Republicans and/or Fundamentalist Evangelical Christians You Love

[bertha katzenengel]

Seriously. I know I'm not the only one.

I love my brother-in-law. His wife, my eldest sister, is an atheist. I don't know how they've made it work, but their 25th anniversary is next month. And in December Mrs. V. and I are going home for his 50th birthday party. He doesn't know we'll be there.

He was so wonderful to me when I was younger. We played softball together. He called me "Hargrove" because I took so much time at the plate between pitches. He taught me how to drive a stick shift. He called me when there was one out in the top of the ninth in game 7 of the 2002 World Series -- he's just as big an Angels fan as I am. We were on the phone, screaming at each other and celebrating together from 2,600 miles away. O8)

He's a great guy. I doubt we'll ever see eye to eye on politics, but that does not matter one whit.

Who do you love? Who can you be with and care for without acting out the way you feel about Republicans or Fundies in general?

[JVS]

1. My mom's best friend.

A republican and a Presbyterian (not fundamentalist but definitely evangelical). I've known her since I was in pre-school with her daughter. She's a great lady, always ready to help those in need, and walks the walk corresponding to the talk she talks.

[bertha katzenengel]

3. walking the walk

Hear, hear. If more Christians would do that, what a different country this would be.

[Pendrench]

2. My wife.

We've been married just over 10 years - she's a registered Republican, and the love of my life :)

Tim

[bertha katzenengel]

4. That is very cool, Tim

:hi: from a fellow Marylander

[Pendrench]

17. Thank you - we always joke that we cancel each other out when we vote :)

But what can I say...I love her!

Are you a Maryland native? I grew up in Catonsville, and then moved to Severn after I got married (my wife grew up in Ferndale).

Hope you're not watching the Orioles game tonight - it looks like they were getting killed!

Tim

[bertha katzenengel]

20. My sister & BIL have the same joke. They laugh about it every election

year.

No, I was born in Santa Monica, California, and grew up in Huntington Beach. I moved out here (Charles County) six years ago to be with my beloved. I'm a lifelong Angels' fan, but have grown to love the O's.

Nice ta meetcha, neighbor :hi:

[Spaceman Spiff]

5. My old martial arts instructor

and his wife who is also an instructor. These two are the biggest Kool-Aid drinkers I know. To them Bush could do no wrong. Bush could stick a baby in a blender and those two would come up with a way to say that it improves homeland security.

Also, they are two of the best people I've had the privilege to know.

[mvd]

6. I have some aunts and uncles that are fundie Christians..

and Repukes. Most of them are good members of the family. I was talking to one of them, an uncle, while I was in State College for my grandfather's funeral. He has mellowed, despite his wife. We focused on things we agree about on the war and civil liberties. I don't have to live with these Repuke relatives every day, so that makes them more bearable.

I'm closest to an aunt who's a good Democrat like my parents are and grandparents on my mother's side were.

[LeftyMom]

7. My late grandmother was a southern baptist

She believed the usual SB stuff about creationism, etc. On the other hand, she raised 5 catholic kids, really really really believed in religious, racial and sexual equality and believed that whoever God made somebody to love was okay with her. So she was a fundamentalist in the scriptural literalist sense, but not in the religious right sense.

Oh, and she couldn't stand Bush. Both her parents were teachers and the only people she had no tolerance for were the willfully ignorant.

I miss her a lot.

[ikojo]

8. All of my siblings are Republican

and I love them...I choose to overlook what I consider to be a major character flaw.

They are not pugs because they are rich but because they love, just love, the fetus.

[crim son]

9. My father.

He voted for Bush twice and now regrets the second vote. But he's a doctor, an "elitist" and has been insulated most of his life from suffering, illness and poverty. I don't respect him, sometimes, for the way he rationalizes his political leanings, but I do truly love him.

[nosillies]

10. My mom's parents are die-hard Southern Baptists.

But I gotta love my grandparents. Everybody in my family is pretty religious -- we even have a preacher -- but we're the normal, Methodist, be nice to everybody religious types.

[Jack_Dawson]

11. I love Pat Robertson

madeja look! :hi:

:toast:

[bertha katzenengel]

21. Damyerize!

Whattya think this is, GD?

;)

[YellowRubberDuckie]

12. My old cubie mate at work is a fundie...

But I love her. She's dumb, but I love her. Then there's Dog the Bounty Hunter. I love him and his family. They tend to walk the walk. I LOVE that. There's some people from the baptist church I grew up with. The minister of Music is so awesome. He and his family took care of me my senior year when I had no supervision. OOh. and this woman that I work with. She and her husband are just the most beautiful couple. He's a youth pastor and she helps him out when she can. They are AWESOME. I don't think they're republicans, though. They are kinda fundamental though.
I've seen good fundies and bad fundies. But then I've seen bad liberals and bad atheists. There're bad apples in every bunch.
Duckie

[bertha katzenengel]

24. Duckie, can I buy you a beer?

:toast:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

34. Anytime, baby...Anytime!

:hug:

[Dangerously Amused]

13. My good friend, Robert.

We can have passionate yet healthy discussions about politics. Neither one of us is the type to say "everyone in my political party is right, and everyone in your political party is wrong." Example: I won't defend Clinton's blowjob, I'll admit that it was stupid of him; he took a risk and he lost and he had to expect some measure of fall-out from that, but Robert will agree that Republicans unfairly judge Clinton as a politician via the blowjob instead of honestly evaluating his performance as a president. We both laugh at Santorum. He thinks that Bush is doing a good job, I obviously disagree; the important thing is that I respect his opinion because, unlike so many others, he knows WHY he believes something - he can articulate his arguments and reasonably defend them instead of just spouting party memes, or "justifying" his position by retreating to "because it's in the Bible."

Usually we'll listen respectfully to the other's opinions and value that input, but occasionally the conversation will get a little too heated. Fortunately we are quick in agreeing to disagree, and then we change the subject.


:)

[bertha katzenengel]

22. This is one post that makes the point I'd hoped would come out:

Here on DU, why the hell can't we have rational discussions about real-life right wing folks we know and love without them devolving into crap like "fuck no, I'd never have a repuke friend, are you sick?!" THAT attitude is what makes me sick.

It happens here in the Lounge. One doesn't have to go to GD for that. Good lord, can you imagine if I'd started this thread in GD? (Recently re-named "The Shit-On-Your-Fellow-Democrats Forum.")

Sorry for soap-boxing on your post. :blush:

[Common Sense Party]

27. Hear, hear. The whole "all-Repukes-are-evil" garbage makes

me sick.

Their ideas may be wrong, misguided, self-centered...but some of them (inclusing many of my family members) are wonderful people.

[Blue-Jay]

14. I love my brother.

He's not a "fundie". He's wrong, but he's a good man and I love him.

[skygazer]

15. My father is a Republican

He's also one of the people who taught me to speak my mind and hold my own opinions. He and his two sisters, my aunts, would get together at family gatherings and the talk would always turn to politics - this was in the midst of Vietnam. My Aunt Mardie was a Democrat, my Aunt Alice was a Communist - needless to say, the conversations could get pretty lively.

But they always respected each others' opinions (even when debating them loudly) and they always, always very obviously loved each other. My father and I have had some pretty lively debates ourselves but they never, ever get personal or nasty and we always remember that the most important thing is that we love each other.

[jonnyblitz]

16. Jan Crouch of TBN with the funky colored big hair!!!

I love it when she is going on one of her "JAAAAAAYSUS" rants and the tears are streaming down her face and her running make up looks the same as Brandon Lee's from "The Crow". :thumbsup:

[SKKY]

32. You mean, that's NOT Brandon Lee????

[jonnyblitz]

36. haha

:D

[tinfoil tiaras]

18. The guy I have a crush on

Okay. I know what y'all are thinking. WTF? Yeah, i used to promise myself that I would never fall for a non-liberal.

He's just really intelligent and not typical fundie like at all. And he's hilarious. He just does random things that are really funny. His randomness makes me laugh. And i like the fact that he doesn't try to push his opinion on me. And i don't push mine on him. He's just kind, intelligent and funny-3 qualities a guy HAS to have, no matter the political affiliation.

[KitchenWitch]

19. My dad

He is a fundie freeper from hell, but I love him and he loves me.

[GirlinContempt]

23. ChavezSpeaksTheTruth.

just kidding.








he's actually my arch nemesis.

[bertha katzenengel]

25. I love my in-laws, Mrs. V.'s parents.

They're Democrats and Southern Baptists. They know who she and I are to each other. They never mention it, though, and I don't think they should. I am accepted as a member of the family, and that's all I care about.

Who'da thunk I'd ever fall in love with a redneck mountain woman, let alone her entire family? :loveya:

[grannylib]

26. I love my brother and my two siblings-in-law who are either repubs or

fundies. I have a really hard time relating to them, particularly my brother, since we used to be really close and now he's so caught up in moneymoneymoneymoney it's an embarassment. And he has no sense of knowing when to shut the fuck up.

But he's my brother and I still love him, I just can't stand being around him much.

[liberaltrucker]

28. Oldest brother is a Repuke-kinda moderate though

LTwife is a member of a Fundie church, although she
seldom attends. MIL is a HUGE Fundie-we NEVER discuss
religion or politics. More peaceful. Having said that
MIL sees me on DU all the time when I'm home.

[LostInAnomie]

29. Jack Van Impe

That mofo can link anything to the Apocalypse. I swear he claimed the opening of Euro-Disney was a sign of the end times.

He also compared Pat Robertson to Osama Bin Laden. That will endear anyone to my heart.

[MikeH]

30. My brother-in-law

First of all, ever since my sister and brother-in-law got married over 25 years ago, I have been closer to my brother-in-law than I have to my sister. That is the way it has worked out.

Both my sister and BIL go to a church which I consider to be a fundamentalist church, and are fundamentalist in their approach to the Christian faith. And both of them supported and voted for * in 2000.

My BIL had invited me to come with them to their church many years ago, but I declined and let him know that I had problems with fundamentalist Christianity and going to a fundamentalist church. He has come to accept it over the years.

I can't remember the last time I talked with my sister about religion or politics, but I think she knows how I feel about things. Actually I have a brother who has told me that my sister, while a very intelligent and well-read person, is very defensive when talking about her religion or politics.

Actually I don't know if either of them have had any second thoughts about *, and I don't know if they voted for him in 2004.

My BIL has given me much good practical help and advice over the years, and he is somebody I have been able to confide in. I would not want to lose my friendship with him.

I have expressed my feelings about * with him in 2001 and following, and he has not agreed with me. The last I know for sure, which was in 2004, before the election, he was not necessarily thrilled with *, but he did not consider him a bad person.

My BIL and I have been able to agree to disagree about religion over the years, and about politics since * came into power. It has been kind of touchy, especially for me, to talk about with him recently. As it turns out, I still don't know if he (or my sister) voted for * in 2004, and I don't know if either of them have since had any serious second thoughts about him.

Actually my BIL's parents were telling me at a family gathering on July 4 that they strongly supported stem cell research.

And late last year I told my BIL about my ending a friendship earlier in the year with a long time friend who is a fundamentalist Christian and who voted for * in 2004. My BIL's response was simply that he was sorry to hear it, and he was not judgmental about it. I had let my BIL know that the ending of the friendship was mutually agreed to, and was on good terms.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

31. My mentor

who walks the walk, believes with his heart and soul that God created the world in six days, and loves everybody.

But...believes abortion is murder.... homosexuality is a disease.... the whole nine yards.


But there is not an ounce of intolerance in him. These are his beliefs. But if you are gay, having three abortions a year, whatever, you are welcome at his table and he'll give you whatever he has to help you out.

[cobalt1999]

33. Many, but mostly

my old fiance. Even when the marriage plans fell through many many years ago, we remained friends. She never tries to convert her only atheist friend nor I her. She is probably the nicest person you've ever meet and would crawl over broken glass to help out a friend.

She and my wife are friends although her fundie husband still doesn't quite understand our relationship.

[lizziegrace]

35. My twin sister

just one of the many ways we're both very fraternal twins. We just don't discuss politics or religion (she's a republican and a southern baptist). If she tries, I reply "So how about that Weather Channel." Yes, I am the human equivalent of Switzerland.

I adore her. I admire her strength, how well her three sons have turned out and her determination to do the right thing by her family.

[RevCheesehead]

37. Pretty much anyone.

My job requires tolerance and acceptance of diversity. O8)

IRL, however, my brother and SIL are ardent repukes (she more than him). She watches FOX NEWS - and believes what she hears. It's a shame, because she's otherwise brilliant. We just agree not to talk politics, because we're both stubborn.

[bertha katzenengel]

38. This thread turned out much better than I'd hoped.

Frankly I expected to see more replies that amount to "yeah, right."

Thanks to everyone, from the bottom of my liver.

:hi: