How does a person reconcile being a christian with being a republican?

[elehhhhna]

(By Christian, I mean one who pays a bittybit of attention on the teachings of Christ.)

[Exultant Democracy]

1. I'm pretty sure they have a different Christ from you and consider you unchristian

if you support women's rights, gbtl civil rights etc...

[COLGATE4]

16. Yep. They're adherents to "Supply-side, NRA Christ".

[JuniperLea]

2. They rewrite the teachings...

I have arguments with my Fundy cousins all the time... Yep... this blasphemous heathen is clearly far more "Christian" than they are;)

[muffin1]

3. That's the $64,000 question.

I will never understand it. They are fine with ignoring the sick, the poor, the hungry and the homeless. The majority of them tend to be pro-torture, pro-death penalty and pro-war.

Pretty much the opposite values that Christ taught.

:puke:

[retnick]

5. Many reasons

One of the mistakes we make is assuming that they're conservative because of their faith. Yes, that's certainly true with regards to social issues - but fiscally, i'd say it's more a matter of geography.
Fiscal conservatives, often Christians, come from less populated areas of the country - more rural areas, i guess - and thus are less likely to depend on government for needed services.

Ever notice how urban environments are generally more liberal?

You also need to remember that christian republicans often do believe in helping the poor - just in different ways. They use church outreach programs instead of government ones, that's all.

Lastly, i don't know much about fundamentalist Christianity, but i know they generally have a pretty negative and one-sided view of human nature. Humans are basically evil and selfish, according to them, and an extensive government can't be trusted because the people behind it are too easily corrupted.

That's how i think they see it anyway.

[muffin1]

6. It don't see why it matters if they are fiscally or socially conservative.

We still end up with the same result. Christians who vote conservative are contributing HUGELY to the pain and suffering in the country (and the world).

THEIR savior, Jesus Christ, the one they love above all else, tells them in no uncertain terms, to love their enemies. To turn the other cheek.
War and torture are the exact opposite of that.

Jesus told them to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, tend to the sick, etc. Every goddamn conservative Christian I've ever met, seen or read about says the exact opposite - fuck 'em. Let them work harder. They're lazy and suck at the government teat. No health care at MY expense! It's SOCIALISM!!!1!! I want to keep MY money!!

What's the point of being a Christian, if you don't want to follow anything Christ preached?

Sorry for the rant...this topic drives me nutso. My own father is a "Christian Conservative"...*sigh*

[area51]

14. Welcome to DU, retnick. n/t

[SharonAnn]

12. They compartmentalize them from each other. Read The Authoritarians

They solve the "cognitive dissonance" problem by just putting Republican into a different mental box than Christian.

Never the twain shall meet.

[judgegblue]

4. According to the Repub version of Christianity

When Christ doled out the loaves and fishes, the top 5% got 95% of the food and the poor got the leftovers. Of course, Christ must have been a socialist since he had the crazy idea that everyone should share in nature's bounty.

[TheKentuckian]

7. Haven't the slightest.

[raouldukelives]

8. I think they are confused by the verbage

They aren't really sure what it means they just know they are one cause everyone else is. Just like America. They don't know a thing about it's history but they darn sure love it in a Saturday morning cartoon way.

[RegieRocker]

9. Saving one unborn baby is worth millions of dead foreign children from war.

That is how.

[LeftyMom]

10. Because interpreting a book that long and contradictory is like reading tea leaves

You can read whatever pattern into the random mess that you like.

[lpbk2713]

11. They look to Pat Robertson for guidance.

And Pat makes everything alright.

[Johonny]

13. They read the parts of the bible that focus on suffering caused by sin

and virtues stored on thus that follow the word of god. Which is the message of a lot of the old testament. The also like a lot of the oldest Christian teaching that focused on the apocalypse. Which once again promises the sinful will not be rewarded and the believers will. You can really piece together parts of the bible and pretend this is the total message of Christ. Since the bible is many different books written by many different authors all who had their own religious philosophy it turns out to be easier to mix and match messages than to find one coherent theme in all the books.

[Ilsa]

15. The preaching redefines being a good Christian.

They tell them that god blesses their greed, etc. with that obscene prosperity gospel. That pure capitalism is what god wants.

It is all a matter of a different kind of brainwashing.

[SmileyRose]

17. Christian versus christian

Big C Christian generally uses Jesus as a prop. They are everywhere, and yes even among Democratic voters.

I do a few Republicans that are also christians (small c). They are good and decent and service minded and if they were prominent the 101st Fighting Keyboarders would call them RINOs. But they nearly always vote Republican none the less - for reasons that have nothing to do with religious wedge issues.