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Do Christian conservatives have a future in the Republican Party?
The Washington Times ^ | 9/23/13 | Joseph Cotto

Posted on 10/01/2013 12:06:37 PM PDT by shego

For better or for worse, libertarianism is on the upswing in the Republican Party....

...."68% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents agree with the statement that 'individuals should be free to do as they like as long as they don't hurt others, and that the government should keep out of people's day-to-day lives.'....

"Some fundamentalist Christians are very libertarian in their beliefs," explained Dave Nalle, Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus, to The Washington Times Communities earlier this year....

"They understand that the governmental restraint which is central to libertarianism works to their benefit in protecting them from government interference in their religious life," he continued. "Like Ron Paul, who is very religious, they value the independence of their churches and want to keep government from promoting any ideology through the schools or its other programs. While they do not support social libertarianism they understand that if government can dictate lifestyle decisions it's a knife which cuts both ways."

During the same interview, Nalle mentioned that "(w)here we do run into problems with the religious right is with those small but influential groups which believe that they should promote their beliefs by using government as an instrument to impose them on other people.

"They don't understand that this is a terrible practice which can be turned against them and they use tactics which are essentially the same as the secular humanists from the left who are their greatest enemies. Ultimately I don't see much future for this element in the Republican Party or even in mainstream politics.

"When they are fanatical about forcing their beliefs on everyone through legislation they make themselves so unpopular that they become a political liability which no party can afford to get involved with...

(Excerpt) Read more at communities.washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: conservatism; gop; libertarian; republicans
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To: CatherineofAragon

Well that’s wrong, and even unbelievers used to know that.


21 posted on 10/01/2013 12:26:03 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar again if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Yes, that’s why I won’t get my question answered. To do so would mean instant banning.


22 posted on 10/01/2013 12:27:18 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon ((Support Christian white males----the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization.))
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To: C. Edmund Wright

Even “mushy moderate” observation of Christian faith looks like fundamentalism to rank unbelievers. Got to remember perspective.


23 posted on 10/01/2013 12:27:58 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar again if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

If she thinks Cruz is a liberal then what, does she want a conservative? Which would be “worse”?


24 posted on 10/01/2013 12:29:00 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar again if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: shego

There is nothing inconsistent with looking to one’s faith, and not the government, to instill moral beliefs and behavior.

Government is inhereantly liberal and anti-conservative religions, as has been shown by using the power of government to punish Christians, Jews, and others of moral beliefs (thinking Hobby Lobby, forcing people to provide services at gay weddings, etc.)

The way to protect the rights of the religious right is to defang and de-power the government.


25 posted on 10/01/2013 12:30:47 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Any minute now - another liberal troll will be here claiming Ronald Reagan was a liberal too.

Free Republic is infested with liberals.


26 posted on 10/01/2013 12:33:12 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

That’s true....most people outside a group will look from the outside and lump them all togther. I see some social only conservatives do that to libertarians and vice versa. Since I have strains of both, it always aggrevates me from either direction.


27 posted on 10/01/2013 12:33:29 PM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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To: shego

What ever you do, be sure to divide conservatives up into tight little groups and pit them against each other! That will get us back into power! NOT!!!!!!!!


28 posted on 10/01/2013 12:34:15 PM PDT by Ditter
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To: HiTech RedNeck
A political “Christ party” would not work short of the Lord Himself being physically here ruling and reigning. That ALWAYS is asking the church to take pastoral care of unbelievers. No can do, no is in mission. The libertarians have picked up on that truth.

How does that make any sense? The libertarians have picked up on the truth that a "Christ Party" won't work?

What in the world is a "Christ Party" and what truth about it did the libertarians pick up on, what in the world are you talking about?

29 posted on 10/01/2013 12:34:44 PM PDT by ansel12 ( 'I'm on That New Obama Diet... Every Day I Let Vladimir Putin Eat My Lunch' .)
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To: shego

re: “”Like Ron Paul, who is very religious, they value the independence of their churches and want to keep government from promoting any ideology through the schools or its other programs.”

Here is the rub - it is impossible NOT to promote some kind of ideology. Everyone believes in something - THAT is your ideology.

The Declaration of Independence expresses a religious and political ideology - “endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.

Conservative Christians believe in the right to life because it teaches that life was created by God - every life conceived has the right to have a chance to live. The Founders believe in that ‘right to life’.

Every law has some moral foundation to it. Every law is an expression of some moral precept.

Our nation was founded in Biblical precepts because most early Americans were Christian or Jewish. That doesn’t mean they were all theologically the same, or that all went to church, or that all even believed in God - but they all had a Judeo-Christian world view of right and wrong.

Much of our founding political ideology is based on a Western, Judeo-Christian world view. It’s an undeniable fact.

If we begin to eradicate that world view from our laws, then we eradicate the very foundation upon which our laws are established. We wind up destroying the idea that “all men are created equal and endowed by our Creator with . . . life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.

Private property rights, murder, abortion, homosexuality all have moral issues connected with them.

If we say, “Ok, do whatever you want morally as long as you are not bothering me.” But, the truth is, the morality of one’s neighbors DOES eventually affect all of us.

The Founders were not libertarians. They believed that our government should protect our God-given rights, they also believed in a Judeo-Christian morality - that’s why homosexuality was not tolerated. Bestiality was not tolerated, polygamy was not tolerated, rape was not tolerated, etc.

Our laws should not violate God’s moral law. This protects our society from a host of problems.


30 posted on 10/01/2013 12:34:54 PM PDT by rusty schucklefurd
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To: shego
Hmmm, what does "fanatical about forcing their beliefs on everyone through legislation" refer to?

Opposition to abortion, of course, and the support of traditional values is what libertarians see as the key issues that make the support of Christians so damaging to the GOP. Yet, in truth, abortion is increasingly out of favor with the public and gay marriage is widely opposed. It was not GOP opposition to abortion and gay marriage that doomed moderate-friendly Romney and McCain but that they were inept candidates with an inability to articulate a coherent governing philosophy.

Moreover, the political personalities that set GOP libertarian hearts aflutter tend to be flawed as candidates for the Presidency. Christie, for example, is a politically undisciplined blowhard who is fickle in his loyalty to the GOP as an organization. Christie's physical and political embrace of Obama and Corey Booker mark him as unserious as a potential national GOP Presidential candidate.

Is there room for libertarians in the GOP? Of course there is, but they seem unlikely to ever be numerous enough to command that the GOP cannot oppose abortion and otherwise support traditional values.

31 posted on 10/01/2013 12:36:52 PM PDT by Rockingham
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To: Responsibility2nd

Well, the forms that unbelief takes can be baffling sometimes, but the same Lord who gave the biblical Daniel wonderful answers can show us how to address it. On a high level the winning formula is the same. We see a sin problem. We bring grace to the problem and offer it. (Bringing more sin won’t help a bit.) God will guide in the particulars.


32 posted on 10/01/2013 12:38:23 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar again if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: shego
"using government coercion to enforce their sectarian preferences"

Perhaps I haven't been paying proper attention but what sectarian views are being coerced?

Pro-life?

Pro-marriage?

If these are the issues that secularists w/i the GOP want to hang their hat on the GOP is d e a d.

33 posted on 10/01/2013 12:38:32 PM PDT by Pietro
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To: Responsibility2nd

I’m thinking the same thing.


34 posted on 10/01/2013 12:39:52 PM PDT by Zathras
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To: shego

Belief in Jesus is the ultimate anti-authoritarian political act.

By defying the state’s intrinsic reliance on public killing as moral suasion, Christians are an inherent threat to the absolute authority of government.

Your post is here to keep Christians out and at bay so your preferences can rule the government with absolute authority.

You already lost— but I don’t imagine that will deter you.


35 posted on 10/01/2013 12:40:01 PM PDT by lonestar67 (I remember when unemployment was 4.7 percent)
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To: ansel12

Just what you are apparently envisioning as “your own” Christian party.

America worked pretty well when even the opposing political factions all shared in a common popular sense of faith.

Once one party pretty well dropped it on the floor (our dear Donks) then the one that hadn’t quite done so yet, was tempted to, er, trumpet it. Dragging the supernal Jesus into all manner of compromised, earthly agendas.

I am not quite sure what the best answer is, but it ain’t the concept of a God’s Own Party.


36 posted on 10/01/2013 12:41:06 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (The Lion of Judah will roar again if you give him a big hug and a cheer and mean it. See my page.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

well. again my answer is His will be done.

if he wants to establish a conservative political faction equivalent to what he established at the founding of America and the New World, so be it. He can certainly do again what He has done in the past.


37 posted on 10/01/2013 12:49:16 PM PDT by dadfly
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Wow, that is totally nut case territory, you make up something about me and the a Christian party and then go on to tell us that you think that the GOP is “”Dragging the supernal Jesus into all manner of compromised, earthly agendas.””

You even label the GOP as “God’s Own Party.”

The anti-Christian hate is bad enough, but the insanity of thinking that the republican party which is moving ever more libertarian is some kind of Christ’s Party, is insanity and shows that you are really out of touch with reality.


38 posted on 10/01/2013 12:54:57 PM PDT by ansel12 ( 'I'm on That New Obama Diet... Every Day I Let Vladimir Putin Eat My Lunch' .)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Well, here’s one they got rid of, never to return!


39 posted on 10/01/2013 12:57:00 PM PDT by lu shissler (ecause)
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To: shego

If it goes against the word of GOD... then it is abhorrent to GOD and is of satan.


40 posted on 10/01/2013 1:02:30 PM PDT by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS!)
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