Politics and religion, interaction in individuals

[Leahpolitan_icecream]

Religions often seem to get named with certain political views, like Christians in America with republicanism
How did if it did your religion change your political ideas? Did you associate with new things because of it?

Please explain it

 

[SomeRandom]

I think one’s religious views can influence their political opinions and perhaps vice versa.
For example my understanding of ethical values comes from my religious upbringing. Which I try to incorporate (sometimes unsuccessfully) into my political affiliations.
I’ve undergone something of a political upheaval and on some issues I feel like I’ve done a complete 180.

But I also notice that I want there to be a sort of “scientific understanding” underlying my political views as well. Relying on scientific reason (as much as I’m able to as an idiot layman) to form my views on certain political issues. Like same sex marriage. I largely ignored religion, though I could probably come up with plenty of pros and cons if I went that route. But I demanded, I guess “scientific evidence” of the supposed cons presented to me. Finding none, I went with pro. Also I felt the “No campaigns” were just being jerks lol

 

[sun rise]

Religions often seem to get named with certain political views, like Christians in America with republicanism

In my youth, Christians such as Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., my campus minister and others were liberals and in some sense radical leftists. The reasons for this I'm not sure of and are not the topic of this thread.

I've not changed my politics as much as I've changed my view of politics. For one thing, my thinking is a lot more long term than it used to be because I believe the Avatar lays down the pattern of development in spiritual, religious, political, cultural and other areas for hundreds of years after his advent.

And I see politics being more oriented around trying to hold onto the dying past versus those who see, however dimly, the future and try to help it be born and grow.

And I'm significantly more attuned to those who operate based on the motivations of egoism, lust, greed, anger and the like and those who try to overcome those tendencies with higher motivations. This to me is both a reason for political fights but also operates in a political party itself outside of ideology.

 

[Lain]

Religions often seem to get named with certain political views, like Christians in America with republicanism
How did if it did your religion change your political ideas? Did you associate with new things because of it?

Please explain it

It definitely changed me. The first thing it changed was it caused me to accept violence in just wars and self-defense, whereas previously I had a very Tolstoyan idea about violence. Self-defense and just war are moral acts according to God's Law to me, so I judged that I judged incorrectly.

Secondly, it changed my view of the political landscape by causing me to reject liberalism (defined as "the political doctrine which states that securing individual rights and personal freedom is a primary legitimate purpose of government," those called "conservatives" from my perspective are often arch-liberals) and the idea that the authority of a government somehow derives from the consent of those governed. I reject the first thing because the primary, possibly the only, aim of government is orienting and moving man towards God. Human law aids in this process, so do the other things government does (for instance relieving the poor from starvation, homelessness, bad health, mental illness, stupidity, illiteracy, etc, so that their minds will be elevated and free to be directed towards God). I reject the second thing because the Scriptures and Church in manifold places teach that authority comes from God/above, the idea that it comes from below is such a diabolical inversion of reality to me it is comical. The idea that any instituted authority (from father, king, priest, to God the Father Himself) depends on consent also gets the same reaction from me.

Thirdly, I became a Zionist, that is I desire for the State of Israel to exist and be preserved due to it. Zionism is taught by the Church in many places, including from an Apostolic Letter of Pope St. John Paul II saying: "After the tragic extermination of the Shoah , the Jewish people began a new period in their history. They have a right to a homeland as does any civil nation, according to international law. "For the Jewish people who live in the State of Israel and who preserve in that land such precious testimonies to their history and their faith, we must ask for the desired security and the due tranquillity that is the prerogative of every nation and condition of life and of progress for every society" (Ioannis Pauli PP. II Redemptionis Anno, die 20 apr. 1984: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, VII, 1 (1984) 1072)."

Those are just three major ways (there are of course others, including on the environment, the liberation and self-determination of my race, and so on) in which my political ideas were influenced or caused by my religion. The Lord Jesus said "all authority in Heaven and on Earth is given to me," He is the Lord of all areas of life, so really I do not see any separation between politics and religion (religion being the bond between man and God), or between Him and anything, for all things exist "through, by, for, and to" Him.

That's my opinion at least.

 

[Kenny]

Religions often seem to get named with certain political views, like Christians in America with republicanism
How did if it did your religion change your political ideas? Did you associate with new things because of it?

Please explain it

Before I became a Christ follower, I believed in abortion, drank, would probably even become a "keep faith out of government"... and probably more.

Was an independent.

After accepting the Lordship of Jesus over my life, I stopped drinking (out of my own volition) realized that a baby in the womb is a baby and believe in freedom of religion and not freedom from religion.

Realizing that an independents in Florida doesn't really have a say so on who is running, I simply decided to get involved in one of the two parties. Republicans seem to match more my beliefs (such as abortion) than the Democrats. So I registered.

With the push to socialism, I am happy with my decision.

 

[osgart]

I think Christianity is associated with being a Republican. That does not make Republicans true followers of Christ though. I'm not Christian but I do know that the religion is about giving and mercy toward all mankind through Christ. Republicans in my opinion want strong military might, and they are about might is right with the police force as well. They could care less about poverty, healthcare, education, and infrastructure for our nation. They are for tax breaks for the wealthy, a weak oppressed middle class, and even less for the poor. Might is right with no giveback to society. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and it's against unions, and worker rights to a living wage.

 

[Kenny]

I think Christianity is associated with being a Republican. That does not make Republicans true followers of Christ though. I'm not Christian but I do know that the religion is about giving and mercy toward all mankind through Christ. Republicans in my opinion want strong military might, and they are about might is right with the police force as well. They could care less about poverty, healthcare, education, and infrastructure for our nation. They are for tax breaks for the wealthy, a weak oppressed middle class, and even less for the poor. Might is right with no giveback to society. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and it's against unions, and worker rights to a living wage.

I think this is wrong in pretty much all accounts, although you are right that being a Republican doesn't make someone a follower of Christ.

Many of my Christian friends are Democrats
Yes, we want a strong military but don't believe that might is right.
We care very much about poverty and education and infrastructure.
We are involved in healthcare.
We believe in fair taxation, believe in a strong middle class.

I don't know where you get your info from. Maybe from Republicans that are not Christians? Or maybe from the Democrats?

 

[Brickjectivity]

Religions often seem to get named with certain political views, like Christians in America with republicanism
How did if it did your religion change your political ideas? Did you associate with new things because of it?

Please explain it

For a time I believed in non-involvement. This was the official Christadelphian position. No war. No voting. No pledge of allegiance. This was not God's kingdom but was just something to endure. In a way I was voting against the government.

 

[F1fan]

Before I became a Christ follower, I believed in abortion, drank, would probably even become a "keep faith out of government"... and probably more.

Was an independent.

After accepting the Lordship of Jesus over my life, I stopped drinking (out of my own volition) realized that a baby in the womb is a baby and believe in freedom of religion and not freedom from religion.

Realizing that an independents in Florida doesn't really have a say so on who is running, I simply decided to get involved in one of the two parties. Republicans seem to match more my beliefs (such as abortion) than the Democrats. So I registered.

With the push to socialism, I am happy with my decision.

So you seem to describe a strong connection between your religious belief and your social and political attitudes.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Religions often seem to get named with certain political views, like Christians in America with republicanism
How did if it did your religion change your political ideas? Did you associate with new things because of it?

Please explain it

I find Germanic Heathenry a perfect fit for my "far-right" ideals of honoring your heritage/ancestors, tribalism, nationalism and anti-modernism. The "neo-Nazi" atheist "Heathens" (because that's what they tend to be) make me laugh because they miss the point just as the hippie-dippie, PC universalist types do.

 

[Leahpolitan_icecream]

I think one’s religious views can influence their political opinions and perhaps vice versa.
For example my understanding of ethical values comes from my religious upbringing. Which I try to incorporate (sometimes unsuccessfully) into my political affiliations.
I’ve undergone something of a political upheaval and on some issues I feel like I’ve done a complete 180.

But I also notice that I want there to be a sort of “scientific understanding” underlying my political views as well. Relying on scientific reason (as much as I’m able to as an idiot layman) to form my views on certain political issues. Like same sex marriage. I largely ignored religion, though I could probably come up with plenty of pros and cons if I went that route. But I demanded, I guess “scientific evidence” of the supposed cons presented to me. Finding none, I went with pro. Also I felt the “No campaigns” were just being jerks lol

So are you an ally to science more than religion? What is your religion?

 

[Leahpolitan_icecream]

In my youth, Christians such as Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., my campus minister and others were liberals and in some sense radical leftists. The reasons for this I'm not sure of and are not the topic of this thread.

I've not changed my politics as much as I've changed my view of politics. For one thing, my thinking is a lot more long term than it used to be because I believe the Avatar lays down the pattern of development in spiritual, religious, political, cultural and other areas for hundreds of years after his advent.

And I see politics being more oriented around trying to hold onto the dying past versus those who see, however dimly, the future and try to help it be born and grow.

And I'm significantly more attuned to those who operate based on the motivations of egoism, lust, greed, anger and the like and those who try to overcome those tendencies with higher motivations. This to me is both a reason for political fights but also operates in a political party itself outside of ideology.

Who is the Avatar? I'd like to meet or read about them

 

[Leahpolitan_icecream]

It definitely changed me. The first thing it changed was it caused me to accept violence in just wars and self-defense, whereas previously I had a very Tolstoyan idea about violence. Self-defense and just war are moral acts according to God's Law to me, so I judged that I judged incorrectly.

Secondly, it changed my view of the political landscape by causing me to reject liberalism (defined as "the political doctrine which states that securing individual rights and personal freedom is a primary legitimate purpose of government," those called "conservatives" from my perspective are often arch-liberals) and the idea that the authority of a government somehow derives from the consent of those governed. I reject the first thing because the primary, possibly the only, aim of government is orienting and moving man towards God. Human law aids in this process, so do the other things government does (for instance relieving the poor from starvation, homelessness, bad health, mental illness, stupidity, illiteracy, etc, so that their minds will be elevated and free to be directed towards God). I reject the second thing because the Scriptures and Church in manifold places teach that authority comes from God/above, the idea that it comes from below is such a diabolical inversion of reality to me it is comical. The idea that any instituted authority (from father, king, priest, to God the Father Himself) depends on consent also gets the same reaction from me.

Thirdly, I became a Zionist, that is I desire for the State of Israel to exist and be preserved due to it. Zionism is taught by the Church in many places, including from an Apostolic Letter of Pope St. John Paul II saying: "After the tragic extermination of the Shoah , the Jewish people began a new period in their history. They have a right to a homeland as does any civil nation, according to international law. "For the Jewish people who live in the State of Israel and who preserve in that land such precious testimonies to their history and their faith, we must ask for the desired security and the due tranquillity that is the prerogative of every nation and condition of life and of progress for every society" (Ioannis Pauli PP. II Redemptionis Anno, die 20 apr. 1984: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, VII, 1 (1984) 1072)."

Those are just three major ways (there are of course others, including on the environment, the liberation and self-determination of my race, and so on) in which my political ideas were influenced or caused by my religion. The Lord Jesus said "all authority in Heaven and on Earth is given to me," He is the Lord of all areas of life, so really I do not see any separation between politics and religion (religion being the bond between man and God), or between Him and anything, for all things exist "through, by, for, and to" Him.

That's my opinion at least.

How else can a government move people to God, what about which God and if people disagree?

What do you think of this? BDS Movement

 

[Leahpolitan_icecream]

Before I became a Christ follower, I believed in abortion, drank, would probably even become a "keep faith out of government"... and probably more.

Was an independent.

After accepting the Lordship of Jesus over my life, I stopped drinking (out of my own volition) realized that a baby in the womb is a baby and believe in freedom of religion and not freedom from religion.

Realizing that an independents in Florida doesn't really have a say so on who is running, I simply decided to get involved in one of the two parties. Republicans seem to match more my beliefs (such as abortion) than the Democrats. So I registered.

With the push to socialism, I am happy with my decision.

What is Lordship? Why socialist?

 

[Leahpolitan_icecream]

For a time I believed in non-involvement. This was the official Christadelphian position. No war. No voting. No pledge of allegiance. This was not God's kingdom but was just something to endure. In a way I was voting against the government.

Do you still do it? Why did you stop if you dont?

 

[Leahpolitan_icecream]

I find Germanic Heathenry a perfect fit for my "far-right" ideals of honoring your heritage/ancestors, tribalism, nationalism and anti-modernism. The "neo-Nazi" atheist "Heathens" (because that's what they tend to be) make me laugh because they miss the point just as the hippie-dippie, PC universalist types do.

How do you honor them?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Zionism is taught by the Church in many places

Yikes. That's certainly not the traditional viewpoint, as I understood it.

 

[Lain]

Yikes. That's certainly not the traditional viewpoint, as I understood it.

The state of Israel is not even as old as the Hagia Sophia, there were no views on it at all before the 20th century (and whenever the period of the conception of the idea of it manifested in men). What did you understand to be the traditional view on it?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

How do you honor them?

There's many ways. Doing what you can to uphold a good reputation for your family name (or to create or heal that reputation when it is sullied or broken), uphold or revive their culture and folkways, having a sense of ethnic pride (regardless of your ethnicity), give offerings and commune with their spirits, etc.

 

[Lain]

How else can a government move people to God, what about which God and if people disagree?

What do you think of this? BDS Movement

The government can institute and support public celebrations of Holy days, assist the Church in punishing heretics, and so on. As for which God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will do. If people disagree about these happenings that's on them. I disagree somewhat with God over His choice to create Summer. Yet behold: it will circle around to us again. It in my opinion is the objectively worse season of the four, Fall and Winter being clearly the best.

Interesting movement, I won't be participating though. Not really my thing.