This happens with surprising frequency: whenever I find occasion to tell someone about my current political and religious beliefs, they’re surprised that someone could possibly be young (college age), politically conservative (which many just call “republican”) and an atheist.
Why is this? I’ve heard quotes that say things to the effect of “There is no such thing as a young republican,” but that’s all I have to go on. I’m especially confused by those who think it’s not possible to be a a republican atheist.
Im a young conservative (not republican, I dont live in the US but I guess I would be).
There is a belief that democrats are the ‘young revolutionarys’ who believe in rights for all, free handouts for all who need it (not trying to mock here), and that everyone should be equal etc. People tend to be more idealist when there young, however there are some out there (at least two in you and me hehe) that aren’t idealists, and are realistics.
Also, you sure your not a Libertarian? Im a little bit that way.
Depends how you define the often broad term ‘idealist’.
I mean, we all ‘ideally’ want something, its whether those are achievable and can be retained with stability.
I mean, id love it if everyone could have access to free, top of the line health care at anytime, free education, access to perfect judicial system with costs not factored it.
But is this ever going to happen? Never in my life time, so instead I think we should compromise, and try to stay out of providing things for people, and instead providing them with a medium to get what they want; least taxes possible, good employment, and a stable, secure environment.
Of course, theres unlimited views about these things, and its all a perspective thing; some people would call me a moderate for instance. But I still see myself as a realist because I always look at whats achievable, and know that some things, no matter how hard we try, cant be achieved (while an idealist would try to achieve them now, as its ‘defending the ideals’).
I think you can be both too, Colinmarshall. From what I’ve heard, the idealist-realist dichotomy is not useful for addressing the liberal-conservative dichotomy. The axes just don’t line up. Is it idealistic or realistic to expect rich people to contribute to society and spend their wealth? To expect businesses to responsibly monitor their own pollution? To expect people to take individual responsibility? To expect good change to happen on its own without forcing it on everyone?
Maybe young people are more idealistic, but I don’t see how this contributes to liberalism.
There is a(n in)famous quotation, sometimes unverifiably attributed to Winston Churchill, along the (paraphrased) lines of, “If you’re not liberal when you’re young, you have no heart; if you’re not conservative when you’re older, you have no head.”
Whatever the source of the quote, its appeal lies in the observation that as young people blossom into adults, they gain a sense of community and responsibility towards that community. Sympathy, and sometimes empathy, for the plight of others is a signal that such feeling for others has presented.
The long side of the quote plays toward experience. As such is gained, realistic ideas of how transactions amongst the folk might be consumated come more firmly into focus. What it really takes to get something done arrives as revelation in bits and pieces over many years of trying.
Well, typically younger people are more liberal for one. Secondly, common Republican ideals in the USA are religious fundamentalism, citing God as the source of natural law and the Bible in legitimate arguments of practicality. So being an atheist and conservative (which as you said, translates as Republican here) is strange.
However, being conservative isn’t being Republican. I certainly adhere to a conservative mindset but I think the Republican party is a terrible party and causes way more harm than good. shrugs
Republican=Conservatist. There are Christians that are Republicans, as well as those that are Democrats. You can’t lump all Republicans together. Sheesh.
It so happens there are a good, good number of Republics (I’d say the majority) that are not fundamentalist wackos. And we can be idealists, meaning our ideals follow the philosophy of the Constitution as opposed to, say, whatever some liberal friggin judge pulls out of her *ass. Yeah, yeah, Constitution and Bush have some issues, but if the choice is voting non-Republican or voting Bush, then who the hell do you think we’re going to support, even if we’re not 100% happy?
Not strange at all; there are many of us. What’s common is not religious fundamentalism (a tiny, but admittedly vocal, part of the spectrum), but rather an individualistic streak that leftism (the American Democratic Party) would like to deny.
There are a number of posters posting to this thread (I’m not naming names) who need to read the third sticky from the top in GQ, and hope (if they wish to be around here for long) that all that a mod does is slap them upside the head and not ban them for the type of stuff they have been spouting off in here.
The answer to the GQ asked is that there is a perception that people tend to get more conservative as they get older, and that the Republican party has a more religious flavour. Whether those perceptions are true is debatable and this is not the place, but these perceptions are the reason the OP has received they comments he has.
I don’t think that’s the answer to the GQ asked. The question is, “Why do people consider Republicans not to be young or atheist?” The answer, then, is not, “People consider Republicans not to be young or atheist.”
Whether these perceptions are true may be beyond the scope of the question, but where people get these perceptions is certainly not.
What Princhester has noted is, I believe, correct regarding the postings of opinions. The question of why a young, atheist Republican seems an anomaly to the OP, when that seems quite natural to me, has not been addressed.
I think the question has been answered about as well as it can be with facts. If you want more, I would suggest starting another thread in IMHO or GD depending on what direction you wnat the thread to take.