Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Religion

Showing Original Post only (View all)

cbayer

(146,218 posts)
Mon Apr 16, 2012, 10:59 AM Apr 2012

Christian Is Not Synonymous With Conservative [View all]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ombudsman/2012/03/30/149717982/christian-is-not-synonymous-with-conservative

by EDWARD SCHUMACHER-MATOS

?t=1333145591&s=3

Who are "the Christians"?

This beguilingly simple question was provoked by a Morning Edition report in which host David Greene referred to an anti-abortion movie, "October Baby", as a "Christian film." Many Christians objected. They didn't identify with the movie or its message.

"I've been troubled for years that conservative, evangelical Christians have appropriated the name 'Christian' as if Christians holding progressive views don't exist," wrote Theodore Johnson of Basye, VA. "In today's story, the reporter seemed to go along with that fiction by using the word 'Christian' without adding 'conservative' or 'evangelical' or some other words to indicate that these are Christians with one point of view that isn't held by everyone who consider themselves Christians."

Johnson's point is more than valid. But Greene's response was also valid.

"'Christian' is a well-established modifier when describing a genre in filmmaking, as well as a genre in music," he wrote me. "There's an award for Christian music at the Grammys, for example. Amazon and other retailers classify Christian movies as a category for sales."

more at link
81 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Theyre the ones who own the concept of god rrneck Apr 2012 #1
What? cbayer Apr 2012 #5
I didn't give you much to work with there. Sometimes I hate my phone. rrneck Apr 2012 #58
Nobody owns the concept of God. Thats my opinion Apr 2012 #45
If they can convince most of the population what god is, they own it. rrneck Apr 2012 #59
I can't count the number of times someone has told me that I have to be conservative republican if liberal N proud Apr 2012 #2
When you get lumped in with a very big group that is poorly defined to begin with, there cbayer Apr 2012 #6
Good lord, people. Look, the 'mainstream' is conservative. According to the President Bluenorthwest Apr 2012 #3
BNW, you missed the point of the article, imo. cbayer Apr 2012 #7
"just give them a chance" - What do you mean by that? trotsky Apr 2012 #10
No, c, you missed the point. First off, my Mother is a Christian. Most of my family also. Bluenorthwest Apr 2012 #15
I am much more a part of your community than that community. cbayer Apr 2012 #20
Warren does not speak for millions of us, Thats my opinion Apr 2012 #46
Perhaps not, but Warren speaks for the majority of self-identified Christians in the USA, darkstar3 Apr 2012 #48
That's true, but there are more conservative Christians than liberal ones, at least in the USA. trotsky Apr 2012 #4
Very true LeftishBrit Apr 2012 #8
This is why I again would argue for a change in language. cbayer Apr 2012 #11
So call yourself something besides "Christian". darkstar3 Apr 2012 #49
Have you ever seen me call myself christian? cbayer Apr 2012 #51
I haven't, but I have seen you repeatedly jump into threads that put down assholes like Phelps darkstar3 Apr 2012 #52
Attacking the people here or defending the people here? cbayer Apr 2012 #53
The root of the problem is that you, meaning darkstar3 Apr 2012 #54
I hear you, but don't really know how to address it other than on a small scale - cbayer Apr 2012 #55
Hey, I have to go. I've enjoyed this conversation. cbayer Apr 2012 #56
It would be nice to hear from Christians more about how they're not zbdent Apr 2012 #9
There are plenty of them here at DU. cbayer Apr 2012 #13
No, but there's a very strong correlation. 2ndAmForComputers Apr 2012 #12
What would that correlation be? And what statistics do you base it on? cbayer Apr 2012 #14
.78 dmallind Apr 2012 #16
I am not really sure what they are saying here: cbayer Apr 2012 #19
It is the correlation between the importance of religion and conservatism. Exactly as requested. dmallind Apr 2012 #25
But it's broken down by state. Can you see how they got this from the Gallup data? cbayer Apr 2012 #28
The answer is in trotsky's post 27 just below. 2ndAmForComputers Apr 2012 #75
She's giving me the silent treatment by refusing to respond to my posts. trotsky Apr 2012 #79
So, since you love math, why don't you crunch these numbers and give me the real answer. cbayer Apr 2012 #80
You're looking at the wrong numbers. trotsky Apr 2012 #81
That distribution is only "even" if you ignore the last column - Sample Size. trotsky Apr 2012 #27
Interestingly, they're only the 2nd most nutso of all. 2ndAmForComputers Apr 2012 #76
This is a real problem for everybody longship Apr 2012 #17
Agree. It is a problem for all of us. cbayer Apr 2012 #21
An small example longship Apr 2012 #24
Isn't what you describe contained within the OWS movement? cbayer Apr 2012 #29
Well, maybe, but I doubt it. longship Apr 2012 #37
It all starts small, doesn't it? cbayer Apr 2012 #38
But, but, but, small ain't gonna do it. longship Apr 2012 #39
I would venture that we first have to identify and support leaders. cbayer Apr 2012 #40
That is the whole point of DU longship Apr 2012 #41
And I will say in return that having you around here and talking with you has been my cbayer Apr 2012 #43
We will communicate more, I hope longship Apr 2012 #47
I'd also do MY best to be there. eqfan592 Apr 2012 #57
Thank you longship Apr 2012 #60
thanks equfan! cbayer Apr 2012 #63
I've thought about becoming a donor again... eqfan592 Apr 2012 #66
I thought that small donations don't exist anymore... laconicsax Apr 2012 #73
That's $5 a month. Pretty small, although I realize some don't' have it and some just choose not cbayer Apr 2012 #74
A real life example in the early 1990s in Oregon Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2012 #77
Absolutely true - just like height is not synonymous with basketball prowess dmallind Apr 2012 #18
So, what do you make of the PEW results I posted above? cbayer Apr 2012 #22
a) they do not speak to the issue of correlation b)they show Christians to be more conservative dmallind Apr 2012 #23
I have not made the argument that there is NO correlation, just that it isn't as definitive cbayer Apr 2012 #31
"it makes no sense to paint them all with the same brush" trotsky Apr 2012 #32
No it doesn't make that case dmallind Apr 2012 #35
We most likely will have to agree to disagree on this. cbayer Apr 2012 #36
Actually maybe not dmallind Apr 2012 #42
Another reason for the domination by the religious right on the political landscape is because cbayer Apr 2012 #44
It is unfortunate that the likes of..... wandy Apr 2012 #26
No, you shouldn't keep your mouth shut, imo. cbayer Apr 2012 #33
This is all so true, but sad. northoftheborder Apr 2012 #30
Exactly. How many quietly religious people have done similar things because they cbayer Apr 2012 #34
Now you make sense. It is on you and your fellow liberal Christians Warren Stupidity Apr 2012 #61
I prefer, for lack of a better word, cultural Christians over religious Christians... Humanist_Activist Apr 2012 #50
Not synonymous ... but ... Joseph8th Apr 2012 #62
What an excellent post, Joseph 8th - I would like to try and distill and see if I get it. cbayer Apr 2012 #64
How exactly do you get to your rephrasing in #1? trotsky Apr 2012 #65
Right... NOT destroy... Joseph8th Apr 2012 #69
Do you also think religion and religious groups/leaders/people should be kept out of social cbayer Apr 2012 #71
Nah... but don't expect us to join in droves if... Joseph8th Apr 2012 #72
I think you should apologize for, or edit... trotsky Apr 2012 #78
This is a very helpful post. Thats my opinion Apr 2012 #67
I must have missed the posts where Christians were told... trotsky Apr 2012 #68
I wouldn't have eliminated anything... Joseph8th Apr 2012 #70
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Religion»Christian Is Not Synonymo...»Reply #0