After watching CPAC conservatism has moved from a political idealogy into a Religion

[AllentownJake]

A political philosophy allows room for debate. There might be fundamental underlying principles however there can be a debate on whether those principles are in policies.

A religion has dogmas. Fundamental tenets of the faith that cannot be questioned. I'm a man of faith myself. There are some Dogma's I have for my personal life, however my Dogma's are not expanded into the realm of political discourse. One dogma I have in my personal life is that my faith is my faith. I've come to that faith personally. There is no way I can ever impose my faith on others.


Conservatism has become a religion because it is totally based on Dogma. The dogma's of conservatism in 2009 are:

1) People are poor because they are lazy. They just aren't working hard enough.
2) Tax cuts for the rich in this country always produce economic growth
3) Moral decay is the cause not a symptom of a problem
4) Anything that involves a public investment is communism or socialism unless it somehow involves the military.
5) You can spread democracy with war
6) The enviroment is fine and man has had no effect on it.
7) Deficits don't matter...well they do but only during a democratic administration because that money is being spent on socialism.
8) There is nothing the government can do right or better than a corporation
9) Business is the solution to every problem. Regulating business is a mistake because it creates inefficiency.
10) The market will solve any problem.
11) American is a dominionist and I emphasize dominionist Christian nation meant to be a light to the world. Creating a moral legal code will enable the return of Jesus Christ.
12) Elite equals bad. Educated people who question their leaders are bad...unless that leader is of the opposition party than it is a patriotic duty and you must not listen to them.

Feel free to add some if you like but these are the ones I see at CPAC.

All of these Dogma's are absolutely false. The past 8 years has proven each of them to be fundamentally wrong in some way or another.

When a 13 year old boy is your most articulate speaker on your beliefs you got a problem. A 13 year old has no life experience to base his beliefs on, however, a 13 year old can memorize and understand Dogma and a 13 year old can parrot that Dogma for approval. Hell a 13 year old's brain hasn't fully developed yet.
That is really how you know how low you've sunken when 13 year old children parroting your beliefs is something your proud of.

[The River]

1. The Neocons Played The Religious Right

for all it was worth and now that's
all that's left in the Republican Party;
24/7 religious nut-jobs.

[AllentownJake]

2. You reap what you sow

They've now become such a big controlling force in the party that doing anything they don't like risks you being booted out of the party.

They aren't the majority in this country. I don't even think they are the majority of people of faith.

[Ikonoklast]

3. The rational conservatives are leaving the party to the religionists.

Those that are true small government, fiscally conservative, non-interventionist conservatives have no real home in the Republic party anymore. They are denounced if they raise their voice over the cacophony of the rabid fundie base.

There are no civil wars like those fought between the schismatics and the old orders of a religion.

[Occam Bandage]

4. Now where have I heard this exact same argument before?

[AllentownJake]

5. Projection

Our party right now is a coalition of competing forces. Take a look at Free Republic. Its mostly an echo chamber.

On here there are real fights over real issues and real debates over whether a policy is good or bad and matches our principle.

[Occam Bandage]

6. Their party is more internally fractured than ours is right now.

[AllentownJake]

7. Not really

They have 3 moderate republicans in the Senate...other than that, they pretty much agree on everything.

There is a small war going on between the Govenors and state politans and congressman because the states are hurting so badly, other than that if you gave them a survey you wouldn't see much disagreement on things. Their arguments are on election strategy not on philosphy or policy.