You know what I find funny...

[snbl11225]

typically conservatives in america are religious or at least more religious than liberals
conservatives tend to lean more toward christian 'family values' and liberals tend to be more, lets say open minded

I take issue with your assumption, that conservatives are more religious. Though I do think it the pervasive feeling in the US. I was in my sixties when I accepted Jesus Christ. Many of my Christian/conservative friends thought I would automatically change my political views. For the most part, they remained the same. In some cases, such as separation of church & state, they became even stronger. No where in the Bible does God/Jesus Christ define political affilitiation, country affiliation, or economic preference. There is a distinction between religions role in my life. I accept God's right to set the standards for my life. I look to the government to provide a structure whereby my rights under the constitution can be maintained and the operation of this government can be maintained. There are times when these come in conflinct and I must make choices based on the overall goal to be reached. As an example, simply because someone is a Christian does not neccessarilly equate to being a good leader, manager, etc. Please don't sterotype everyone into a single mold.

 

[Tucker Case]

typically conservatives in america are religious or at least more religious than liberals
conservatives tend to lean more toward christian 'family values' and liberals tend to be more, lets say open minded.

the main conservative argument for small government that i have heard is 'we dont need the government to invade our lives and tell us how to live them, we can live our lives how we want.'

but, this completely conflicts with a rigidly structured christian lifestyle, what, the government shouldn't be able to tell you what to do, but religion can?

ps this is just how i see cons vs libs i dont mean to generalize or make blanket statements

I don't get what's so funny about that.

But what do I know? I find clowns being eaten by cannibalistic mimes to be funny.

 

[TheBook]

The stereotype of the religious conservative doesn't seem to be wholly unfounded. At the very least social conservatives certainly tend to be religious (always exceptions of course, but generally speaking).

That's why it tickles me so much when every other week some Republican suffers a sex scandal of some sort. I'm surprised they still manage to command so many "values-voters."

 

[MKULTRABOY]

We live under a secular government and religion has been wholly ditched as a means of governing. We are still in what is largely and loosely a christian civilization, however. The purpose of small government would be to allow freedom of religion, yet at the same time this limits the roof on religion's ability to be effective in driving peoples lives.

I guess maybe it is self defeating...

My how these Americans confound me.

 

[UtahBill]

We live under a secular government and religion has been wholly ditched as a means of governing. We are still in what is largely and loosely a christian civilization, however. The purpose of small government would be to allow freedom of religion, yet at the same time this limits the roof on religion's ability to be effective in driving peoples lives.

I guess maybe it is self defeating...

My how these Americans confound me.

are you saying you want religion to have some control over us, and govt?
and I think the reason to have small govt is to limit its influence and power over our lives, not just for freedom of religion.

 

[indica]

Just because the Vatican has learned to play behind the scenes does not mean they have lost any power. As time is going by, especially in America, people have lost touch with the real meaning of having a religion... but overall the Catholic church has not lost a lot of power at all.

and I know history very well.
Rather than taking what you see and hear in through one ear and out through the other, maybe you can learn to analyze it...and learn to think for yourself.

 

[UtahBill]

Just because the Vatican has learned to play behind the scenes does not mean they have lost any power. As time is going by, especially in America, people have lost touch with the real meaning of having a religion... but overall the Catholic church has not lost a lot of power at all.

and I know history very well.
Rather than taking what you see and hear in through one ear and out through the other, maybe you can learn to analyze it...and learn to think for yourself.

History is written by the winners....but I will give the Catholic Church credit for admitting to their past mistakes. They no longer have the power to ban books, so they don't have much choice. The first derogatory thing I saw about the catholic church was in a catholic high school history book.
I can think on my own very well, thank you very much. been a doubter and a skeptic since a child. my mother didn't like it one bit when I challenged her baptist beliefs.

 

[Badfish420]

Is it really conflicting?

Small government - why have a beuracracy having any say in your life? Government isn't the arbiter of philosophical truth.

Christianity - "truth" that has moral implications, the basis for understanding the "real" world

They aren't contradictory. In fact, I completely agree with them (and I'm anti-conservative for their war-madness which is the true contradiction with christianity).

What you are basically saying is "they don't want govt. making laws over them, why do they want christianity making laws?" which is a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue - and totally black and white thinking on the matter.

In short, you are confused in your thinking. Accepting moral truth doesn't conflict with disliking government rule in your life.

i completely agree that living your life to a set of morals doesnt conflict with disliking government but i disagree that christianity is at all moral. sure there are some things that christians believe that are perfectly just ethical causes but that doesnt mean you need to buy into the whole religion. im an athiest for instance and there are many ethics and morals and causes that i believe in, some christian values and some not. im sure you believe that killing and stealing is wrong, but im sure you dont believe that women should cover themselves and speak when spoken to or that it is a sin to work on sunday.