Why do moral issues favor the republicans?

[MMMMMM]

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- Abortion should be a matter of choice of the pregnant woman up to a certain point in pregnancy time OPPOSED

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This is a tricky issue. The issue of the fetus owning its own life makes this a highly complex subject, with many thinking that the fetus does own its own life either from conception or at some point. The mother's right to ownership of her body conflicts at least at some point with the fetus' right to its body. For those who disagree just look at partial birth abortion wherein the fetus is killed as it is being otherwise naturally born. Surely at some point the fetus is a baby with a r ight to life. This issue is sufficiently complex to warrant separate thread(s) instead of being used in a list of differences between Denmocrats and Republicans.


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- An adult should be able to do whatever he/she wants with his/her body, and that includes having sex, taking chemical substances, or sun tanning STRONGLY OPPOSED - Most Americans in jail today are for non-violent drug offenses.

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Kerry is a big "drug warrior." In fact if I'm not mistaken he authored asset forfeiture and seizure laws (which are abused) for the War On Drugs. I don't think you can claim the Dems are better on this than the Repubs.


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- Free speech is more important than religion
- The government should not be religious OPPOSED - as evidenced by the hue and cry over religious epigraphs in public buildings or when some citizen "defames" Jesus, etc.

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The Free Speech principle actually allows the posting of religious icons or messages.

What the "Establishment Clause" of the First Amendment prohibits is Congress making any LAW regarding the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The First Amendment does not prohibit government officials from expressing their own religious views.

The judge who posted the Ten Commandments was not violating the First Amendment, and even if the government were to publicly endorse some religion, that would not be in violation of the First Amendment unless the government also passed a law respecting the establishment of that religion.


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- The law of men supersedes the law of God (of any god) OPPOSED

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How was this opposed? I don't see it.


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- All cultures and philosophical ideas do not have the same moral value; some are more worthy of learning and following in life than others. SUPPORTED

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Clearly some cultures are superior to others in many ways. This is not even reasonably debatable.


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- Each and every one of us should take pride in his/her nationality and culture but these things do not make one superior to others, of seemingly 'inferior' cultures/nationalities OPPOSED -- see French threads, etc.

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Thinking that that all cultures are equal shows a serious lack of even rudimentary comparative skills. There are some very stark differences between cultures in terms of human rights, scientific achievements, economic success, etc. Also, you are taking the French threads way too seriously.


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- Races are superficial categorisations of Man, based on skin colour and external characteristics; our physical specs are identical SUPPORTED

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Substitute "nearly identical" and it is obvious to all but the most racist or ignorant.


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- We should be weary of teleological and eschatological promises, no matter how enticing or thrilling STRONGLY OPPOSED - most Americans are deep believers in something or other.

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Not sure what your point is here.


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- Our "house", this planet, is the only home we will have for the foreseeable future (which means the next millennium at least). So we better take good care of it. OPPOSED - the people keep returning politicians who want to drill Alaska and chop the rainforest.

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Specific cases need examination. A blanket policy one way or the other is very likely bad.


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- Health care should be available to anyone who needs it and not to anyone who can afford it. OPPOSED.

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There should be always great Autumn weather too, all year long. If you are suggesting legislation to enforce what you state above, then you must believe that others should have a right to force you to work free for them. In other words, by logical extension of your idea, you must believe in involuntary servitude.

[Cyrus]

"I was getting pretty uncomfortable agreeing with you."

Then I must make you uncomfortable again!

"I think the majority of Americans are not for overturning abortion rights."

They are not. When I write that, mostly, Americans are OPPOSED, it's a general statement. It doesn't mean that Amercians want to forbid the practice, but rather that there is a general opposition to it, a tendency to judge this on religious grounds, as opposed on individual liberty grounds.

And they dismiss scientific opinion on the matter.

This is driven by the deep religious undercurrent in middle America, something that is actually at odds with what passes for libartarian/libefal values.

But don't focus only on abortion; see how the issues of gay marriage, of artistic freedom, of freedom of expression, etc, are viewed. Those are issues that have seemingly hurt the Kerry candidacy far more than Iraq or the economy.

[Kopefire]

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I honestly believe they are very poorly informed.

...

When Roe v. Wade was passed, Ford, a Republican, was in office.


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Yup . . . we're the one's that are ignorant . . .

[flytrap]

But realistically this isn't going to happen. Abortion is here to stay, regardless of what the president would like to do.

[tripdad]

if a moral man is in office, he will be more likely to make moral decisions. can Bush overturn Roe v. Wade? no. can he appoint a supreme court justice who will correctly determine that abortion issues should be left to the states? yes.

one thing liberals do not understand is that abortion is not the only moral issue. taxes are a moral issue. immigration is a moral issue. economic policy is a moral issue. cabinet appointees are a moral issue. the list goes on and on. if you don't understand why these issues are moral issues, you don't understand the very fabric of this nation, and the principles upon which it was founded.

cheers!

[flytrap]

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The judge who posted the Ten Commandments was not violating the First Amendment, and even if the government were to publicly endorse some religion, that would not be in violation of the First Amendment unless the government also passed a law respecting the establishment of that religion.

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You're forgetting one factor. People only have rights, so long as it doesn't interfere with someone else's rights. By posting the ten commandments, you're certainly unofficially endorsing a religion, if it's used in a government building. Everyone that walks into that building is forced to pass by the ten commandments.

[flytrap]

The supreme court certainly is set by the president, but people voting thinking a pro-life president will end abortion are certainly mis-informed. Certainly the appointment of judges is an important factor, but abortion isn't going to end any time soon.
And with gun control, as I've said before, many of the various laws such as right to carry, etc, are set by the state, so they should really be voting for governor on these issues. It's not like Christmas presents. The thought here doesn't count. Just because Bush is pro-life doesn't mean he'll be able to act on that belief. Although I'm a Dem, I'm not endorsing Bush or Kerry, simply questioning some people's motives for voting Bush.

[flytrap]

Who was in office? If it was Nixon, then the date he was impeached must have been after Roe v Wade, but that's beside the point. My point was that a Republican was in the White house.

[flytrap]

I agree with everything you said, except that I think you underestimate abortion. I believe it's a very large portion of the religious right that votes solely republican because the dems are 'baby killers.'
And what's to say that Kerry isn't a moral man?

[tripdad]

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And what's to say that Kerry isn't a moral man?

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the abortion issue is the guiding light. simple.

pro-lifers such as myself are actually pro-choice. the big difference is that i believe the choice is whether or not to engage in behavior(sex) which may result in an unwanted pregnancy.

i believe we all make choices in life, but must face the consequences of those choices.

pro-choice people believe that a woman should be able to avoid the consequences of her choices by killing said consequence.

cheers!