Which is all fine and dandy, until you start letting it influence your political views....That's where the problems arise.

 

What things should I let influence my political views?

 

My thought is that YOU have a wrong view of MY religiosity (if that is a word). My religion is not all about hell evasion and following a creed it is not even about a particular belief, it IS about how I treat people.

Which is all fine and dandy, until you start letting it influence your political views....That's where the problems arise.

 

I do let my personal beliefs influence my political beliefs in many ways. But I don't let them influence them to the point that they are influencing my vote for the purpose of one single issue, for instance. I firmly believe that the price for civilized society is that there will be some non-deserving who will receive assistance. But I also believe in the basic decency of man.

 

I do not try to separate my religious beliefs from my political views. I do recognize that at times the two will conflict. Take education for instance. I firmly believe in religion in the classroom. I do not vote based on the fact that a candidate wants to bring back the 10 Commandments to the public school classroom. I make a choice to send my kids to religiously affiliated private schools. I do not vote for or against a candidate based upon his/her belief in Roe v. Wade. I seek to influence the issue in a personal way. Economically, I believe that healthcare for everyone is ethically correct, and am willing to pay the price to make it happen. I believe that we should continue humanitarian aid to foreign countries. Environmentally, I believe that the effects of humans is significant on a global scale. I don't vote for a candidate because of their position on the issue, but I support research, legislation and policies that are aimed at finding alternative energy sources and reducing the harmful effects.

 

I would say that you are an economically minded individual. I would say your political views are influenced by your views on the economy, the deficit, spending, etc. I would say you are small government, as I am. But I would say your views of small government and mine are different. You would be for eliminating programs. I would be for cutting waste and creating efficiency.

 

But make no mistake, we are all influenced by something in our political views. I make no apologies for my "village" view.

First, thank you for seriously answering my questions. How do you feel this one compares to the Republican assertion that Obama's health plan would set up "death panels"?

At the time, I wasn't sure how I felt, but now feel the same. Fact is, we're still learning about Obama-care, fact is, so is Obama and not all of it seems to be as it was sold to the people. And you're welcome. The reason I didn't in the first place is I didn't think you were taking my views seriously, but that's OK either way.

 

I actually disagree with you that it's been about fear. I personally, as I've discussed before, feel that the concerns and projections are facts. But, because we disagree, does that mean I am a fear mongerer? I don't happen to be alone in my environmental concerns, so I don't think I'm too far off base.

No, you're not trying to ram legislation through. I'm all for a clean environment, just not at the cost the Dems put on it. Again, we don't really have any proof that we're going through anything more than natural cycles that there's nothing we can do about.

 

Before I answer this one, tell me how it was a lie.

When you try to pass off something that's extremely debatable as GW as "settled science", it's an outright lie.

 

And you have Republicans running denouncing their opponents for support of entitlement programs when they express support of Social Security and Unemployment benefit extensions. Neither are entitlement programs.

I can tell you that some people use unemployment as an entitlement program, but I understand the need for unemployment. As I said in my initial post, both sides are guilty of fear mongering.

You can't dismiss someone else's well-reasoned comments as "absurd" and continue to insist you want real discussion of issues.

 

That's just it, RTS ... you're the one that is being partisan, dismissing comments as "absurd" simply because you don't agree with them.

I really don't give a rat's patootie what you think of it, she didn't use well-reasoned comments at first IMO. She used generalizations at first and dismissed things that have been said.

 

How in the world do you get I'm being partisan when I said, right off the bat, that BOTH, let me repeat that for you, BOTH sides are guilty of fear mongering. That's quite an incredible leap you made there...

RTS, I think one good way to sum up some of the core differences in our opinions is this:

 

You believe the current administration is taking us toward socialism. I disagree. And I disagree with the hyperbole that is being used to push that belief...not necessarily by you as an individual.

 

You believe people like me, who support the current administration, feel there's truth in Global Warming, etc, are not living in the "real" world, naieve...whatever you want to call it. I disagree. I think that we are more focused on a idea of government that provides assistance to it's citizens, and we all share that responsibility.

 

In a life-principle way of thinking, I believe the world is a village and we all should take care of each other, even if some of them are bad apples, because of the greater good. You believe in 100% personal responsibility with the option to choose to take care of others.

 

I'm not sure either of us is 100% right or wrong. All I can do, like many others, is learn as much as I can, weigh each issue against my beliefs and decide where I stand.

 

But it's ridiculous to me the credence that is given to those who believe outrageous lies such as "Obama is a Muslim". Even on this board, we've had some people come into threads and post their belief and spend countless keystrokes defending that belief. I think it's much more a prevelant line of thinking than you are willing to admit, therefore less of a gross generalization that you think.

I can agree with most of this and it’s true that each of us can only weigh each issue against our beliefs and decide where we stand, which is what I think both of us do. This is part of what makes America great.

 

I know those that doubt his faith or his birth record are out there and I totally disagree with them. I really don’t see them as any different than those that think 9-11 was an “inside job” or constantly talked about how stupid Bush was, that his daddy bought his Ivy League education instead of him earning it, that “Bush lied – people died” and so on. Both sides have their share of this crap.

As examples of the kind of things I'm talking about, I offer the following:

[ATTACH]32506[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]32505[/ATTACH]

 

One is obviously a billboard, the other is a handmade sign by a participant at a rally.

You do realize that there were plenty of ignorant signs out there about Bush as well, right?

I can agree with most of this and it’s true that each of us can only weigh each issue against our beliefs and decide where we stand, which is what I think both of us do. This is part of what makes America great.

 

I know those that doubt his faith or his birth record are out there and I totally disagree with them. I really don’t see them as any different than those that think 9-11 was an “inside job” or constantly talked about how stupid Bush was, that his daddy bought his Ivy League education instead of him earning it, that “Bush lied – people died” and so on. Both sides have their share of this crap.

 

I can tell you I don't believe the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. I don't know whether his daddy bought his education or if he earned it. Frankly, he wouldn't be the first rich kid that had a great education bought for him. But that's neither here nor there. And, as to whether he lied or was misled, I still feel now, as I did then, that going into Iraq was wrong. And I will admit to believing that he may not have lied, but he didn't wait for complete information. I don't know what's worse...simply as a matter of personal opinion.

 

Yes, both sides do have their share of this crap. But you called me absurd because of what you felt I was generalizing. Aren't you doing the same by painting all on the "left" of "right" by the views of the most extreme?

You do realize that there were plenty of ignorant signs out there about Bush as well, right?

 

Yes. But since this was about the Tea Party, and the current administration, I chose to focus on the present.

Yes. But since this was about the Tea Party, and the current administration, I chose to focus on the present.

:lol: Fair enough.

I can tell you I don't believe the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. I don't know whether his daddy bought his education or if he earned it. Frankly, he wouldn't be the first rich kid that had a great education bought for him. But that's neither here nor there. And, as to whether he lied or was misled, I still feel now, as I did then, that going into Iraq was wrong. And I will admit to believing that he may not have lied, but he didn't wait for complete information. I don't know what's worse...simply as a matter of personal opinion.

 

Yes, both sides do have their share of this crap. But you called me absurd because of what you felt I was generalizing. Aren't you doing the same by painting all on the "left" of "right" by the views of the most extreme?

I'm not painting all on the right of left by the views of the extreme. I know the fringe doesn't paint a picture of either side. I also know neither side are what they once were, and that's a shame.

Oh, Rockmom, I forgot one of the biggest fabrications from the left on Bush. He stole the election. :lol: That one still makes me chuckle.

Oh, Rockmom, I forgot one of the biggest fabrications from the left on Bush. He stole the election. :lol: That one still makes me chuckle.

 

He didn't steal it. His brother gifted it to him.

He didn't steal it. His brother gifted it to him.

:lol: Points for creativity on that one!

Our whack friend from Delaware is keeping it entertaining. Two of the schools she claimed to have attended have both said that she, in fact, did not.

I really don't give a rat's patootie what you think of it, she didn't use well-reasoned comments at first IMO. She used generalizations at first and dismissed things that have been said.

Or your bias simply leads you that conclusion ... they seemed like pretty valid positions to me.