Thread: Is The Republican Party Just A Religious Cult Now?

With the selection of S. Palin over Tom Ridge during last year's election campaign, the far right wing, religious zealots of the Republican Party ensured the failure of their candidate for President. (Tom Ridge would have been a formidable foe to the Democrats in the VP nominee slot but was unacceptable to the Repub religious zealots due to his moderate stand on a woman's right to choose)
Now that Specter has jumped ship, they are down to 40 Senators & many want Snow & Collins out too. That would leave 38 Republican Senators & dropping.
They truly are transforming themselves into a born-again, Evangelist church of rich WHITE men.....with an ever shrinking congregation.
Any thoughts?

Yes, the Republican party is a religious cult now...

Back in the 60's the SDS wanted to out the 'establishment' Democrat party and create the 'new left'. I think that is what needs to happen today, establish a 'new right' with un-antiquated ideals and leaders that America could actually believe in.

The party is nothing, who gives a hoot about the party, it is the out of date ideas that are killing them. Conservatism will make a comeback. A more focused fiscal and government conservatism more so than social. Some of the religious rhetoric will have to be left out in an America that is becoming less and less dominated by religion.

Originally Posted by Devil505

They truly are transforming themselves into a born-again, Evangelist church of rich WHITE men.....with an ever shrinking congregation.
Any thoughts?

What issues are making them more like an evangelist church..? I assume you'll have abortion on there, but what else..?

Abortion BTW has zero to do with religion. It's a real bad argument, you probably don't want to go there...

Originally Posted by metheron

Back in the 60's the SDS wanted to out the 'establishment' Democrat party and create the 'new left'. I think that is what needs to happen today, establish a 'new right' with un-antiquated ideals and leaders that America could actually believe in.

The party is nothing, who gives a hoot about the party, it is the out of date ideas that are killing them. Conservatism will make a comeback. A more focused fiscal and government conservatism more so than social. Some of the religious rhetoric will have to be left out in an America that is becoming less and less dominated by religion.

Very astute, I'd green you but I can't. Nice political analysis.

Originally Posted by Babylon

What issues are making them more like an evangelist church..? I assume you'll have abortion on there, but what else..?

Abortion BTW has zero to do with religion. It's a real bad argument, you probably don't want to go there...

I see their Evangelist Church doctrine as a very general "Moralist" viewpoint, more in keeping with a religion than the political party they CLAIM to still be.
They (Repubs) are now at least SEEN as the party:

1. In favor of state sponsored torture
2. Against equal rights for gays (I'm str8, btw)
3. For tax cuts for big oil but against the middle class (be honest...they are)
4. Against minorities. (even though they hypocritically pick a woman VP candidate & a black RNC chairman)
5. Woman's right to choose
6. Want to fund Christian schools while cutting back on public education.
7. Pay "Lip Service" to "No Child Left Behind" but than don't fund it so they can pay for their wars

I could go on all day, & that's just off the top of my head. You can deny any & all of those things but please explain why the Repubs have been resoundingly defeated i national election since 2008 & why they can't even sustain a filibuster anymore? (& please don't tell me it's the left wing liberal elite media!)

The country has turned left towards the middle but the Repubs INSIST they need to turn even further RIGHT!
They are out of touch with most Americans, the Disloyal (Un-Amercian) Opposition & becoming more irrelevant every day.

Originally Posted by Devil505

1. In favor of state sponsored torture
2. Against equal rights for gays (I'm str8, btw)
3. For tax cuts for big oil but against the middle class (be honest...they are)
4. Against minorities. (even though they hypocritically pick a woman VP candidate & a black RNC chairman)
5. Woman's right to choose
6. Want to fund Christian schools while cutting back on public education.
7. Pay "Lip Service" to "No Child Left Behind" but than don't fund it so they can pay for their wars

Except for number 6 none of them have any religious requirement to them and the only thing I can imagaine you are trying to assert with 6 is a voucher program which would allow vouchers to any school that meets the educational standards religious or not.

Originally Posted by Devil505

With the selection of S. Palin over Tom Ridge during last year's election campaign, the far right wing, religious zealots of the Republican Party ensured the failure of their candidate for President. ...

Counter-argument... Sarah Palin was ultimately selected by presidential candidate John McCain. Other members of the Republican Party may have helped contribute to the list of potential running mates, but the decision to accept Sarah Palin was made by the candidate himself.

The 'republican' party has a problem in clearly defining what the ideals of the party are. Now, there are always blurred lines, and always those, such as libertarians, who create backwaters, but the priamry problem is that many of the elected republicans appear to either not know these ideals or not believe in these ideals.

The core ideals are self reliance and individual responsibility, along with a measure of fairness based on access and effort. These core beliefs are the antitheses of 'progressive' ideals that assume no self reliance and eschew individual responsibility.

The essential is fairness of opportunity vs fairness of outcome.

What informs this ideal of individual responsibility is the essence of the Judeo-Christian morality.

Originally Posted by Djinn

Counter-argument... Sarah Palin was ultimately selected by presidential candidate John McCain. Other members of the Republican Party may have helped contribute to the list of potential running mates, but the decision to accept Sarah Palin was made by the candidate himself.

And she made no particular issue about her religious beliefs other than she has them.