# Why are Republicans so obtuse? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 2, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-so-obtuse/527412 "2010-02-02T18:04:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-so-obtuse/527412/261 "2010-02-09T04:03:39Z")
What are you talking about? Nobody in this thread has accused religion of being responsible for anything. We all simply point it out that religion does not have a monopoly on morality or ethics. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-so-obtuse/527412/262 "2010-02-09T04:09:37Z")
> [@Perciful](#): > > Your all right. It is religions fault and Obama was infected. > > [How Obama's favorite theologian shaped his first year in office - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/05/Obama.theologian/index.html) What the hell is this supposed to prove? It’s about Reinhold Niebuhr’s influence on Barack Obama’s political philosophy. You’re trying to say that Barack Obama’s political philosophy was influenced by a Christian theologian, therefore morals all come from Christianity? ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-so-obtuse/527412/263 "2010-02-09T04:13:00Z")
> [@Perciful](#): > > Your all right. It is religions fault and Obama was infected. > > [How Obama's favorite theologian shaped his first year in office - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/05/Obama.theologian/index.html) You made some arguments, you’re being questioned about them, so it’s your turn to BACK THEM UP, or at least discuss your thought process. Not to get snotty and post some random nonsense. You believe that principles and morality are only communicated through religion, specifically the Christian religion. Why? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-so-obtuse/527412/264 "2010-02-09T05:58:26Z")
Hello. I just stopped by to point out that the thread’s title is _Why are Republicans so obtuse?_ but many of the recent messages have addressed the question _Why are people with notions (different from mine) of God or His necessity so obtuse?_ … But then, maybe this _does_ capture the essence of America’s political divide! (Julian Jaynes’ famous book opened my eyes to the origin of religion, though perhaps raising more questions than answers. It might be nice if someone more erudite than I starts a thread on his theory.) ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-so-obtuse/527412/265 "2010-02-09T14:30:36Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Hello. I just stopped by to point out that the thread’s title is > _Why are Republicans so obtuse?_ > but many of the recent messages have addressed the question > _Why are people with notions (different from mine) of God or His necessity so obtuse?_ > … But then, maybe this _does_ capture the essence of America’s political divide! > > (Julian Jaynes’ famous book opened my eyes to the origin of religion, though perhaps raising more questions than answers. It might be nice if someone more erudite than I starts a thread on his theory.) ((Thank You God)) Septimus you got it man, spot on! I’m not surprised because there are a lot of deep thinkers on this board. There will always be the ones that try and incite an argument over some mute point but a real scholar thinks outside the box of division. We really are our own worst enemy. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” Reinhold Niebuhr ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-so-obtuse/527412/266 "2010-02-09T14:37:57Z")
So, that’s a “no” on you defending your statements or answering any of the questions that have been posed to you. Just a drive-by rambling that the people who are asking you questions aren’t real scholars and are just thinking inside the box. Hint: the forum is call “Great Debates,” so you’re kinda expected to, you know, back up your statements. Those of us who are asking you questions and making statements about your claims are not trying to incite an argument - we’re trying to have a DEBATE, which is, after all, the purpose of this forum. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-so-obtuse/527412/267 "2010-02-09T14:58:03Z")
> [@Perciful](#): > > ((Thank You God)) Septimus you got it man, spot on! I’m not surprised because there are a lot of deep thinkers on this board. There will always be the ones that try and incite an argument over some mute point but a real scholar thinks outside the box of division. We really are our own worst enemy. Um… _you_ showed up in this thread and demanded to know how we can accomplish anything without religion. Also, it’s a _moot_ point. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-republicans-so-obtuse/527412.md?page=13)