Why is religion common within various known right-wing ideologies?

[Jax Humanhater]

Here are examples.

The American Right:
In the United States, especially here in the Southeast, religion is openly endorsed in public life and American conservatives (they are not centre-right, they are leaning on fascism - here is a quote by Sinclair Lewis describing the arrival of fascism in America:

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." - Quote from Wikiquote (link:http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:Sinclair_Lewis) ) as well as Republicans are intertwining religion into politics and combining those dealings with corporate proceedings and military industry. But, my point as I said earlier, Christianity and politics are working together within our borders.

National socialism (Nazi):
In Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler had some complex views of Catholicism, but, nonetheless, he embraced it and he, almost like the American right, believed in oppressing non-White Christians (he probably believed women were only capable of homemaking and could not make decisions on their own bodies just like American right-wingers) in the name of the Christian God.

Islamic theocracy:
In Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, the Muslim governments believe in cruel and unusual punishment towards non-Muslims and Muslims who were not considered Islamic in their eyes (Iran, to a slightly lesser extent).

The Extreme Political Left:
It seems like religious is a trait of the political right because left-wing ideologies and governments like the Soviet Union, Black Panther Party, the Castro regime in Cuba, and Che Guevara are all extremely resentful of religious faith and more embracing of atheism, secularism, etc. but, they are still just as crazy and psychotic as their right-wing counterparts.

Your thoughts?

 

[Omer Said]

No one becomes truly religious by describing himself as "religious". They might be using the religion in their way or might not be aware of the true religion.

And keep in mind that not only the people who label themselves as "religious" do stupid things. Either extreme materialist, or extreme religious, you go "extreme" and cross the lines. Lose your humanity.

Obama might be more religious than Bush on his own, we can't know people's private connection with the creator or their thoughts. but one uses it to himself, while the latter uses it to label Iraqian invasion as a "crusade". And then we say Bush is more religious. No he is not, he just thinks he is...

 

[Mapu]

Oh well...

why we have secularism in a modern state. It's an achievement of the age of enlightenment and has nothing to do with left wing. Religion is supposed to be a private matter. As religion is manifold and different and comes from belief, nobody has the right to give his religion a status quo in the mundane world. Therefore religion is not supposed to interfere with official state business were a legal system has its ground among equal citizens. But these clear lines seem to blur today as if history hasn't taught us anything. Basically speaking, religion and belief can easily misused by popular people to manipulate the masses and activate them for a questionable will, for example the will of single person, a group, a party (size doesn't matter, from individual persons, to independent groups to states) that preaches or rallies for a celestial empire or a self proclaimed better life. But such goals can't be vindicated since they emanate from the belief of one person, a fantasy, if you wish to say so, which existence can't be proven in the world we live in, in the Sein. Pictorially speaking, nobody can claim the hereafter for another person or define what makes a better life. Doing so would not only put personal but also civil liberty at stake. From there it wouldn't be far to religious justifications in the name of a celestial purpose or being. We'd become deluded people, like lambs to the slaughter and could live by the religious lore and by the word of an entity interpreting and spreading the lore. Beside that, it's questionable if anybody wouldn't use religious beliefs to justify his her principles of action in the world, using religious beliefs to cover up real goals? Fighting terrorism and the reused term "axle of evil" is a critical and infamous topic on this matter in my opinion. But there is also a rather popular idea of clash of civilizations for example, although not only because of religious matters, which I do not accept as well. And many many more. Since the terrorism topic is so strong in the media (hostilities towards different minority groups and religions included), it scares the **** out of the people and makes them hysteric while looking for the "guilty ones" and trying to side with the "good ones". Anyway by having such a strong focus on terror in the media, we keep missing out on much more important topics of the 21st century!

You can't say that religion is a trait of the political right and secularism something that gets embraced by the political left. Both wings have a ideology that emanates from different sources and try to achieve different goals. Secularism and Religion while they're two different things, can roughly only described as political tools that can be used but certainly mustn't. Further speaking, secularism is a crucial part of any modern state that wishes to uphold liberty, law and justice.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

No book this time?

 

[Jax Humanhater]

No book this time?

Hampus, don't be so rash. I'm just saying.

 

[Hiroshi Awazu]

Hampus, don't be so rash. I'm just saying.

I don't think his comment was addressed to you.

 

[Jax Humanhater]

I don't think his comment was addressed to you.

I know. I was reminding him not to get boiled over with Marcel like the last thread. You guys watch yourselves and not let your passions alienate each other.

 

[Nathan Robinson]

Religion is a tricky subject. Everyone has an idea on it for sure. I personally feel unconnected to any labeling of political sides. I agree with views from all types of politicians combined. I do however, feel like religion causes a lot of unrest in the world and only serves as another way to divide and classify people, thus causing conflict and war.

 

[Samuel Fuller]

Religions that claim to follow the bible and yet prove by what they do that they have no regard for it's message are clearly not correct. Unfortunatly that is what people see of religion and therefore do not trust it or feel the bible has any use for us today. I feel if people just study what the bible has to say and dont get put off by the hypocricey of most religions then they would see just how clear, and useful its message is for all of us.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Ah... You mean like when god sent a plauge to kill 70,000 Israelis?

Or does that part get thrown into the "metaphorical" part of the bible.

Always a nice trick to have... If it sounds F'd up we just say it's metaphorical.
If it's a good message we keep it.

The reason why religion Is more apparent in some parties has to do with their families or where they grew up.

 

[Samuel Fuller]

You do have to read the context of the bible to understand it not just pick out bits. God never killed anyone without giving them warnings and time to change.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

I can write you a list in 5 min that contains no violence and even better messages that you can follow if you for some reason haven't learned the basics of "common fn sense"

 

[Hampus Andersson]

You do have to read the context of the bible to understand it not just pick out bits. God never killed anyone without giving them warnings and time to change.

Hahaha last sentence is hilarious.

He killed innocent civilian people on behalf of David.
he contradicts himself, he's a murderer, he's a psychopath, he's schizofrenic.

More importantly, he doesn't exist other then in people's minds and he's a man-made phenomenon.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

He makes Bin Laden, Gaddaffi, Bush, Saddam, Hitler, Stalin look like boy scouts.

 

[Samuel Fuller]

Have you actually read the bible from start to finish?
Did you understand it?
Have you studied it? Checked it against secular history.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Yes, although i doubt you have because any person that is perfectly sane and have morale would throw the book out of the window or see it as a pure science fiction book.

You simply cannot ignore the evil in the book!
You are a living example of just how powerful the book is. And i dont mean that in a good way.


Simple question: Do you deny that the god you believe in is a murderer?

 

[Omer Said]

Yes, although i doubt you have because any person that is perfectly sane and have morale would throw the book out of the window or see it as a pure science fiction book.

So you call millions of people insane. OK... suit yourself...

Simple question: Do you deny that the god you believe in is a murderer?

The creator creates from nothingness, i believe it can do anything it wants. Yet those people who were punished in quran or bible (Did not read bible tough) deserve it. The creator gives everything they have from nothing, sends messengers, and they still rebel it. Also dying of them doesn't mean destruction, because there is an afterlife and soul is not killed. Of course you first got to believe in a God to accept these, but you are not "insane" and "immoral" like me after all..

 

[Samuel Fuller]

@Hampus Yes to all my questions? The only way I can answer your question is by using the bible which unless you believe in God is kind of pointless. Maybe first thing to work out is why you dont believe in God?

@omar Thanks. However through my studies the bible doesn't mention a soul that lives on after death. In the bible "soul" is translated from the Hebrew ne'phesh and the Greek psy·khe' . Bible usage shows the soul to be a person or an animal or the life that a person or an animal enjoys. For example Genesis 2:7 says 'and the man came to be a living soul' it doesn't say that the man was given a soul but that he became a soul, a living person.
This doesn't mean that there is no hope for those who have died as the bible talks about them being in Gods memory until the resurrection. which from my studies of scriptures like Matthew 24 and 2Tim 3, and many more, is very soon.

 

[Tom]

Guys, I understand that this can be a heated topic but could everyone please calm down and understand that everyone is entitled to believe in whatever they want? If someone wants to believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, fine by me.

Nobody has the right to mock someone else because of their religion. I don't believe in God / Allah / Jahwe / the Flying Spaghetti Monster either but I can accept that others do. You guys should be able to do so as well.

Long story short: please don't make us step in.

Tom

 

[Hampus Andersson]

So in short the answer is yes, you believe in a murderer.
And don´t change it to that they deserved it, they were innocent people.

Why doesn´t people realize all the bad things he does?
Would it not be much cooler with an awesome god, gave everyone icecream on Sundays or whatever..
I´d much rather worship that guy, wouldn´t you? Or do you like murderers?

As far as millions of people insane, yes.. i believe it´s around 70% of the world´s population or similar so that would be 6,3 billion people.
And it still baffles me every single day..

How can you call yourself a logical and rational person?
How can you separate fiction from reality?
Serious question, not trying to be condescending on purpose.