Religion and Politics

[Jack]

@Wombat

In Australia, at least, mainstream Christians, Jews, most other religious groups, atheists and agnostics share certain core values that define us across faiths (and lacks of faith).

This is supposed to be true in America, but I’ve found it to be a theory only. Common values do not seem to hold Christians together with any of the other groups except sometimes Jews (I think of Laura Schlessinger types, she is adored by millions of conservative Christians).

@Wombat

I don’t mind ignorance.

Be careful of who you’re calling ignorant. You might just get assassinated.

(And why is it that presidents and kings get “assassinated” and regular people get “murdered” or “killed?”)

[Wombat]

@Cranberry

@Wombat

In Australia, at least, mainstream Christians, Jews, most other religious groups, atheists and agnostics share certain core values that define us across faiths (and lacks of faith).

This is supposed to be true in America, but I’ve found it to be a theory only. Common values do not seem to hold Christians together with any of the other groups except sometimes Jews (I think of Laura Schlessinger types, she is adored by millions of conservative Christians).

That’s what frightens a lot of Australians about America. It really is true here, which is not to say that sectarian disputes in the past haven’t been damaging and it doesn’t even begin to account for the behaviour of white Australia towards the Aborigines.

Intolerant, politicised, Christianity is the fastest growing religious group here I fear but it has a long way to go before it gets to be a threat to the political process itself. In America, it already is.

[Walden]

@Wombat

Intolerant, politicised, Christianity is the fastest growing religious group here I fear but it has a long way to go before it gets to be a threat to the political process itself. In America, it already is.

I reckon that’s one way of looking at it.

[Tyler]

@Cranberry

@anniemcu

@Cranberry

Still is by many.

and made so by others… a shame.

Sometimes I prefer to just think of myself as a Jesusian.

Or a Messiahist-Yeshuaian. Isn’t that fun to say?

I think you may have the underpinnings to your own movement there, Cran

[Jack]

@Wombat

Intolerant, politicised, Christianity is the fastest growing religious group here I fear but it has a long way to go before it gets to be a threat to the political process itself. In America, it already is.

I don’t think all Evangelicals are intolerant or politicised. However, they are fast-growing.

I think the difference you see is largely demographical. America’s Evangelical Christian population is much larger than the entire population of the whole continent of Australia. American Evangelicals have a much greater influence in the US simply because their numbers are so large and they are more “concentrated” geographically and socio-politically.

I personally know of at least two Evangelical Christian groups with large headquarters in Australia, so they are certainly there. Mabey it’s more behind-the-scenes or something…I don’t really know that much about Australian politics, regrettably.