - growth of our economy over the past four years, which other nations wish they enjoyed, including the creation 4.5 million jobs created in the past four years;

• The Supreme Court decision that substantially upheld the framework of the Affordable Care Act that will allow our nation to build on and improve this historic legislation so that no one goes without the fundamental right to basic health care;

• The Catholic voices, including yours, that have spoken out in support of the millions of people still living in poverty;

• The thousands of organizations, including Catholic Charities, parishes, etc., that serve those who are vulnerable by providing them food, shelter, clothing, and other kinds of assistance;

• The leadership of President Obama, demonstrated by his issuing an executive order that keeps immigrant families together by allowing young people who would have qualified under the DREAM Act to no longer fear deportation;

• The thousands of you who spoke out about the divisive politicization that took place in too many Catholic parishes throughout the presidential campaign, and the many priests who stood up to keep their parishes safe from partisan politicking;

• The millions who sacrifice and protect - our soldiers, police officers, EMTs, and fire fighters;

• The rich Catholic Social Justice Tradition, which has informed our nation's conscience for over a century and that gives us hope for the future;

• The Catholic theological community from whom we can all learn, who have spoken out publicly on critical issues during the campaign, reminding the Church and the nation of the virtues and imperative of the Catholic Social Justice Tradition in addressing the moral issues of our time;

• The nuns, who - for so many of us - embody what it means to be Catholic, and especially Sr. Simone Campbell and the "Nuns on the Bus."

Last but not least, we can all be thankful for one another. We who are Catholic Democrats face challenges in our Church today, unimagined only a decade ago, that have made too many of our brothers and sisters feel alienated in their parishes or within the Church itself. We are so thankful that our growing national community has emerged to not only advance the common good in the public square but to also support one another as proud Catholic Democrats.


Thanksgiving blessings to you and your loved ones.


With warmest regards,


The Catholic Democrats Team

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

In Catholicism, they believe the best and half the time ONLY way to affect social change is to vote for a Republican pro-lifer. Some Orthodox feel that way.

For me, I think voting is complicated. And there are so many values to vote on.

From my point of view, unions are very important. I'm a union rep/steward for my school site. I have been a party to a lot of harrassment from principals directed not only at me but toward others. Administration can be extremely corrupt and make things very personal. I know a lot about unions and value them greatly in the workplace. However, I know unions can contribute to dubious folks like LGBT community stuff that I disagree with.

I am very pro-environment. I compost, recycle, am vegetarian, and try to keep my carbon footprint to a light gentle step

I'm honest that I'm into animal rights and am a big bleeding heart. Not ashamed to say it

But I'm also not a fan of taxing people to death, I'm anti-abortion, and opposed to gay "marriage."

But I think the rich pay too little in taxes, I think the GOP tend toward war-mongering and military-industrial complex-pandering, and I get sick of that.

But I also surprised some friends of mine "in real life" telling them that I'm GLAD that the GOP kept a majority in the House. Why? I like divided government. The Democrats or Republicans should NEVER have full control. when that happens, the demons perched on both of their shoulders rears their ugly heads and all hell breaks loose

I like checks and balances

 

[Mariya116]

My own priest blasted me pretty hard for going for Obama

My priest deleted my election night post on our church's website congratulating the President and wishing him many blessings. I love my priest to death and I was pretty surprised. Church is no place for partisanship.

 

[gracefullamb]

I'm pro-Israel the nation. gurney adjusts his kevlar, riot helmet, visor, gloves, salad bar sneeze guard and other equipment to avoid the incoming bullets from his fellow anti-Israel posters

Okay, but you also can't deny most of the posts concerning the subject are not. Hence why I think she might be hard pressed to find many post agreeing with her on that particular one. Though to be honest the only posts I noticed that people had a problem with were the ones contradicting replacement theology, so I doubt she would get tarred and feathered if her argument isn't contradicting replacement theology but politically based.

 

[Mariya116]

I'm pro-Israel the nation. gurney adjusts his kevlar, riot helmet, visor, gloves, salad bar sneeze guard and other equipment to avoid the incoming bullets from his fellow anti-Israel posters

And I'm simply one quarter Jewish, have a large number of family members born and living in Israel, and I want them and their compatriots to continue to live in safety and prosperity in their country.

 

[Mariya116]

the replacement theology

Never heard of replacement theology Gracefullamb, I'll google that I guess.

 

[Mariya116]

I'm anti-abortion, and opposed to gay "marriage."

I'm not crazy about gay marriage either.

 

[gracefullamb]

Never heard of replacement theology Gracefullamb, I'll google that I guess.

Sorry let me explain what I meant by stating that, it sounds odd the way I put it. I've edited the other post so it makes more sense. The idea that Isreal the nation is God's Chosen people, and thus we must support the nation as Christians, as opposed to the reality that The Church and those in it are God's chosen people, not a political state. A lot of Protestants believe that first and it is bad theology. So as long as your argument isn't that first one, which based on your previous post it isn't, I don't think you'll feel a lot vile opposition to your argument. You may find opposition and debate but nothing vile.

 

[Mariya116]

Sorry let me explain want I meant by stating that, it sounds odd the way put it. The idea that Isreal the nation is God's Chosen people and thus we most support the nation as Christians as opposed to the reality that The Church and those in it that are God's chosen people not a political state. A lot of Protestants believe that first and it is bad theology. So as long as your argument isn't that first one, which based on your previous post it isn't, I don't think you'll feel a lot vile opposition to your argument. You may opposition and debate but nothing vile.

Thanks for clarifying. I absolutely won't go into any Israel-related debate, in fact I avoid debates altogether - I simply do not want to be attacked when I express a view. In the other forum, the very first thing I wrote was: "I do not want to engage in polemics, the election is behind us, we all cast our ballots in private, and I respect others' opinions whether we agree or not." Then, I stated that we must be fair and acknowledge what Planned Parenthood, despite what it is criticized for, does right - provide affordable and accessible female health services to uninsured women, they provide excellent service and I myself have been their patient for years. Didn't help - tarred and feathered I was...

Maybe it is me who needs to find a way to formulate my opinions more gently, although I felt I did a fine job from the start.

 

[Wagonmaker]

Haha... your frustration is felt. I just posted a thread under Christian Persecution about the Church persecuting itself. The wider your lens pans out (the more broad your spectrum), the less you will find agreement within the parameters.

In other words, when Christians of similar background cannot agree, it's apparent the greater whole of the world is divided indeed. Good luck!

PS - I don't know where you stand on pot, but I've used it with pleasurable results. I am by no means an advocate for decriminalization, nor do I endorse or condone its use. But I just thought I'd be real with you and let you know a little about what some people would consider a "sin".

 

[Mariya116]

PS - I don't know where you stand on pot, but I've used it with pleasurable results. I am by no means an advocate for decriminalization, nor do I endorse or condone its use. But I just thought I'd be real with you and let you know a little about what some people would consider a "sin".

Not concerned with the sin factor - I work in the legal field and see pot's damaging effects on people firsthand.

 

[Lukaris]

The thing is what is there to be gained from any of the political parties in America?

The Republicans have given Americans over 20 years of warfare in the middle East which has drained the treasury, strained the military, promote cheap & unfair international trade that stymies the domestic business growth & benefits the idle rich, & betray & undermine any work ethic that is needed to sustain a healthy working & middle class tax base for a society to have less welfare, crime, & decay.


The Democrats support the same international trade policies that undermine domestic economic activity, tax working people into serfdom, perpetuate more serfdom with an endless welfare state, destroy avenues of revenue for taxation, gull union dupes into believing that big government will support the "workin guy" against the owner (yeah? look at those poor fools at Hostess cakes & look at bailed out General Motors who will now produce 70% of their autos oversees), gave us the "Arab spring" debacle, etc.


I rarely try to post anything about politics in the forum & do not mean to criticize anyone's views. Personally I wish the Orthodox Church could help make itself more visible for faith for society that would probably clash, not by design but default, with much of the political values of American society.

 

[Wagonmaker]

Not concerned with the sin factor - I work in the legal field and see pot's damaging effects on people firsthand.

I am far removed from the legal field (with the exception of being friends and/or family with some of our local politicians). I am probably pretty segregated from the people group you describe here. Again, I have, as Obama admits "inhaled frequently", but I am not a user or pusher or whatever they call it these days. I certainly experienced no ill effects, no "gateway" experiences, and I've never been near anything else except alcohol (which in my opinion does more damage than cannabis).

 

[Mariya116]

I have, as Obama admits "inhaled frequently".

LOL when did he say that?

alcohol (which in my opinion does more damage than cannabis).

A different kind of damage... there's also crystal meth... count the ways we can mess up our bodies...