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The fastest growing group of people in the country has been measured as being those who have no belief, or who are atheists. As conservatives, we need to solidify ourselves in this movement. Even something simple as creating a universally recognizable symbol, or brand for conservative atheists, could be a starting point.

Pbpierson2 7 Dec 28
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1

Not a bad idea there, a symbol for conservative atheists. I like this banner I found online.

That "walking eagle" is ridiculously hilarious. You better try again.

@DeStijl Who said it has to be so serious looking?

@Pbpierson2 I hope so, would be nice for us conservative atheists to have a universal symbol to go by...

0

In my opinion SE Cupp is a nitwit. She says she is an atheist who would like to find faith (doesn't that make her an agnostic?), and she would never vote for an atheist to be President because a President's faith would restrain their actions. If I wanted to read the opinion of Trump-hating conservatives there are plenty to choose from at National Review; no need to waste any time at all watching CNN.

0

This should be encouraged. Anything to dislodge the cold, dead hands of Christianity from around the neck of one of our political parties.

1

This fascinates me. What is there about conservatism that would even appeal to an atheist?

Deb57 Level 8 Dec 28, 2018

Good question!

There are a precious few Republicans like Ana Navarro who hope the party can return its roots. Hard imagine there WAS a time when no less than Barry Goldwater made a dire prediction:

“Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying do so, it's going be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried deal with them.”

At best, conservative philosophy seems to be "I've got everything I want and need, so fuck all the rest of you... until I want what you have."

1

I think you're going to find it's a smaller group than you think, once you add the word "conservative" in there. Even conservatives don't know what the hell they stand for these days. Once you add "atheist" you're just going to confuse them all.

3

@Pbpierson2 @Humanistheathen Being a "conservative atheist" seems akin to being a Black Klansman. The Republican party is essentially synonymous with evangelical Christianity. Republican candidates aggressively promote themselves as Christian. Every attempt to erode separation of church and state comes from the right. How do you reconcile this reality?

@Humanistheathen I wonder if you could be more condescending. Hmmmmm.

I spend my winters in a red state where last November Republican candidates described themselves as Christian FIRST, then conservative and Republican. Their campaign promises were to "protect Christian values." Throughout the red states, Republican candidates explicitly base their campaigns on a Christian values platform.

I did not conflate the GOP with evangelical Christianity, THE GOP DID. It is the reality NOW, TODAY. You are the one with "study and effort" ahead, and quite Sisyphean it will be. Maybe the Log Cabin Republicans will let you be their friend.

3

So she considers "typical" atheism to be "militant, hostile, confrontational, dismissive." She's some kind of BETTER atheist because she bothered to get a Master's in religious studies and because she "defends" faith? She's had to spend TWENTY YEARS trying to come to "greater understanding"?

My take is she's somehow desperate to be deeply religious. Perhaps she's spent too much time around Evangelical Christians and she wants that half-brained bliss they derive from believing Jeebus loves them best.

5

So what you're saying is that atheists/agnostics should factionalize just like religions have? I'm not sure I see the wisdom in this.

9

Let's be clear. By saying "As conservative atheists we...." you are referring to a subset of people who call themselves atheists, and a small one at that. From research, eg Pew, we know atheists are generally politically and socially progressive. So, please address yourself to your small subset choir. You'll find them in the Conservatives Group here, cheering Trump, clutching their guns, and having parties hating "liberals" and "lefties". From my experience of so-called conservative atheists, they are much more conservative than atheist.

Well said!!

3

"The religiously unaffiliated have become one of the most reliably Democratic constituencies in recent elections. According to national exit polls, 61% of the unaffiliated voted for Al Gore over George W. Bush in 2000. In 2004, John Kerry’s share of the unaffiliated vote increased to 67%. And in 2008, Barack Obama captured fully three-quarters of the vote among the religiously unaffiliated, while 23% voted for John McCain.

"The partisan and ideological leanings of the unaffiliated follow the same pattern. Compared with the general public, the religiously unaffiliated are more Democratic in their partisanship and more liberal in their political ideology. And, given their growing share among U.S. adults, the unaffiliated constitute a larger share of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters in 2012 than they did five years ago."

Social and Political Views of the Unaffiliated

[pewforum.org]

Thank you, I love statistics. <3

@ToolGuy

"YOUNG ADULTS MOTIVATED by social issues and dissatisfied with the Trump administration turned out in record numbers to vote in the 2018 midterms and backed Democratic candidates by historic margins, initial analysis shows.

"Thirty-one percent of voters aged 18 to 29 cast ballots in the 2018 midterm elections, shattering turnout rates from the past quarter century, according to an estimate by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University. This year's turnout was at least 10 percent higher than for the 2014 midterms, according to the center's estimates.

[usnews.com]

A record number of voters turned out in 2018 Midterms :

[vox.com]

2

I am a militant atheist, Sarah. My weapon of choice is a keyboard.

3

I can’t get my head around the connection between any political leanings and being an atheist. As far as I’m concerned my being an atheist has no bearing on my political beliefs. I don’t want to know what religion or none the politicians I vote for are....it’s their policies I want to know about not whether they are godbotherers or not. The idea of organising under a banner or having a symbol for conservative atheists seems a crazy idea to me....but then I’m a Brit, and I presume you are talking about an American movement.

Republicans have wrapped themselves in the flag for so long that for many on both sides, Republican has become synonymous with Christian. Many conservatives think Jesus gave us the United States, that we're a "Christian nation", that our laws are all based on the Bible, and that the constitution is/should be revered as much or more than the Bible itself (especially the 2nd Amendment, if for no other reason). This famous painting says it all:
[cdn10.bigcommerce.com]

@greyeyed123 Horrendous! How can so many people believe such utter nonsense! Jesus lived in Palestine....if there was a second coming he would be banned from entering the USA!

2

s.e. cupp is an extremely confused person, which isn't a crime, and a very annoying one, which also isn't a crime but it is off-putting. i never could stand her and i can't stand her now. she has been quoted as hoping that one day she could become religious... not wishing she were (innocent enough) but working toward it. that's some atheist there. as for conservatives, there are no more conservatives. i never liked them when they existed but they no longer exist. they have been replaced by regressives. i am neither interested in nor impressed by anything that comes out of s.e. cupp's mouth.

g

2

Good luck to you.

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