My beliefs as a conservative

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My Beliefs

I am politically conservative. I believe this places me in the minority.

I believe the government that governs least governs best, which is the foundation of
conservative adherents.

I believe the words in the constitution mean what they say. I can read.

I believe individual liberty must be respected in order for this experiment in
self-government to continue.

I believe the toll of freedom is responsibility. Those who fail to act responsibly are not
deserving of freedom.

I believe you ought to pay your own way. Charity begins at home, not in Washington DC.

I believe a country without borders will soon cease to be a country.

I believe you have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ?
whatever that may be.

I believe you should be able to have all the fun you want, just not at someone else's
expense.

I believe in times of peace we should prepare for war.

I believe in equality for all, but not set-asides for some.

I believe we have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

I believe in individual privacy.

I believe we should be very cautious when discussing or considering banning things.

I believe it is my job, duty and responsibility to raise my children to be responsible and
accountable human beings.

I believe in leaving this country in better condition when I leave it than when I arrived.

I believe it is my civic duty to stand up for what I believe.

I believe that rewarding people for negative or irresponsible behavior only breeds more
negative and irresponsible behavior.

I believe you are the Captain of your own vessel. It is no one else's fault if you run
aground.

I believe capitalism is a positive force on the planet, not a repressive, ugly one.

I believe in working hard to implement what I believe.

I believe success should be rewarded, not punished.

I believe there are people who disagree with my beliefs. I don't believe they are wrong. I
know they are.

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mysteryman- I happen to agree with you almost all of your points. The problem is, that the political stance that you are espousing is NOT shared by all conservatives, especially the most vocal ones.

Quote:

I believe we have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

I believe in individual privacy.

In today's society, your two statements that I quoted from you are a contradiction in terms. If one has individual privacy, a citizen should not have to be concerned that religious groups will attempt to superimpose their values on him. Apparently, this is exactly what is happening on the conservative end of the political spectrum.

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

mysteryman- I happen to agree with you almost all of your points. The problem is, that the political stance that you are espousing is NOT shared by all conservatives, especially the most vocal ones.

Quote:
I believe we have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

I believe in individual privacy.

In today's society, your two statements that I quoted from you are a contradiction in terms. If one has individual privacy, a citizen should not have to be concerned that religious groups will attempt to superimpose their values on him. Apparently, this is exactly what is happening on the conservative end of the political spectrum.

Those two statements seem to be the ones most people have a problem with,so I will explain them.

Everyone has the right to practice their own religion,without interference or harassment by the govt (providing their religion does not involve human sacrifice or child abuse). That is freedom OF religion.

IMHO,freedom FROM religion consists of many things.
Some of them are good things,but many people think that we cant have manger scenes in a public park,the 10 commandments in a public building,or any public display of religion,of any sort.
Those are what I mean about freedom FROM religion.
When people get offended because a school girl wears a necklace with a cross to school,when people get offended because a Muslim girl follows her religious beliefs and wears a headscarf to school,those people are guilty of wanting freedom FROM religion.

Individual privacy means just that.
You have the right to do whatever you want in your own home,again that does not include abusing kids or your spouse,or committing murder,without interference from me or anyone else.
That also means you have the right to turn away religious missionaries if you want.

That is what I mean by those statements,others might have different ideas.

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Quote:

That is what I mean by those statements,others might have different ideas.

preceded by:

Quote:

I don't believe they are wrong. I
know they are.

which is why I am not a conservative.

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As far as religious displays are concerned, I think that they are fine in a private context, and wrong in a public one. In other words, if a church wants to have a manger scene that takes up their entire front lawn of the church, for me, there is no problem. I do not believe that taxpayers should be obliged to pay for religious symbols on public buildings.

The same goes for adornment (like crosses and Jewish stars) that people wear. Hey, it's their body.....................within the spectrum of decency, I believe that a person has the right to wear what he chooses.

Quote:

You have the right to do whatever you want in your own home,again that does not include abusing kids or your spouse,or committing murder,without interference from me or anyone else.

Here is where things get sticky. I think that the privacy extends not only in the home, but in the physician's office. IMO, it is up to a woman and her doctor, as to whether abortion is a feasible option.

There are religious controversies as to exactly when life begins. I believe that the right to a woman's privacy trumps any religious concerns.

The Constitution speaks of "equal protection" under the law. To me, attempting to pass laws banning gay marriage flies in the face of that equal protection. By passing laws against gay couples marrying, the law is attempting to insinuate religious strictures against homosexuality. It certainly, at the least, a gross invasion of privacy, that is no one's business, but the people involved.

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Phoenix,
I agree with what you are saying.
I am opposed to abortion,and would try and present alternatives (after all,thats what CHOICE is),but I would not stop a woman from having an abortion.

But this statement..." I do not believe that taxpayers should be obliged to pay for religious symbols on public buildings",raises a question.
What about if I want to put up the display in a city park and pay for it myself?
Under my right to freedom OF religion,shouldnt I be allowed to?
Those who support freedom FROM religion say no,since it is public property.

As fro your comment about gey marriage and equal protection,I am in agreement with you.

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mysteryman- I believe that abortion should be a bottom line choice, when all other options have been explored, and discarded as untenable. Therefore, I am appalled by the government's stance on "abstinence only" programs.

I think that abstinence would be great, for people who are unwilling, unable, or too immature to raise a child. I also know that it is grossly unfair to young people, and totally unrealistic, when they are being given only partial information on such an important subject.

It is the religious conservatives who are pushing these sorts of programs, attemping to superimpose their own religious views on the entire population.

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Phoenix32890 wrote:

mysteryman- I believe that abortion should be a bottom line choice, when all other options have been explored, and discarded as untenable. Therefore, I am appalled by the government's stance on "abstinence only" programs.

I think that abstinence would be great, for people who are unwilling, unable, or too immature to raise a child. I also know that it is grossly unfair to young people, and totally unrealistic, when they are being given only partial information on such an important subject.

It is the religious conservatives who are pushing these sorts of programs, attemping to superimpose their own religious views on the entire population.

And therein lies the problem.
I am a conservative,and that has nothing to do with my religious beliefs.
The problem is,so many on the left like to lump EVERY conservative into the religious conservative category.
By doing that,they avoid actually discussing anything.
If you notice in my original post,all I said about religion was..."I believe we have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion."

Does that make me a "religious conservative"?
To many liberals,it seems that just mentioning the word religion makes every conservative a "religious conservative".

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Quote:

What about if I want to put up the display in a city park and pay for it myself?

mysteryman- Again, this gets sticky. Personally, I don't want to see anything religious on public property. But what about the practical considerations? There are more than the three major religions. What happens when a minor religion wants to set up a display? What about a religion that is out of the mainstream? What if the display is an obvious ploy for converts? When does it end?????

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Mysteryman, I agree with your list of beliefs. Also, I am not a Christian yet I agree with the beliefe that we have a freedom of religion. I also believe in abstinence and I am against abortion. I am also against the death penalty. This issues are not bound by only being part of the "religious" right, but by being a member of the human race. We are all entitled to our own beliefs, yet we need community standards and laws and rules to keep chaos at bay.

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Quote:

To many liberals,it seems that just mentioning the word religion makes every conservative a "religious conservative".

mysteryman- Quite true. But it is the religious conservatives who are making the most noise right now!

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I can tell ya, as a non-conservative, it's the religious conservatives who do the most condemning, yelling, brow-beating, and mostly underhanded stuff. They also seem to be the farthest right; which doesn't help things much...

Cycloptichorn

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I'll tell ya, it's hard being a Christian these days, because as soon as people know you're Christian they try to throw you into the same basket as the right-wing religious groups who have been making so much noise lately. I find them, and their tactics, so offensive that I try to mention my personal faith as little as possible. The problem then becomes that I'm accused of being anti-religious on boards like this.

What?

Being against public displays of faith, and against intermingling of government and religion does not make me anti-religious. I can practice my faith AND campaign against public funding of religious schools IRL without being anti-religious, or being accused of same.

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mysteryman -- that roster of beliefs you posted does not, by itself, make you a conservative at all, you know. It just makes you an ethical person. I agree with everything that Phoenix has posted, btw, but would add this: "That government is best which governs least" is certainly a fine tenet of belief, which I also endorse. However, let's be clear about what that means. To me, it means that the government has no business reading my mail, tapping my phone, or taking an interest in what books I check out of the library (dovetails right into the "right to privacy" clause, no?). In other words, the government has no right to regulate in any way my personal behavior, as long as that behavior is not harmful to others. We run into trouble, I think, when we interpret it to mean that the government is not obligated to protect me in any way, either. And that's how a lot of conservatives interpret it when they argue against socialized medicine, welfare programs for the indigent, wtc. etc. I believe that if a democratic government governs only by the consent of the populace, then it also has a responsibility toward that populace. It is the government's responsibility to protect those unable to fend for themselves. It [I[is[/I] the government's responsibility to regulate how employers treat their employees. Anything less is not democratic; it is anarchistic.

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Re: My beliefs as a conservative
You want comments?

mysteryman wrote:

My Beliefs

I am politically conservative. I believe this places me in the minority.

I believe the government that governs least governs best, which is the foundation of conservative adherents.

Not in the US, US conservatives are generally quite partial to exessive legislation so long as it doesn't apply to buisness.

I believe the words in the constitution mean what they say. I can read.

I believe individual liberty must be respected in order for this experiment in self-government to continue.

I believe the toll of freedom is responsibility. Those who fail to act responsibly are not deserving of freedom.

hmm...

I believe you ought to pay your own way. Charity begins at home, not in Washington DC.

I disagre with you here, I think safetynet programmes are needed, and that Government handouts are both more effective and more fair than private charity.

I believe a country without borders will soon cease to be a country.

I believe you have the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ? whatever that may be.

I believe you should be able to have all the fun you want, just not at someone else's expense.

I believe in times of peace we should prepare for war.

I believe in equality for all, but not set-asides for some.

What do you mean by that?

I believe we have freedom of religion, not freedom from religion.

I'm a freedom from religion kind of guy myself.

I believe in individual privacy.

I believe we should be very cautious when discussing or considering banning things.

In the US thats a left wing stance.

I believe it is my job, duty and responsibility to raise my children to be responsible and accountable human beings.

Which means you would approve of government intervention if you should fail that duty? Or did you think more along the lines of a right?

I believe in leaving this country in better condition when I leave it than when I arrived.

I believe it is my civic duty to stand up for what I believe.

I believe that rewarding people for negative or irresponsible behavior only breeds more negative and irresponsible behavior.

Do you think that anyone who find themselves in a tight spot must have acted irresponsibly? What would be your stance on restricting peoples freedom to act irresponsibly?

I believe you are the Captain of your own vessel. It is no one else's fault if you run aground.

Ah, that answers it. I personally think quite a lot is determined by dumb luck.

I believe capitalism is a positive force on the planet, not a repressive, ugly one.

I believe in working hard to implement what I believe.

I believe success should be rewarded, not punished.

Which makes you a subsidise the rich by taxing the poor kind of guy? lump sum tax? regressive tax? flat tax? progressive tax so long as taxation never surpasses 100%?

I believe there are people who disagree with my beliefs. I don't believe they are wrong. I know they are.

Ditto

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Bookmarking.

I'm no conservative but I'm keen to see a decent debate rather than a slanging match. I hope I'm not disappointed!

KP

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kitchenpete wrote:

I'm no conservative...

Amazing that I never view you as a conservative.
By the way, not many conservatives among the European A2Kers.

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whew

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mysteryman wrote:

But this statement..." I do not believe that taxpayers should be obliged to pay for religious symbols on public buildings",raises a question.
What about if I want to put up the display in a city park and pay for it myself?
Under my right to freedom OF religion,shouldnt I be allowed to?
Those who support freedom FROM religion say no,since it is public property.
quote]

In my state you can rent public park space for all manner of things - including religious events like weddings, bar mitzvahs, holiday parties, and so on.

I'll bet if you were willing to pay the rent and the user fees that you could put up a display. I'm sure you would responsible for maintence, repairing any damage to the property and clean up.

In state campgrounds they have religious services ever Sunday morning.

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We have a local park that is actually quite famous locally for the holiday lights and scenery. A lot of people put a lot of work into it and it is definitely something to see.

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My beliefs as a conservative

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