Religious affiliation and political views - do they equate?

[aliantha]

I thought this was an interesting comparison, albeit with not a lot of surprises.

thinkprogress.org/election/2014/08/29/3 ... -politics/

[SerScot]

No, my Church does not dictate my politics. But it is a factor I consider when formulating a position.

[Orlion]

No, my Church does not dictate my politics. But it is a factor I consider when formulating a position.

Sooo... no but yes?

I think that you can generally tell someone's political position based on their religion...particularly on key issues. That's just the nature of religion, you don't attend Church to dictate its beliefs.

That's not to say that church dogma does not allow wiggle room or even that it would predict your political party. But, as an example, if I found out someone was a Catholic I could probably predict how they feel about the Hobby Lobby ruling.

[aliantha]

But, as an example, if I found out someone was a Catholic I could probably predict how they feel about the Hobby Lobby ruling.

You might be surprised about that. In the survey, Catholics sit at very middle of the graph.

[Ananda]

The story linked is not friendly to viewing on my mobile device, but I think you have to break things down also by flavour of religion as well. Some christian priests perform gay marriage and others preach that the gays are wicked sinners who will burn in a hell as an example. But, it is hardly a surprise that affilliations go with political view. However, I would take a step back once more and say that people choose religion and politics based on personality. As the line in the song goes, 'I surround myself with things that look like me'.

[sgt.null]

orlion - I am Catholic. so tell me how I feel about Hobby Lobby, gay marriage, gun control, abortion, etc. it will be a fun exercise.

[SerScot]

Orlion,

No, my Church does not dictate my politics. But it is a factor I consider when formulating a position.

Sooo... no but yes?

I think that you can generally tell someone's political position based on their religion...particularly on key issues. That's just the nature of religion, you don't attend Church to dictate its beliefs.

That's not to say that church dogma does not allow wiggle room or even that it would predict your political party. But, as an example, if I found out someone was a Catholic I could probably predict how they feel about the Hobby Lobby ruling.

I disagree with my Church on a number of political positions. The big one is Homosexual marriage. I think it should be legal. My church doesn't.

I'm Orthodox Christian. What's my position on the Hobby Lobby case?

[Vraith]

Now you all are just being persnickety with Orlion.

He said "probably" with "predict."
And that is likely so...whether he can predict each of you individually or not, he'd probably make money gambling on thousands or millions of predictions.

Even you, Ali...maybe conflating? Cuz yea, Catholics are in the middle of that chart. And according to polls many...nearly all, IIRC...Catholics use and/or approve of contraceptives...or at least allow it should be legal and up to the individual.
But that doesn't mean they disagree with Hobby Lobby decision...which wasn't about whether people should have/use it, but about who/how it's paid for.

Anyway...there are relationships between religion and politics...but I don't think identity/equation between them.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

He said "probably" with "predict."
And that is likely so...whether he can predict each of you individually or not, he'd probably make money gambling on thousands or millions of predictions.

Agreed. General tendencies tend to hold true even if certain individual points fall outside the norm. Yes, generalization is a logical fallacy but it can create a reasonable starting position when trying to figure out what a particular group actually thinks even though it fails miserably when considering a single person.

For many people their religion and their politics are essentially inseparable given that they overlap on so many topics.