Do religious views affect political views?

[WanderLust]

Do you think people allow their religious views to affect their political views? And if they do, how do people of the same faith come to radically different conclusions? How is one Christian a far-right conservative, but another is an extremely staunch liberal? It seems to me if one religion is so mixed that it can lead people to radically different conclusions, it's not a very stable or concrete religion. Thoughts?

 

[sandandfoam]

Do you think people allow their religious views to affect their political views? And if they do, how do people of the same faith come to radically different conclusions? How is one Christian a far-right conservative, but another is an extremely staunch liberal? It seems to me if one religion is so mixed that it can lead people to radically different conclusions, it's not a very stable or concrete religion. Thoughts?

Every religion changes from one person to the next. No 2 people are the same.

 

[Splarnst]

Yes, they absolutely can. But that doesn't mean that any particular religion's influence has to consistently be in same strength or direction, especially since believers even within a single church vary widely in their beliefs, in the devotion, and in their interest in politics. It's complicated, and you shouldn't expect to find a simple answer.

For me, when I was a devout Catholic, I felt I had to be very socially conservative, which also led to me to be rather economically conservative because those two are grouped together in US politics. After I became an atheist, I no longer felt I had to be socially conservative and now am liberal all the way around and much happier.

 

[FlyingTeaPot]

[youtube]4QYwsM17a2M[/youtube]
Christian-Right Voter Explains Why She Won't Vote for Obama - YouTube

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Do you think people allow their religious views to affect their political views?

I hope so.

 

[Tarheeler]

Yes, they do.

I'm working on a projectproject that tests religious variables against political attitudes for statistical correlation.

So far, the results indicate that people who are religiously conservative are also politically conservative, with religious affiliation being a major factor. But it really comes down to the views held by the individual, which can can have huge variations.

But it is just one possible factor that can guide the decision making process.

 

[Quintessence]

Yes, they do.

I'm working on a projectproject that tests religious variables against political attitudes for statistical correlation.

So far, the results indicate that people who are religiously conservative are also politically conservative, with religious affiliation being a major factor. But it really comes down to the views held by the individual, which can can have huge variations.

But it is just one possible factor that can guide the decision making process.

Sounds interesting. Is this for a masters or Ph.D. degree? What variables are you considering to be indicators of "religious conservatism" and "political conservatism?" The meaning of the word "conservative" can be somewhat dicey and change over time, so I'm a bit curious how you're approaching the study.

 

[Tarheeler]

Sounds interesting. Is this for a masters or Ph.D. degree? What variables are you considering to be indicators of "religious conservatism" and "political conservatism?" The meaning of the word "conservative" can be somewhat dicey and change over time, so I'm a bit curious how you're approaching the study.

I'm finishing my Bachelors. When I get a chance to move on to an advanced degree, I'd like to expand on it. This a really just a quick look with undergraduate tools.

I'll have to post more when I have access to my computer, but I'm looking at a range of religious factors like Biblical literalism, fundamentalism, belief in an afterlife and punishment of sin, and testing them against a battery of political issues.

 

[BruceDLimber]

It can definitely happen!

For example, because I'm a Baha'i I try to avoid partisan politics, which we see as disunifying and counterproductive.

Peace,

Bruce

 

[Quintessence]

I'm finishing my Bachelors. When I get a chance to move on to an advanced degree, I'd like to expand on it. This a really just a quick look with undergraduate tools.

I'll have to post more when I have access to my computer, but I'm looking at a range of religious factors like Biblical literalism, fundamentalism, belief in an afterlife and punishment of sin, and testing them against a battery of political issues.

Gotcha. Undergrad research can do quite a bit as well. It looks like your study is focused on Abrahamic faiths rather than religion more broadly. I mention that because as a religious minority, I'm often a bit more curious how we come out on these things. "Religious conservatism" is probably even harder to define for a group like Neopagans than it is for Abrahamic faiths. I'm not sure how I would define it myself!

 

[Quiddity]

Absolutely they do. And I hope it continues to be so.

 

[Tarheeler]

Gotcha. Undergrad research can do quite a bit as well. It looks like your study is focused on Abrahamic faiths rather than religion more broadly. I mention that because as a religious minority, I'm often a bit more curious how we come out on these things. "Religious conservatism" is probably even harder to define for a group like Neopagans than it is for Abrahamic faiths. I'm not sure how I would define it myself!

I'm only focusing on Abrahamic faiths by necessity; the data is from the 2006 NORC General Social Survey. The only data collected was on Christians and Jews, even Muslims are missing.

But the results are solid; there's statistical correlation between religious attitudes and political stance.

 

[9Westy9]

Do you think people allow their religious views to affect their political views? And if they do, how do people of the same faith come to radically different conclusions? How is one Christian a far-right conservative, but another is an extremely staunch liberal? It seems to me if one religion is so mixed that it can lead people to radically different conclusions, it's not a very stable or concrete religion. Thoughts?

Only if the religious views are held in high regard.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

In a way my Nihilism makes me Anarchish, but I generally am a deep liberal and a member of the Green Party.

 

[Splarnst]

Absolutely they do. And I hope it continues to be so.

Do you hope my atheism continues to affect my political views, too?

 

[kaknelson]

Absolutely they do. And I hope it continues to be so.

Oh Gods I hope not

 

[ChristineES]

Do you think people allow their religious views to affect their political views? And if they do, how do people of the same faith come to radically different conclusions? How is one Christian a far-right conservative, but another is an extremely staunch liberal? It seems to me if one religion is so mixed that it can lead people to radically different conclusions, it's not a very stable or concrete religion. Thoughts?

Not in the case of my husband and I. I am non-partisan, although I lean a little to the left. My husband is a conservative republican. We both call ourselves Christians.

 

[Quiddity]

Do you hope my atheism continues to affect my political views, too?

Only if by atheism you mean it's a society of bald men.

 

[Splarnst]

Only if by atheism you mean it's a society of bald men.

I think there's a joke in there, but bad grammar prevents me from parsing sentence with any confidence. Anyway, I'm looking for a serious answer: Do you like uniformly like religious views affecting political views, or do you only mean religious views similar to yours?

 

[Quiddity]

I think there's a joke in there, but bad grammar prevents me from parsing sentence with any confidence. Anyway, I'm looking for a serious answer: Do you like uniformly like religious views affecting political views, or do you only mean religious views similar to yours?

It's all religious to me; even if it comes from an atheist.