Religious people in politics are not religious!

[mediumaevum]

I have always thought that the religious people who enter politics, are either not religious, or are not using their religion as their political motives/opinions.

Rather, their politics are shaping their religious beliefs, to fit their own political opinions.

Conservatives, for example, are not neccessarily religious. They can be, and often are, but their religion is being shaped by Conservatism, not the other way around.

Example:

Christians are pro-life, because "God decides who should live and who shouldn't".
But they believe in the Death Penalty. Because "God couldn't decide their fate, so must we".

Clearly, Christian politicians are simply shaping their religious beliefs to fit a certain political doctrine.

Saudi Arabia is another example. Remember, the entire Saudi judicial and law making system, is based off the Quran, which was written 1500 years ago.
For some reason, women are not allowed to drive a car in Saudi Arabia. According to the Quran? Clearly not, because the Quran is 1500 years old, it was way before the cars were even thought
of. It's politics, nothing, but politics.

[Mike Cl]

I have always thought that the religious people who enter politics, are either not religious, or are not using their religion as their political motives/opinions.

?????
So, religious people do not ever enter politics--according to you.  If they do, then they are not religious.  ?????  Could you define what a religious person is?  And what is a political person?

[Hijiri Byakuren]

Bollocks. Religion is part of your worldview, and your worldview informs your other thoughts and actions. Suggesting that a politician's religion never affects their decision-making is wishful thinking.

[Jmpty]

Which came first, the chicken, or the egg?

[DunkleSeele]

I have always thought that the religious people who enter politics, are either not religious, or are not using their religion as their political motives/opinions.

Religion is a political system. It's a tool to control the masses, always was, always will be.

Rather, their politics are shaping their religious beliefs, to fit their own political opinions.

Or, rather, their politics and their religious beliefs are two sides of the same coin.

Conservatives, for example, are not neccessarily religious. They can be, and often are, but their religion is being shaped by Conservatism, not the other way around.

Wrong. Anti-choice, anti-gay conservatives are like that because of their religious beliefs.

Your not-so-veiled attempt at making religion look not so bad is failing.

Example:

Christians are pro-life, because "God decides who should live and who shouldn't".
But they believe in the Death Penalty. Because "God couldn't decide their fate, so must we".

Clearly, Christian politicians are simply shaping their religious beliefs to fit a certain political doctrine.

No, their political doctrine is perfectly aligned with the teachings of the OT and its vengeful, cruel god. The "an eye for an eye" philosophy is well endorsed by the babble.

Saudi Arabia is another example. Remember, the entire Saudi judicial and law making system, is based off the Quran, which was written 1500 years ago.
For some reason, women are not allowed to drive a car in Saudi Arabia. According to the Quran? Clearly not, because the Quran is 1500 years old, it was way before the cars were even thought
of. It's politics, nothing, but politics.

No, it's just the logical consequence of applying to the present the beliefs of a disgusting religion which considers women as fourth-class citizens.

[Solitary]

Organized religion is a political institution, so religious people in politics are just following their political beliefs based on their religious beliefs. Politics does come first, but it is a religious politics first and foremost, not government politics.

[mediumaevum]

Wrong. Anti-choice, anti-gay conservatives are like that because of their religious beliefs.

How do you explain Soren Pape*, then?

* Soren Pape is the leader of the Conservative Party in Denmark. He is both gay and Christian.
His boyfriend is also black.

[DunkleSeele]

How do you explain Soren Pape*, then?

* Soren Pape is the leader of the Conservative Party in Denmark. He is both gay and Christian.
Not only that, his boyfriend is black.

Did I say all christians are anty-gay?

[mediumaevum]

Did I say all christians are anty-gay?

You said:
"Anti-choice, anti-gay conservatives are like that because of their religious beliefs."

- which implies that their beliefs (religion, Christianity is a religion) makes them anti-gay and conservative.

[Solitary]

How do you explain Soren Pape*, then?

* Soren Pape is the leader of the Conservative Party in Denmark. He is both gay and Christian.
His boyfriend is also black.

Your logic is flawed because it is an inductive fallacy called Unrepresented sample, because the sample is unrepresentative of the sample as a whole. Solitary

[mediumaevum]

Not all Christians are anti-gay.
Not all Conservatives are anti-gay.
Not all Christians are Conservatives.
Not all Conservatives are Christians (or Muslims or hold any other faith for that matter).

[mediumaevum]

Your logic is flawed because it is an inductive fallacy called Unrepresented sample, because the sample is unrepresentative of the sample as a whole. Solitary

In Denmark, and I believe Scandinavia in general to follow this "rule", it is more common for gays, liberals and women to be Right Wing Conservatives.
Males are still represented slightly to the right, but they don't choose the Conservative party, rather, they choose the Libertarian-Democratic Party (Venstre, which is more social-democratic, but with some slight centre-right economic and social policies).

In-fact, a very large portion, if not the majority, of believing Christians over here, are generally leftist on Economic and Social issues (such as though being anti-abortion, they are also anti-death penalty and pro-rehabilitiating and hold other leftist views).

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Medium.. Just because you're full of shit doesn't mean that we all doubt that you occasionally go to the bathroom.

[Hijiri Byakuren]

Not all Christians are anti-gay.
Not all Conservatives are anti-gay.
Not all Christians are Conservatives.
Not all Conservatives are Christians (or Muslims or hold any other faith for that matter).

Leaving aside that Denmark's conservatives are actually quite liberal by American standards, the fact that all Christians are not anti-gay is beside the point. The ones who are justify it using their religion. Therefore, they are anti-gay because of Christianity, regardless of what other Christians' opinions may be on the matter.

[mediumaevum]

Medium.. Just because you're full of shit doesn't mean that we all doubt that you occasionally go to the bathroom.

I think we live in different cultures. America isn't the entire world.
Scandinavia is quite different from where you live.

I'd say, compared to U.S., Scandinavian politics & religion is turned upside down.