Why are most Christians politically right wing?

[timothyu]

Scandinavia is even better.

Then why is it taking so long for the new ABBA record to come out,

 

[ArmenianJohn]

I never understood this because what the right stands for is not even biblical. Two of the things that are absolutely biblical and correct from the right/conservatism are : 1. Anti-LGBT and 2. Pro-Life. And I agree with this, along with general traditional family values and biblical morality. But everything else in the right wing you can argue is completely against Christianity and what Jesus taught. Everything in the right seems to be based on political identity and culture, not Jesus Christ. So I don't understand why right wing politics caters to Christian evangelicals so much.

Yeah, doesn't make sense to me either. The only thing I have been able to reason is that most who claim to be Christian are only culturally and nominally "Christians" so they don't truly adhere to actual Christian tenets. I'm pretty sure I'm right about that.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

The left is socialist, with goals toward Communism. The right is the old left, now disguised as the right as we've been moving further left for decades. Communism is the endgame and Communism is a Luciferian system for controlling the people which always ends in mass murder.

Socialism is Biblical and was the norm for the early Christians.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Oh good grief...!

Tell me, do you also regard your wife (assuming you have one) as being ‘sinister’ and do you also persecute left-handed people (della sinestra)...?

I was just lightening the conversation by injecting a little humour...

Smile value only - not serious.

 

[Allandavid]

I was just lightening the conversation by injecting a little humour...

Smile value only - not serious.

Oh you crazy Kiwis...!

 

[JackRT]

You can do all of that in a free society as well.

Socialist nations are just as free as capitalist ones, maybe more so.

 

[JackRT]

How about one side seeks gain at the expense of others, while the other side puts rights over responsibility?

Socialism doesn't mean taking wealth from those who work hard and giving to those who don't ---- you're thinking of capitalism.

 

[JackRT]

We had a Baptist preacher who became the leader of the CCF a social democratic party often called a 'Red' by the right and left in Canada. He ended up being considered the greatest Canadian ever for the work he did for all with his social justice platform. So he kind of doesn't seem to fit the picture you paint.

Several years ago the CBC television network in Canada ran a major series and vote to determine Canada's greatest hero. Hundreds of nominations were recieved and then whittled down to ten or twelve. They then prepared an hour long documentary on the life and achievements of each one of them. Canadians voted overwhelmingly for Tommy Douglas, the fiery little Baptist preacher turned socialist politician, who is regarded as the 'Father of Medicare' in Canada. It is my sincere hope that the USA will some day have a universal medicare system comparable to what we enjoy in Canada.

 

[Rubiks]

The anti-abortion and anti-queer issues are only the sugar that's supposed to make the bitter policies of the right palatable for the religious. They vote against their own interest because they have been convinced that is better than supporting morals they don't agree with.

It's kind of genius, really.

Unfortunately millions of Christians now believe God wants us to cut Medicare, Social Security, etc. because the far right diffuses into the religious right.

 

[Rubiks]

That’s a lovely big brush you have there...

Perhaps vague Boogeymen terms like "socialist" should be retired.

 

[FireDragon76]

Just what are "traditional family values"?

Dog whistles for southern fried patriarchy and genteel feudalism.

 

[FireDragon76]

Ever watch Leave it to Beaver? Twin beds in every room and a well stocked bar.

It's ironic because that time period wasn't dominated by what we today recognize as "evangelicals". The single biggest religious group back then was what we would recognize today as "mainline Protestant". It was not uncommon for liberal theologians and clergy to be on the front covers of Time magazine as the typical American face of religion.

Honestly, I don't think the cultural right in the US really appreciates exactly what it wants. That is the nature of nostalgia, it is always about an idealized past that never really existed.

 

[FireDragon76]

The anti-abortion and anti-queer issues are only the sugar that's supposed to make the bitter policies of the right palatable for the religious. They vote against their own interest because they have been convinced that is better than supporting morals they don't agree with.

It's kind of genius, really.

I think its deeper than that. They'll vote for just about anything as long as it hurts people they see as their enemies. There's nothing sweet about it anymore, it's just a culture that is so embittered and self-absorbed that's really all that motivates it anymore. They confuse hate with righteousness.

 

[Nithavela]

Unfortunately millions of Christians now believe God wants us to cut Medicare, Social Security, etc. because the far right diffuses into the religious right.

Why would that be unfortunately?

 

[FireDragon76]

I suppose the silver lining to all this is that failing social movements typically have one last gasp of this sort, usually highly aggressive and exaggerated, before they fade from history altogether. And that seems to be the case in terms of what we are seeing. Pagan Romans had this sort of thing under Julian the Apostate, for instance.

 

[Speedwell]

I suppose the silver lining to all this is that failing social movements typically have one last gasp of this sort, usually highly aggressive and exaggerated, before they fade from history altogether. And that seems to be the case in terms of what we are seeing. Pagan Romans had this sort of thing under Julian the Apostate, for instance.

In this case the Christian Right has tied itself so inextricably to Trump that if he fails their political power will be broken for good.

 

[iluvatar5150]

There are certain values and personality traits that lead one to both religiosity (particularly of the more authoritarian Protestant flavor) and conservative political beliefs. That in and of itself will create a fair amount of overlap.

But in the US, there was a deliberate movement starting in the late 70s to associate evangelicalism with Republican politics.

Moral Majority - Wikipedia

 

[Speedwell]

There are certain values and personality traits that lead one to both religiosity (particularly of the more authoritarian Protestant flavor) and conservative political beliefs. That in and of itself will create a fair amount of overlap.

But in the US, there was a deliberate movement starting in the late 70s to associate evangelicalism with Republican politics.

Moral Majority - Wikipedia

And largely contributed to by the Republican Party's Southern Strategy, which added a dose of the victimhood narrative of the "Lost Cause" to the mix.

 

[iluvatar5150]

And largely contributed to by the Republican Party's Southern Strategy, which added a dose of the victimhood narrative of the "Lost Cause" to the mix.

Yep, some of those same institutions that pushed the Christians Vote Republican narrative were also proponents of maintaining segregated facilities under the auspices of private religious rights. Bob Jones was an open segregationist and other Christian school curricula often painted a whitewashed perspective of racial issues.

IME, if you go into urban northeastern churches - even those that are doctrinally very conservative, the political right has much less of a stranglehold. This association between Christians and the far right is highly correlated to geography.

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

There are certain values and personality traits that lead one to both religiosity (particularly of the more authoritarian Protestant flavor) and conservative political beliefs. That in and of itself will create a fair amount of overlap.

But in the US, there was a deliberate movement starting in the late 70s to associate evangelicalism with Republican politics.

Prior Falwell, evangelicalism was largely apolitical. Liberal Christians often criticized evangelicals for not being political enough. Then after decades of castigating the "Christian Right", the Republican Party nominated a candidate who had run the most secular campaign by any GOP candidate since the 70's. Turned out the new secularized right was ever less to their liking. Liberals angrily accused evangelicals of "selling out their principles" for falling in line and supporting him. Be careful what you wish for...