Never got why a lot of religious people voted trump/republican

[brettdale]

Doesn't religion teach people to be kind towards all.

[Takket]

1. in theory, yes.....

but in practice organized religion has been used by those in power to enrich themselves and brutalize their opponents. what the modern day GOP does with evangelicals is a walk in the park compared to the dark ages

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

14. More to the point, in my opinion,

is that many religions exclude those not of their specific and narrow beliefs from the commandment to treat others well. Some groups are a lot more obvious than others in this regard. Many pay lip service to respecting other denominations or even different religions altogether, but in reality all religions have an aspect of "We are right. You are not." to them.

That's why, despite my own very strong spiritual beliefs, I would never join a group of people claiming to believe like me. I am honestly okay with others believing differently. What I'm not okay is ANY version of: my beliefs are the only right ones.

While I do tend to think my beliefs are correct, I don't think they are necessarily the only right ones, and (this might matter even more) it doesn't matter to me at all if anyone else believes the way I do. My sense that what I believe is right is completely independent from whether or not anyone else believes as I do.

Unless you're a dog lover. In that case you're doomed. (We need a thingie to express "great silliness" ) Really, we do.

[RockRaven]

2. Authoritarianism is a common denominator.

Don't know if that's WHY per se, but right-wing politics and fundamentalist religiosity have that in common.

[Oak2004]

20. Yes, exactly: it's often (not always) an authoritarian movement

Fundamentalism (*any* fundamentalism, including secular fundamentalisms like some strains of Marxism) attracts authoritarians.

Authoritarian followers are deeply fearful people who are not comfortable with ambiguity, nuance, and uncertainty (you know, the real world ) Fundamentalist religion proposes to have the answers -- all answers, no ambiguity, no messiness, no doubt. If something is not known to the follower, they have the certainty that there is one and only one framework to turn to, to discover that answer, and other persons who have dedicated themselves to studying and interpreting the one source of answers.

Authoritarian leaders, on the other hand, find in fundamentalism a ready-made tool for gaining and controlling followers. Religion is a wild west, especially in the US where much -- probably too much -- is permitted to religion under the umbrella of freedom of conscience. Anyone of an authoritarian bent can declare that they have been called to the ministry, set themselves up as a latter-day inspired prophet, attract a gaggle of fearful people, and found themselves a highly authoritarian ministry.

Needless to say, the Republican party is an authoritarian party. And birds of a feather flock together.

All this said, not all evangelical Christians are authoritarians. I know one who is as absolutely determined to vote out the Republicans tomorrow as I am, who will be helping me get to the polls (I'm disabled, need help getting out of bed, and I have no PCA coming in tomorrow). That sometimes unexpected people can be reached or might even be on our side is all part of the ambiguity, nuance, and uncertainty of the real world, which, being a non-authoritarian progressive sort of person, I find kinda fun about life.

[Comatose Sphagetti]

34. This

[marylandblue]

3. Religion teaches people to be kind in personal life, but also to obey authority

Conservative religious leaders embraced Trump because he would support their agenda, and also because he pushed religious voters authoritarian buttons.

[Sneederbunk]

4. Succumbed to Satan.

[jcgoldie]

5. organized religion is about controlling women

They can rationalize away anything, even a completely amoral asshole if it means keeping power out of the hands of dangerous women like Hillary and Pelosi.

[lilactime]

27. THIS

[Roland99]

6. One word: abortion

All the rest they ignore and distort

[TomSlick]

16. Exactly!

For the religious right nothing else matters. They are the classic one-issue voters.

[LibDemAlways]

21. My husband's aunt died in December 2016, a month

after casting her last vote ever for Trump. She was a devout Catholic and ardently anti-abortion. That was the only issue that mattered. Trump declaring himself pro-life (what a joke) was all she needed to hear. Nothing else mattered. Single issue anti-abortion voters are a breed unto themselves.

[pampango]

32. The GOP has been effective in appealing to one-issue voters.

Anti-abortion, gun rights, nativists, misogynists, homophobes, you name it.

If an issue lends itself to a ‘states’ rights’ argument (like anti-abortion), the GOP will be all for states’ rights. If it lends itself to a ‘big government’ argument (like nativists opposing ‘sanctuary cities’) then the GOP is all for an overarching federal government telling local governments what they can and can’t do.

Either way the GOP pockets the votes of those single-issue voters without worrying much about how a policy fits the ‘big picture’ of what the party stands for.

[JI7]

37. they don't care about abortion either other than controlling women

[Roland99]

42. Bingo!

[TheBlackAdder]

46. God kills pregnant women and babies all the time. An abortion is just part of God's plan too.

.

The Bible supports that death of a fetus is met with a fine, and life begins after delivery, upon first breath.

There is very little that supports the anti-abortion stance that churches push to drive their coffers.

There is talk about one fight between two men, when the woman is struck, but does not really go into detail about what happened to the fetus. Then, there is talk about God knowing every pre-born, from when the sand of earth gets the woman pregnant--but who is to say that abortion was not the fate God chose for that being, just like when God or other men kill pregnant women when cities or homes are destroyed. When miscarriages occur, or accidents resulting in death of the woman or fetus.

While God might know each and every pre-born and has a plan for them, that plan might be pre-birth death.

.

[Oneironaut]

7. Religion is more of a cultural thing that doesn't have much to do with what religion actually

teaches.

For example, most Christians treat everything Jesus said as "nice to have, but not mandatory." Very few have actually ever read the Bible, nor do they care what it says.

[LakeArenal]

8. Opiate of the people....

Work like a slave for rich folks now and you’ll get a big reward. Not 40 virgins, probably. But a great afterlife.

[Garrett78]

9. Religious or not, racism and sexism are the primary factors.

[stopbush]

10. They're predisposed by their religious beliefs to believe in fantasies,

and R policies are fantasies.

[Mariana]

11. No, religion doesn't necessarily teach that.

Some varieties of religion explicitly teach hate, bigotry, and violence.

[Mendocino]

12. Prosperity Doctrine

It pays to pray.

[Wounded Bear]

13. Only religious people can live in paradox...

Rational people sense something is wrong and work toward the truth.

[Progressive Jones]

15. The right wing evangelicals have a sick obsession with

trying to control women's bodies, and shitting all over LGBTQ people. They'll side with anyone who promises to help push their ridiculous agenda.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

26. Don't forget about making Christianity the official religion of this country.

They're aready trying to turn churches into PACs where parishioners can contribute unlimited tax-deductible dollars to support their approved candidates.

[hedda_foil]

17. Abortion and LGBT rights.

[GulfCoast66]

18. When your god promises to send billions to an eternity of suffering

You are predisposed to following sadistic assholes.

[Brawndo]

23. +1

Very well said!

[jberryhill]

44. +1

[KitSileya]

19. Racism and misogyny.

Simple as that. All the other mentioned on the thread stem from those two. Abortion? Fear of too few white babies being born, and to keep women in their 'proper' place. Prosperity Doctrine? They feel prosperous if they can keep the n/&%¤rs below them in status, and Obama threatened that.

Each and everyone who voted for Trump condoned racism and misogyny at the very least, if not overtly supported it. Anyone who decides their wallet is more important than the lives of Black and brown people and women of childbearing age is a racist and misogynist.


And all who voted third-party decided that doing the minimum to keep women and Black people and LGBTQIA people safer was less important than their own vanity. Not as bad as Trumpers, but it puts them on the 'not safe to trust'-list.

[pnwmom]

22. A certain kind of evangelical Christian. They consider themselves to be the only religious people,

but they're not.

Most Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and mainstream Protestant people and organizations others do NOT support Trump. That's why he only has support in the low forties. The vast majority of evangelicals support him, and much smaller numbers of everyone else.

[Rizen]

24. Blindly believing a black and white, fear based rhetoric...

that largely exempts personal responsibility and critical thought.

[Crunchy Frog]

25. Because their pastors and their TV and radio preachers tell them to.

Many of them are racists as well.

[no_hypocrisy]

28. Access to power and money

For decades, the Evangelicals in America wanted to be elevated to where they would tell elected leaders how to vote. Their religious tenets would be enforceable law. Everything from birth control to abortion to subjugating women to perhaps the return of imprisonment for the "crime" of adultery. And then, take taxpayer dollars and "tithe" to the churches. And turn all public schools into religious schools. Again, more parishioners means more dollars. And each church becomes a mini-fiefdom. And atheists, gays, feminists, etc. become marginalized in society again, perhaps disenfranchised if they don't go straight, get married, and don't get God.

[Drahthaardogs]

29. Abortion is the main reason for a Catholic

To vote R

[peggysue2]

30. Because the religious--evangelical Christians, conservative Catholics, etc--have adopted a . . .

transactional attitude towards their vote. The things that are important to them, specifically pro-life decisions or moving the capitol of Israel to Jerusalem, etc., have outweighed everything else.

Including the message of Jesus and other faiths to treat the stranger, the less fortunate as one of your own, expressing compassion and forgiveness even to your enemies.

That's all been lost in the political frenzy and finger-pointing. Which makes those same religious people stunning hypocrites.

[DFW]

31. Religion also teaches "us against them"

And no one does that better than Republicans.

[Runningdawg]

39. Hit the nail on the head

[duforsure]

33. HE cons them

Into believing his act he reads the bible every night routine he does, and he is religious, and they believe him. When the truth is the opposite, and uses it for votes, and promotes hate and fear , and corruption , and is a serial liar.

[RhodeIslandOne]

35. Abortion and teh gays

That's it.

[JI7]

36. a lot of bigots used religion to cover up for their bigotry. their support for trump

exposed what they are really about.

[JI7]

38. no, a lot of religions or religious teachings is about Hatred , bigotry , violence etc

[tblue37]

40. Like the Inquisition? Remember this quote:

“With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil - that takes religion.”
― Steven Weinberg

[MountCleaners]

41. I grew up Catholic

I attended a left-wing "liberation theology" church and school, HOWEVER I know a lot of people from my Catholic high school who are now GOP. They're always saying "abortion", but if you talk to them, there are always a bunch of other issues.

It infuriates me, because the GOP are a bunch of climate change deniers and it just seems fundamental to Christianity that you shouldn't despoil God's creation. Why is the earth not sacred? I don't believe in God anymore, but I took scripture very seriously and it seems to me that one of the greatest sins we are committing is destroying the ecosystem!

The guy who pisses me off the most is my sister-in-law's dad, who goes on and on about the "unborn", but the more you talk to him, the more you hear that he pretty much supports the rest of the GOP's hateful agenda. He thinks mayors of sanctuary cities should be arrested. It's been a while since I've been to church, but shouldn't compassion for immigrants be part of any Christian ethics?

What really ticks me off about him is that he recently took a trip to Rome AND DIDN'T VISIT THE VATICAN because he doesn't like Pope Francis! If abortion was truly his only issue, well, Pope Francis is against abortion, so what's the problem? The problem is the Pope's "socialist" and environmentalist views. I cringe at every holiday because he claims to be so religious but never reads the Bible and has no idea what is in scripture.

Sometimes I go into RW hashtags on Twitter with Bible verses just to show those RWers that they are ignorant. If you believe in an afterlife, surely there are penalties for treating immigrants poorly and poisoning the earth and skies.

[jberryhill]

43. A lot of religion in the US teaches "believe what I do or go to Hell"

[maxrandb]

45. Because they're NOT religious, they only claim to be

I call "Christian" supporters of Donnie Shit for Brains; "Old Testament Christians". They claim to be Christian, but they haven't made it past the Book of Leviticus in Bible Class yet.

Or, it really could be a manifestation of what Napoleon once said; "Religion is what keeps the poor from eating the rich".

[malaise]

47. They are not religious people

They are cults

[ck4829]

48. I'm a spiritual person, maybe even a little religious... and I'm also very left wing

But why do a lot of religious people vote Trump/Republican?

I blame "prosperity theology", the mindset that God rewards the rich, the poor must be poor because of sin, poverty/marginalization IS sin, wealth is godliness, materialistic religion, etc.

We've seen mystical experience and spirituality sold out to make room for "If you're rich it's because God loves you".

I see it as outright blasphemous that we take a man-created, socially constructed thing like money and turn it into a sign of God's declaration of your worth and dignity.