An End in sight to the "Culture Wars"?

[u-dog]

This from the Religious Institute Newsletter ( http://www.religiousinstitute.org)


The Coming End of the Culture Wars
Demographic changes in the U.S. promise to move polarizing issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion rights into the progressive mainstream. In a new report from the Center for American Progress, Ruy Texeira writes that, as younger Americans with more progressive views join the voting-age population, "tolerance and equal rights will increasingly be the ethos of the country." The report, The Coming End of the Culture Wars, argues that other demographic shifts, such as an increase in religious diversity, also will undermine social conservatism in the nation's politics.

Here is a link to the full report:http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/07/culture_wars.html

[Emproph]

Something like "Change never happens until the older generation dies off."

[Zerbie]

I don't find this realistic at all. There has been a religious right in America for generations, and from time to time they take influence over some facet of culture, leading to bizarrities like Prohibition (and all the clandestine bars Prohibition spawned) and the Hollywood Morality Code, which, among other things, suggests that all married couples sleep in twin beds across the room from each other.

They are not likely to just go away. We need to stop letting them dictate how our government does things.

[Daniel]

Zerbie- you get to the point as usual. I read the start of this thread earlier today and thought about what was sticking in the gears of my head: you articulated what was forming in my mind.

Our country has been a destination for staunch religious conservatives since it's founding. After all, this is where they came after they were thrown out of Europe. In some measure, I think the mentality that they brought here is still with us.

Does age change this? I wonder about that. Youth has many wonderful things going for it. And yes, younger people don't care as much about the gay angle. They do get it. But fundamentalism is on the rise, not only here, but in all of the America's.

What does this all mean? I don't think anyone can truly know.

[u-dog]

I don't find this realistic at all. There has been a religious right in America for generations, and from time to time they take influence over some facet of culture, leading to bizarrities like Prohibition (and all the clandestine bars Prohibition spawned) and the Hollywood Morality Code, which, among other things, suggests that all married couples sleep in twin beds across the room from each other.

They are not likely to just go away. We need to stop letting them dictate how our government does things.


What part of the report do you find unconvincing? Is there a flaw in their demographic analysis?

In fact, in recent history there has been a politically relevant religious right only since the late 1970's. During the 30s, 40's 50's and 60's (when I was growing up) it was the moderate protestant denominations that held all the political strings. The first sign that that was loosening was the election of Catholic JFK in 1960. In the 70's and 80's the conservative catholics began to make common cause with right-wing evangelicals around moral issues such as gay rights and abortion. This is when the moral majority began to control the political situation for the first time. Prior to that, the conservative evangelical right was a lower class movement with very little influence.

The Temperance movement that finally resulted in the success of prohibition was basically a movement of middle class educated white women. While these women were Christians they were not fundamentalists. They were, by and large, the same women who were driving the first wave of feminism, women's suffrage, the abolition movement, and the movement to legalize contraception. Prohibition was first and foremost an attempt to reduce domestic violence and spousal abandonment.

Prohibition turned out to be a really really bad idea, but it wasn't a fundamentalist plot.

The moral landscape of this country has been changing at a phenominal rate over the last century and its showing no sign of changing now. I think the Christian rights ruling coalition is fracturing and this report makes a credible case that changing demographics in the next two decades will accelerate that process.

Nice to see you back BTW!! :love:

[Daniel]

Perhaps we should reflect on the fact that young people, when they start having children of their own, often become more conservative. Does this study take this into account? I didn't read this anywhere. As well, does the study take into account that the Hispanic population is the fastest growing one? And that Hispanics are more conservative over all? Sure. They don't like to vote re abortion (see...I did read the study), but the study also doesn't mention that fundamentalism is sweeping through Latin America and Mexico. And guess where our Latin population is coming from? Does the study mention that the Spanish population is projected to be over 50 percent in 2050? (I read this elsewhere.)

It's a nice study, but I don't think it is taking into account the full picture.

I'll be the first in line to shout it from the housetops if the future is fabulous, no-one cares about gay people getting married and we can all kiss in public squares and hold hands.

In the meanwhile, there is a little something called DOMA to overturn. And if I'm not mistaken, Clinton was supposed to be our friend. Yes...I know all about how Hillary says it was necessary because something worse was being planned. Well....thanks a lot. Love the gal....but I disagree with her on this issue. Nice however, that her husband is now in favor of gay marriage. Bill...what took you so long?

If the implication is that we should relax and just time let roll on and we'll have our rights.....wait for older people to die off....well...I think we could be in for rude surprise.

Yep. Glass half-empty for me.

[Rick336]

I agree with the article. Life for humans has progressed since we began walking upright and it will continue to do so. Things are much better now than they were just 30 years ago. It's all part of our evolution.

Rick