Too much relegion in politics?
the real reason we lost
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
I have to admit, I was one of those who supported John Kerry, and as a whole didn't like George Bush. I believe that the war in Iraq was a distraction and based on a predetermined notion by the administration that they wanted to take Saddam out. I believe that by far his policies help those who are more well off, an attempt to recreate Reagan's "trickle down" economics which created huge deficits. I have other policy differences, but that being said, except for Iraq, I think he has done well in the war on terror.
The candidates had clear differences in fiscal, economic, healthcare and other areas. This year would be a chance for people to make a choice in which direction they wanted this country to go, to make a statement about a war that many do not support. So imagine my surprise when I saw the data and "moral issues" was the top factor in how people voted, the economy second, and terrorism THIRD.
I have no problem with moral issues influencing a persons decisions, but with so much going on in the country and in the world, I think changing the moral fiber of the country isn't the top of the list. And let's be fair, when someone says moral values, they mean "MY moral values". A person in San Francisco and an Evangelical Chrstian may both be moral people, but their moral VIEWPOINT will probably not be the same. This does not make either person less moral, or right or wrong, simply different.
This goes to a much larger issue in this country - the role of religion in politics. Approximately 20% of the total votes for George Bush were from Evangelical Christians. They voted for him by a margin of around 80% to 20% for Kerry. Their turnout was also very high due to very effective voter registration drives, organized trips to the polls and the fact that 11 states were voting on amendments to ban gay-marraige. Evangelicals as a rule are pro-life, anti-gay marriage, and to a lesser degree feel that sex and violence in the media is causing a "decay" in this country. They are highly motivated, getting highly organized and feel it is their spiritual duty to save the people and this country from what they define as evils. It is their right to their beliefs - religious freedom is a cornerstone of this country, it is the last part that scares me. The laws of this country should not be based on the beliefs of the church. That is not a democracy, that is a theocracy. Evangelicals believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, totally infallible and this belief give to them a strong sense of rightness to what they do. I honestly don't dislike Evangelicals, my uncle is one. I am not a church-going person, but I do consider myself moral and I am frightened that a religious group is getting very close to being able to legislate it's morals and force it's beliefs on everyone.
The candidates had clear differences in fiscal, economic, healthcare and other areas. This year would be a chance for people to make a choice in which direction they wanted this country to go, to make a statement about a war that many do not support. So imagine my surprise when I saw the data and "moral issues" was the top factor in how people voted, the economy second, and terrorism THIRD.
I have no problem with moral issues influencing a persons decisions, but with so much going on in the country and in the world, I think changing the moral fiber of the country isn't the top of the list. And let's be fair, when someone says moral values, they mean "MY moral values". A person in San Francisco and an Evangelical Chrstian may both be moral people, but their moral VIEWPOINT will probably not be the same. This does not make either person less moral, or right or wrong, simply different.
This goes to a much larger issue in this country - the role of religion in politics. Approximately 20% of the total votes for George Bush were from Evangelical Christians. They voted for him by a margin of around 80% to 20% for Kerry. Their turnout was also very high due to very effective voter registration drives, organized trips to the polls and the fact that 11 states were voting on amendments to ban gay-marraige. Evangelicals as a rule are pro-life, anti-gay marriage, and to a lesser degree feel that sex and violence in the media is causing a "decay" in this country. They are highly motivated, getting highly organized and feel it is their spiritual duty to save the people and this country from what they define as evils. It is their right to their beliefs - religious freedom is a cornerstone of this country, it is the last part that scares me. The laws of this country should not be based on the beliefs of the church. That is not a democracy, that is a theocracy. Evangelicals believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, totally infallible and this belief give to them a strong sense of rightness to what they do. I honestly don't dislike Evangelicals, my uncle is one. I am not a church-going person, but I do consider myself moral and I am frightened that a religious group is getting very close to being able to legislate it's morals and force it's beliefs on everyone.
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