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Goodbye Jesus

Has Your Politics Changed?


Kian Mead

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When I was a fundy, I was conservative. Since deconverting I do not know why people are not more liberal.

 

 

What do you mean by liberal?

 

I'm not going to claim to speak for him, but if I had originally said that and you asked the same question, I would say for gay rights, decriminalization of narcotics, and woman's reproductive rights.

 

 

As an Christian, I was very conservative, except for the protection of environment stuff. Now I have gone liberal.

 

I was one of those that believed "God will fix it."

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My politics sort of changed and sort of didn't.

 

I first started forming beliefs and ideas about politics when I was in my early teens. I tended towards liberalism, but before I had much opportunity to really figure things out I learned very quickly that it wasn't safe to have an independent thought and disagree with the much more conservative adults around me. That, and I was born again when I was 16. So I buried my developing political positions along with most everything else that was indicative of my true self, and instead adopted a conservative-side-of-moderate stance on most things.

 

But it never really took, truth be told. I was too feminist, too gay-friendly, too anti-war, too supportive of civil liberties, too anti-temperance, stuff like that. By my late 20's I'd managed to figure out where I stand on most issues, but I don't consider that the matter is at any sort of end. There is no reason not to keep looking at the issues and changing my mind if I find good reason to do so.

 

These days I fall very far left of center, so far left that the Dem's probably wouldn't take me and Repub's would find me abhorrent. I actually think that some flavor of Anarchy would be the ideal way to go, but have no illusions whatsoever that such could ever happen. In practical terms I classify myself as a political independent. I am a fiscal utilitarian, a social liberal, a capitalist, and have a Libertarian streak, though it's not a mile wide by any means. I don't necessarily oppose taxes, but do oppose waste; don't necessarily oppose some degree of government regulation, but do oppose totalitarianism; and I don't think most Americans would know a Socialist if one came up and gave them universal health care. I am staunchly feminist, supportive of civil rights, and don't believe there's any such thing as a free lunch.

 

My politics are probably a bundle of contradictions, and I'm quite happy with that.

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When I was a fundy, I was conservative. Since deconverting I do not know why people are not more liberal.

 

 

What do you mean by liberal?

 

I'm not going to claim to speak for him, but if I had originally said that and you asked the same question, I would say for gay rights, decriminalization of narcotics, and woman's reproductive rights.

 

 

As an Christian, I was very conservative, except for the protection of environment stuff. Now I have gone liberal.

 

I was one of those that believed "God will fix it."

That's pretty much what I was going to say. That's what I meant by more liberal. Accepting people they way they are as they are, homosexuals, transgender, whoever and whatever. People are people and they all deserve equal rights.

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My political philosophy didn't really change with deconversion. I've always been a social libertarian, which is why even as a Christian I could not accept the ideas of the religious right who want to ban anything that amounts to true human freedom, not the artificial ones they constantly spout. I still believe in people's capitalism, but do not begrudge social safety nets because those hardships are caused by agenda/lobby-driven policies of the government in the first place (IMO).

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Oh, and I absolutely HATE how conservatives equate socialism and liberalism with communism. It drives me nuts every time I hear it! Come on people, where is your logic?

Two way street..conservative often equated with racism, heartlessness or the Nazis.

 

Yep. Morons shouldn't talk politics. Dipshit conservatives thin liberalism equals Communism or Socialism, dipshit liberals think conservatism equals fascism or nationalism. In reality most of those things don't fit into the traditional right wing/left wing spectrum. What about a single party state or equating one's nationality with the highest priority make one "right wing"? At the same time why does believing in collective ownership make one left wing? No one ever defines left wing, liberal, right wing, conservative and people who use those terms broadly are broadcasting their stupidity on the subjects most of the time.

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Believe it or not, politics actually led to my deconversion.

 

However in a way much more different from many of the posters before me.

 

I'm a fiscally conservative guy, and realize that human nature will always trump our best intentions. I've always been a personal freedom first. While I still hate the idea of abortion personally, I've never been able to think that it should be outlawed. I can't impose my beliefs on another person.

 

So, I remember a discussion in a Bible study. I forget the exact parable, but a light went off that made me realize that Jesus was promoting a socialist/communist agenda (Not tyranny kill everyone communist, more like hippie "lets all go live on a collective farm" communist.) This was the first time that my personal philosophy got in the way of my "faith."

 

I read more, and finally found Ayn Rand. It made me realize that not all atheists and agnostics are coffee shop progressives.

 

So, where am I now? Pretty much the same spot I was before I left religion. I'm a Libertarian who votes republican for pragmatic reasons.

 

It's funny, I actually worked on a congressional campaign for a successful young republican who lost a recent primary by a squeaker. While I was able to help out at his campaign office late at night. In an unguarded moment, he was able to talk religion open and honestly with me over a couple beers. There are many "conservatives," especially younger ones, that are dying to break out of the stranglehold that the religious right has on parts of the republican party. I give it another generation and the Republican party will likely reflect more Libertarian values of economic and personal freedoms, with much less of the deference they have to certain social issues.

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Just a question for every one.

 

Did your politics change when you either became a christian, or de-converted?

 

 

I am asking, because I just will find your answers fascinating. If you would like, tell how your politics changed, and what end of the spectrum it has shifted to.

 

My politics changed because my whole outlook on life changed when I de-converted. When I was a christian, I went along with the whole right-wing, conservative party line. I am ashamed to admit that I didn't think for myself at all. I was willfully ignorant. I was very narrow minded and naive and felt that everyone should believe the same way that I did and that it was for their own heavenly good. When I didn't care to understand issues I simply parroted what people like James Dobson said if asked what I thought.

 

When I finally saw the light and realized that there is a world of people out there with complex issues apart from me that require solutions that are difficult if not impossible to figure out, I realized that it's not as simple as christianity would like to think.

 

I try to be much more compassionate in my political stance now. I am much more liberal in my political beliefs. I try to understand the issues and I try to guard against being willfully ignorant like I was before.

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I give it another generation and the Republican party will likely reflect more Libertarian values of economic and personal freedoms, with much less of the deference they have to certain social issues.

 

If that ever happens, I may actually consider voting Republican again.

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