families

[Macrina]

In another thread, I asked about how conservative/liberal you are compared to the average person in your denomination. I think might also be interesting to hear about each other's families: Are you more liberal or more conservative than how you were raised, or about the same? Are other members of your family on the same theological wavelength as you, or do you face differences?

As for me, I was raised by nominally Christian parents, but there was only a short time when I was ever taken to church. My parents are definitely more liberal than I am, theologically speaking. Strange thing is, though, both my sister and I (there are just the two of us siblings) grew up to be conservative Christians. She's a little bit more politically conservative than I am, but we're about the same in terms of theology -- we just each arrived at it independently of our parents! I'm single with no kids, so I don't have family members in my household to comment on.

I will say that having my sister be in about the same place as me is incredibly strengthening for those times when I get frustrated with how my parents see things. I think it would be much harder if I felt like I was going it entirely alone.

[ContentInHim]

macrina - you and I could be sisters. I was raised a church-going Presbyterian. My parents were pretty liberal theologically and politically. My brother and I became sort of agnostic believers - and VERY liberal politically, if not radical left. Then my brother was saved in 1980 and 21 years later I was saved. Now we are much more conservative theologically and politically than our parents were. Go figure! :P

[Melethiel]

Politically, I'm on about the same wavelength as my parents. Theologically, it's hard to say - I would say I'm more educated theologically than my mother (and more on the traditionalist side), and I'm honestly not too sure where my father stands, but I would say I'm on a similar wavelength with him.

[Joykins]

I am what you get when you breed a liberal with a conservative. I got the views from the liberal one (my dad) I guess. But I also respect my mother's conservative views. So my family is all over the spectrum and fitting in is not a problem.

In my husband's uniformly conservative family I stand out like a sore thumb, they call me the token liberal.

[Miss Shelby]

My familial upbringing is anything but ordinary. In fact, it's what a lot of people would call .. unfortunate.. for lack of a better term.

I was the firstborn to a couple who did not remain a couple for long. My mom was from a very poor Irish family, she was one of 9, my dad, was one of four, though his family circumstance wasn't like my mothers.

They married young.. my mother fell victim to schizophrenia, and her large family did pretty much nothing to help.

My father abandoned her, and his family turned a blind eye to the entire situation.

It ended up that my siblings and I went into care from outside families. That is condensing a very LARGE story into a few words, there's more to it than that.

But anyways, my conservative views definitely come from upbringning and my education that I received in the Catholic school system, which I pretty much paid for myself by working it off.

I don't think that the state helps people, and I don't think it does so by programs they put in place. People learn a work ethic by learning it from experience, and by paving the hard road. that's my experience, that's my opinion.

I do thank God that Catholicism was the religion that I was baptized and born into. Because of that at least, I did have something to go back to. The grace afforded me at my baptism and other Sacraments, is what led me back to my faith.

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

I probably turned out more liberatarian than my parents, more diplomatically-oriented in my speech, more tolerant and respectful on issues of race, and more active.

They're Republicans. I'm a conservative.

[£amb]

My father would be considered a fundamental, my mother a conservative....so I'm kinda the mutant of the two...;) There a some things that I'm alittle more liberal than what my parents were at my age, but I can see myself turning more like them as I grow older. Within my family...me and my brother are the conservative/fundamentalists compared to my sisters.

[porterross]

My mother is a staunch Republican and Anglican (we disagree only on close(d) communion)

My father is a Democrat and Lutheran, but is not active in the church.

My sister is a staunch Republican and loudly Episcopalian, liberal views and all, yet less tolerant of human failing...go figure that one! We disagree on most things.

My political views are a perfect fit for Libertarianism and my theology is conservative and traditional.

[christianmomof3]

I was raised in Reform Judaism which is the most liberal of the Jewish groups. My father was a democrat, but a very conservative one if there is such a thing.
I am a born again Christian and most of my theology is pretty conservative.
I don't get into politics much, but it is my understanding that the democrats want to take money from the rich people and line their pockets with it and give some of it to the poor people and the republicans just want to keep hold of their own money. :sorry:
That is why I should stay out of political discussions.

[NewGuy101]

My family is more liberal yet more legalistic than me. Let me explain... While in many hispanic households there is a Christian background there isn't a following of Christ. Therefore hypocracy rules the land and although they have an ethical system they only see it as superficial. If anyone breaks the system they are guilty of it without forgiveness so they all just try to hide it.

[twistedsketch]

I'm about as conservative as my dad, who is more conservative than my mom is politically. She's conservative enough to have common sense, but she's not exactly Rose Friedman. They are both conservative when it comes to religion and values, so that's what counts I guess.

[Izdaari]

My parents were both nominal Christians, and New Deal Democrats. I'm an only child, and neither of my parents is still living. I'm single, once married long, long ago, with no children.

I'm pretty much a C.S. Lewis "Mere Christian", though I lean Lutheran on most doctrinal questions, and I believe the Pentecostal gifts are still available. How conservative am I? Only mostly. I'm 100% on the Nicene and Apostle's Creeds, and I believe in miracles. I believe the Bible is divinely inspired, but not "verbally inspired" and not inerrant. I'm a theistic evolutionist, though I place little importance on it. It's important to me that God created everything, but what methods He may have used is no biggie to me one way or the other. I tend to be moderate on social issues, and as a libertarian I'm opposed on principle to "legislating morality". I.e., I think porn is bad, but I don't think it should be illegal for adults.

Politically I'm one of the last of the Goldwater conservatives (though technically, calling Goldwater a conservative is incorrect: he was, as I am, a conservative libertarian).

[LivingLifeHisWay]

I was raised in a dysfunctional Catholic family who wears Catholicisim like a badge of honour while ignoring God except when a cermony needs to be attended. Every other day He doesn't exist and they are free to over-indulge in anything and everything.

So you can say that I am the conservative of the family while everyone else thinks I'm in a cult. :sigh: