The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion

[NeoGreen]

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-christian-right-is-helping-drive-liberals-away-from-religion/

The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion
By Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux and Daniel Cox

A few weeks ago, the Democratic National Committee formally acknowledged what has been evident for quite some time: Nonreligious voters are a critical part of the party’s base. In a one-page resolution passed at its annual summer meeting, the DNC called on Democratic politicians to recognize and celebrate the contributions of nonreligious Americans, who make up one-third of Democrats. In response, Robert Jeffress, a Dallas pastor with close ties to Trump, appeared on Fox News, saying the Democrats were finally admitting they are a “godless party.”

(snip)

Researchers haven’t found a comprehensive explanation for why the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans has increased over the past few years — the shift is too large and too complex. But a recent swell of social science research suggests that even if politics wasn’t the sole culprit, it was an important contributor. “Politics can drive whether you identify with a faith, how strongly you identify with that faith, and how religious you are,” said Michele Margolis, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “From Politics to the Pews: How Partisanship and the Political Environment Shape Religious Identity.” “And some people on the left are falling away from religion because they see it as so wrapped up with Republican politics.”

Emphasis added.

How long until "faith holder" = "republican" on a 1:1 ratio in the collective point of view?

Who knows, but maybe it is just as the 'creator' planned all along.

[Newest Reality]

1. And...

All of these kinds of issues are based on a false premise about what is really going on. Oddly, what is behind it is rather obvious and hidden in plain sight behind the wedge issues that go right to the lizard brain. You know, how certain issues upset people and induce knee jerk reactions to abstract ruses?

[NeoGreen]

2. Are you conflating...

...religiosity and lizard brains, intentionally?

[Newest Reality]

4. Almost lost my coffee there!

[NeoGreen]

8. Then my job here...

...was almost done.

[edhopper]

3. The Religious Right just lays out

the hypocrisy and incongruity of Religion in general, making thinking liberals more likely to questions faith in it's entirety.

[njhoneybadger]

5. That's a good thing

[Major Nikon]

17. At least a silver lining

[greymattermom]

6. I think it's the scandals.

News about the Catholic church never stops, and pictures of Joel Osteen's house have been in the news. The get out of sin free card seems unethical, too.

[Vogon_Glory]

7. Religious Right activists ARE poisoning the brand

Last edited Wed Sep 18, 2019, 10:00 AM - Edit history (1)

and many of those who don’t believe in Evangelical extremism or End-Times theology know it. They watch Religious Right politicos cozy up to Donnie, today’s Republican Party and their politics of cruelty and hypocrisy and want nothing to do with it.

As a Believer, I find this tragic. There is still a lot of good in organized Christianity and a lot of sects that practice something closer to the tenets of Galilee than the Trumpie idolatars However, those guys’ efforts aren’t getting through the Trumpie/Tea-publican static.

[DetlefK]

9. No... The Evangelicals are to blame. They have perverted Christianity in their hunger for power.

When young people look to examples of religion, what do they see? Do they see quiet Christians who go about their life and try to love their neighbor as they love themselves? Or do they see the crass and bombastic Evangelicals trying to turn the US into a theocracy?

Who is the face of Christianity in the US?

Is it the meek and humble believer trying to make the world a better place? Or is it loud-mouthed unapologetic bigots like Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz and Rick Santorum?

[SCantiGOP]

10. If you're talking Jimmy Carter

I can admire Christianity and celebrate its positive contributions.
If it’s Jerry Falwell Jr as the example, then Christianity is a a corrupt and immoral blight on our society that should be eradicated.

[NeoGreen]

11. A distinction with out a difference...

...'christian right' = 'evangelical'.

[Mariana]

12. The majority of Christian voters cast their ballots for Trump in 2016.

Most of those who did so still enthusiastically support Trump today. Given that, why shouldn't they be considered the face of Christianity in the US?

Part of the problem is that that the "quiet Christians who go about their life" are too damn quiet. By and large, they don't seem to have much to say about their hateful right-wing co-religionists.

[NeoGreen]

13. The hypothetical 'quiet christian' can't criticize...

...cause then they would have to acknowledge that 'faith' is the root cause/problem, i.e. the belief in a 'truth' without evidence to support that 'truth'.

They can't let go of the 'magic'.

That is why we end up with discussions of metaphorical jebus and 'creator'.

[trotsky]

15. And even a lot of "quiet Christians" who aren't conservative, when push comes to shove...

would rather berate those questioning religion at all, than those who are "doing it wrong."

[Voltaire2]

18. Perverted? Nah. Their religious roots

go right back to Calvin and the Reformation.
Carving their version of Christianity out as an aberration ignores this history and raise the question: a perversion compared to what?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

14. Kick

[rurallib]

16. Got to give the internet a lot of credit in this also

Information easily available now that was once almost impossible to find.