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(Vanity) Can An Atheist Be a Genuine Conservative?
Comtedemaistre

Posted on 01/19/2006 3:56:16 AM PST by ComtedeMaistre

Most conservatives are religious. But there is a small minority of non-religious individuals, who were attracted to the conservative movement because they were influenced by secular movements such as Ayn Rand's objectivism.

Should atheists be welcomed into the conservative movement? Do atheists make good conservatives?


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: atheists; conservatism; flamebait; nationalreview; religion
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To: peyton randolph
False perception because of those with whom you associate. Like the Hollyweird crowd who can't imagine why John Kerry didn't win because none of their friends voted for Bush.

Yep. I wonder if the original poster will come up with a goofy conspiracy theory (analogous to the "Diebold stole the election for Dubya" moonbattery) to explain why reality does not match the implied preconception behind the question.

161 posted on 01/19/2006 6:51:10 AM PST by steve-b (A desire not to butt into other people's business is eighty percent of all human wisdom)
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To: ComtedeMaistre
Silly question, answer yes, raised only to start pointless fights.
162 posted on 01/19/2006 6:51:11 AM PST by JasonC
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To: Ace of Spades
All of these quotes to me suggest persecution.

You cannot see those things occuring here if they occurred in the past and currently occur in other countries?

163 posted on 01/19/2006 6:51:31 AM PST by Raycpa
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To: E Rocc

"Its relevant that the most successful conservative politician of the last fifty years was not a "cultural conservative" at all."

Who would that be?


164 posted on 01/19/2006 6:52:04 AM PST by ConservativeDude
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To: MineralMan
"The classic hit and run poster. Not a newbie, but still a trolling post."

Many do this simply to stir up strife and dissension here at FR.

It is done more by people posing as libertarians than any other vantage point.
165 posted on 01/19/2006 6:52:37 AM PST by Preachin' (Enoch's testimony was that he pleased God: Why are we still here?)
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To: shempy


"Again, it is obvious that murder is wrong based on logic. If you found out tomorrow that there is no god, would you suddenly feel free to murder and steal? Is your faith alone all that keeps you from partaking in that behavior? If so, pray on, brother, and don't ever leave the church."


Damn well said, good on you.


166 posted on 01/19/2006 6:53:32 AM PST by Perfesser
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To: kidd
1. My brother lives with a woman and neither have ever been married. He doesn't expect special treatment from the government and isn't seeking benefits that a married couple might receive. He is an example of someone who is living constitutionally, but not scripturally. While I disagree with his choice, he doesn't seem to have any trouble living or walking in the world. He is a hypocrite in the eyes of God, but not in the eyes of the Constitution.

Actually he not a hypocrit in the eyes of God or man unless he is professing to be a Christian. He would simply be a sinner.

2. I have a friend who is separated and doesn't live with anyone else. Hates abortion. Believes in God. Goes to church fequently. Very conservative - tends to think Bush is a little bit too liberal. He is self-employed as a handyman. But he has a drinking problem. Tends to drink to excess after a day of work to the point that his wife couldn't take it anymore and left. He is both constitutional and scriptural, but does not find living to be easy. He is not a hypocrite, but he does have a problem.

Actually he is not scriptural and would likely be considered a hypocrite with his alcohol issues if he is not seeking to adress them. See Ephesians 5:18

3. My mother is a Christian but is also a union-type democrat. She hates homosexuality - and this is scriptural and is still Constitutional. But she hates guns - she believes that they are against what God wants (I disagree with her on this), and her view is anti-Constitutional. In this regard (anti-gun), she finds it easy to live scripturally, but not constitutionally.

She may have a different interpretation of the 2nd amendment, as there is no mention of the word guns, but in the same breath, we would not want each other having dirty bombs, but the amendment says we have the right to bear arms. A dirty bomb is an arm.

My question is those who are social conseravtives (not those like your mother who btw may be a very fine woman)who walk and talk the consitutional life, but can't live the scriptural life.

167 posted on 01/19/2006 6:55:23 AM PST by joesbucks
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To: mlc9852
Are you using the term "fundies" as an insult? What do you have against fundamentalist Christians?

I presume he is using it the same way most of us do, as a reference to the subset of fundamentalist Christians who bring discredit upon their faith by being obnoxious blowhards and/or demanding government support for their preferences.

It's like the difference between "Trekkie" (an annoying little munchkin in ill-fitting Spock ears) and "Trekker" (a normal Star Trek fan).

168 posted on 01/19/2006 6:56:03 AM PST by steve-b (A desire not to butt into other people's business is eighty percent of all human wisdom)
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To: Tribune7
Think of the history of Christianity. It was persecuted for 300 years in Rome.

250 tops. And then it was mainly a few short intense periods, sort of like the later European Witch Hunts.

169 posted on 01/19/2006 6:56:32 AM PST by Oztrich Boy (Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering)
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To: ConservativeDude

The core of the Reagan revolution was lower taxes, stronger defense, and opposition to Communism.

Social Con and religious issues really weren't the center of the Reagan revolution.


170 posted on 01/19/2006 6:56:47 AM PST by Strategerist
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To: mlc9852
Still, it seems most religious people are conservatives and most non-religious people are liberals. Wonder why?

There are many religious liberals...if your definition of religious is someone that actually practices their faith in attending services, etc..

You statement above would make more sense (to me) if you inserted the word such as "rabidly" before religious.

As far as the original question, the Religious Right finds a home in the conservative GOP because it is the party of personal responsibility and a defender of the phrase "UNDER GOD" which was commonly used by our founding fathers. Since the LEFT wants "god" out of government, it's easy to see why the "believers" gravitate to the GOP.

171 posted on 01/19/2006 6:58:03 AM PST by DCPatriot ("It aint what you don't know that kills you. It's what you know that aint so" Theodore Sturgeon)
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To: Preachin'
I am curious about what makes one start a vanity thread and not respond to any comments?

Do a find in forum on him/her. This is a trend. I do not expect this person to return to the thread.

172 posted on 01/19/2006 6:59:02 AM PST by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: MineralMan
The classic hit and run poster. Not a newbie, but still a trolling post.

His last three threads were just like this.

173 posted on 01/19/2006 6:59:56 AM PST by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: Just mythoughts
Now the premise of our Constitution does in fact replicate the Ten Commandments

Er, no. The universal moral precepts (e.g. thou shalt not murder or steal) are almost entirely matters of state law under the Constitutional system. The precepts specific to the followers of the Abrahamic faiths (e.g. thou shalt not worship other gods or make graven images) are specifically removed from civil law by the Constitution.

174 posted on 01/19/2006 7:01:04 AM PST by steve-b (A desire not to butt into other people's business is eighty percent of all human wisdom)
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To: steve-b

The idea of Christian Fundamentalism first emerged as a movement in the 19th century within various Protestant bodies, who reacted against the rising tide of evolutionary theories and modernist Biblical criticism. From a Bible conference of Conservative Protestants meeting in Niagara in 1895, a statement was issued containing what came to be known as the five points of fundamentalism: The verbal inerrancy of Scripture, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the virgin birth, a substitutionary theory of the atonement, and the physical resurrection and bodily return of Christ.¹ In the first half of the 20th century, most Protestant churches in the U.S. were divided into either Fundamentalist or Modernist groups. The term has generally been applied to all those who adhere to strict, conservative (Protestant) orthodoxy in the matter of Biblical inspiration.

http://www.victorious.org/chur21.htm


175 posted on 01/19/2006 7:01:30 AM PST by Raycpa
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To: RadioAstronomer

"Do a find in forum on him/her."

I did before I made my post.


176 posted on 01/19/2006 7:01:47 AM PST by Preachin' (Enoch's testimony was that he pleased God: Why are we still here?)
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To: ComtedeMaistre
By the strict dictionary defintion of the word "conservative," ie, one who wishes to conserve his civilization, naturally atheists can be conservatives. As a matter of fact, a large number of civilizationist "palaeos" are probably closet atheists or else might as well be, since for them G-d is merely the creation/symbol of a particular ethno-cultural civilization. This is a very utilitarian view to take of religion.

However, being a genuine religious fanatic (thank you ladies and gentlemen, thank you!) I don't go by the denotation of the word but its connotation. I came out of an apocalyptic chr*stian Fundamentalist worldview that wasn't interested in "conserving western civilization" in the least (since Satan was the ruler of this evil world and it could never be made less than totally depraved) but in its overthrow by the eschatological Kingdom of G-d on earth (which "palaeos" and atheists insist is the true origin of Marxism anyway).

Now while I know longer subscribe to my original theological worldview I continue to maintain that the True G-d deserves and demands the acknowledgement of every being, regardless of "culture" or "civilization," so these things are ultimately unimportant. It is the duty of every human being to cut through whatever "culture" he was born with to connect with the One Objective Unmediated and Unincarnate G-d of Israel.

The "palaeos" and atheists can have "western civilization." Give me the Rebuilt Holy Temple!

177 posted on 01/19/2006 7:01:49 AM PST by Zionist Conspirator (Shallach 'et `ammi veya`avduni!)
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To: ComtedeMaistre
Should atheists be welcomed into the conservative movement?

Yes.

178 posted on 01/19/2006 7:03:29 AM PST by GOPJ
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To: Preachin'

Do you think this is a person who is trying to cause dissension across FR?


179 posted on 01/19/2006 7:04:31 AM PST by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: ComtedeMaistre

The real question is

"if atheists were in control would they allow Christians to practice their faith?"


180 posted on 01/19/2006 7:04:55 AM PST by Raycpa
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