Are the majority of Eastern Orthodox Americans politically to the left or to the right?

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livingwordunity

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The definitions of ‘Right’ and ‘Left’ I want people to use in answering are in the context of how these terms are most commonly used in American politics. Example: Hannity (Right) & Colmes (Left)

Left if for: abortion ‘rights’, so-called same-sex ‘marriage’, doctor assisted ‘suicide’, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, pushing religion (Christianity) out of the public square, etc.

Right if: position is the opposite of the above.

I’m not asking for anecdotal evidence. Does anyone have any reliable stats on this? I would prefer if it would be from a source more reliable than Wikipedia and if the source is relatively unbiased.
 
livingwordunity said:
The definitions of ‘Right’ and ‘Left’ I want people to use in answering are in the context of how these terms are most commonly used in American politics. Example: Hannity (Right) & Colmes (Left)

Left if for: abortion ‘rights’, so-called same-sex ‘marriage’, doctor assisted ‘suicide’, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, pushing religion (Christianity) out of the public square, etc.

Right if: position is the opposite of the above.

I’m not asking for anecdotal evidence. Does anyone have any reliable stats on this? I would prefer if it would be from a source more reliable than Wikipedia and if the source is relatively unbiased.
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More to the left than right but closer to the center than either side. Your view of the left is kind of narrow there is a lot of good stuff there to
 
livingwordunity said:
The definitions of ‘Right’ and ‘Left’ I want people to use in answering are in the context of how these terms are most commonly used in American politics. Example: Hannity (Right) & Colmes (Left)

Left if for: abortion ‘rights’, so-called same-sex ‘marriage’, doctor assisted ‘suicide’, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, pushing religion (Christianity) out of the public square, etc.

Right if: position is the opposite of the above.

I’m not asking for anecdotal evidence. Does anyone have any reliable stats on this? I would prefer if it would be from a source more reliable than Wikipedia and if the source is relatively unbiased.
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As i was on my conversion road 10 years ago, I sojourned in Eastern Orthodoxy for almost a year and read many of their best authors. I remember an author writing about her disappointment seeing a conservative bumper sticker in the Orthodox church parking lot. It did give me pause. When I visited a Russian Orthodox parish before my conversion to the Latin Rite Catholic Church, I had a brief conversation with the priest about our local (Roman) Catholic radio station. In the conversation, it was clear that he leaned left, and had some disparaging things to say about the “slant” of the Catholic radio station. I had two homosexual friends at the time who had converted from evangelicalism to the RO church, but hopefully it was not due to the RO being left leaning.
 
livingwordunity said:
The definitions of ‘Right’ and ‘Left’ I want people to use in answering are in the context of how these terms are most commonly used in American politics. Example: Hannity (Right) & Colmes (Left)

Left if for: abortion ‘rights’, so-called same-sex ‘marriage’, doctor assisted ‘suicide’, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, pushing religion (Christianity) out of the public square, etc.

Right if: position is the opposite of the above.

I’m not asking for anecdotal evidence. Does anyone have any reliable stats on this? I would prefer if it would be from a source more reliable than Wikipedia and if the source is relatively unbiased.
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One of my Aunts (not by blood) is Eastern Orthodox, and is definitely more towards the left than the right. She is all for stem cell research, and because she was unable to conceive children, she went through many stem cell research tests/procedures in order to have her child. I’m not trying to raise anything blood pressure levels or start any fights here, but a few Eastern Orthodox I know are much more left than right, especially when it comes to abortion and stem cell research; however, a substantial number that I have known are right in the center, just as another poster described. It all depends, though, and you may not receive very many helpful answers.
 
thequietsinger said:
One of my Aunts (not by blood) is Eastern Orthodox, and is definitely more towards the left than the right. She is all for stem cell research, and because she was unable to conceive children, she went through many stem cell research tests/procedures in order to have her child. I’m not trying to raise anything blood pressure levels or start any fights here, but a few Eastern Orthodox I know are much more left than right, especially when it comes to abortion and stem cell research; however, a substantial number that I have known are right in the center, just as another poster described. It all depends, though, and you may not receive very many helpful answers.
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I do prefer a Church with a definite Gospel of Life.

ewtn.com/library/encyc/jp2evang.htm
 
One branch of my family (cousins) are Russian Orthodox outside of Russia. They are very conservative, pro-life, pro-family and definitely right wing politically. They are devout. One is married to a priest, one was a priest up until his death.
 
livingwordunity said:
The definitions of ‘Right’ and ‘Left’ I want people to use in answering are in the context of how these terms are most commonly used in American politics. Example: Hannity (Right) & Colmes (Left)

Left if for: abortion ‘rights’, so-called same-sex ‘marriage’, doctor assisted ‘suicide’, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, pushing religion (Christianity) out of the public square, etc.

Right if: position is the opposite of the above.

I’m not asking for anecdotal evidence. Does anyone have any reliable stats on this? I would prefer if it would be from a source more reliable than Wikipedia and if the source is relatively unbiased.
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In all my years as an Orthodox Christian, I’ve never met an Orthodox Christian who are “for” anything on the Left you mentioned, but I did meet one couple (only 1) who did vote Democrat…they were older and were totally into Social Justice and over looked all other issues the Democrats stand for.

On the other hand I’ve met many, many Left, Pro Abortion Catholics, but I don’t judge the Catholic Church by what some of their members believe and act on with there votes and other support that are contrary to the Christian Faith.
 
Greek Orthodox I would say is to the right from my experience. I think GO falls under the EO umbrella doesn’t it?
 
Just by the issues you mentioned I’d say Orthodox are usually on the right.

The “pushing Christianity out of the public sphere” in an interesting one though. I’d call us very definite centerists there by and large. We have experience on both sides of that conflict and neither side worked to our favour.

Generally speaking left/right, While tending to be Socially Conservative, we tend to be centerists on most issues, and you’ll find we may side with the left on some issues (Israel/Palestine for example) for reasons that go far beyond the simplistic left/right spectrum.

At my last parish we had one of the founders Canada’s former major “right wing” party (former because it merged with another party and now runs the government), as well as someone who was running for office under the banner of the left-wing party. As in everything you’ll get all sorts.
 
Nine_Two said:
Just by the issues you mentioned I’d say Orthodox are usually on the right.

The “pushing Christianity out of the public sphere” in an interesting one though. I’d call us very definite centerists there by and large. We have experience on both sides of that conflict and neither side worked to our favour.

Generally speaking left/right, While tending to be Socially Conservative, we tend to be centerists on most issues, and you’ll find we may side with the left on some issues (Israel/Palestine for example) for reasons that go far beyond the simplistic left/right spectrum.

At my last parish we had one of the founders Canada’s former major “right wing” party (former because it merged with another party and now runs the government), as well as someone who was running for office under the banner of the left-wing party. As in everything you’ll get all sorts.
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Thank you for answering. I don’t mind including the EOs in Canada with this question.
 
april32010 said:
mmmm,maybe they’re…Orthodox
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That’s what I had assumed for the longest time. But then, look at how many Catholics there are who call abortion a ‘right’ and believe in so-called same-sex ‘marriage’ and vote for these things even though the Church says that these are intrinsically evil. I was wondering if they could have the same thing going on.
 
livingwordunity said:
That’s what I had assumed for the longest time. But then, look at how many Catholics there are who call abortion a ‘right’ and believe in so-called same-sex ‘marriage’ and vote for these things even though the Church says that these are intrinsically evil. I was wondering if they could have the same thing going on.
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I would be willing to bet that many who are cradle Orthodox are much more liberal than converts to Orthodoxy. I think this is the same for Catholicism as well, although I am a cradle Catholic.

p.s. I have been in contact with many cradle Orthodox in my life, some of whom married into my family.
 
What I want to know is if the prevalence of dissidence to orthodox Church teachings among the average Eastern Orthodox pew-sitter is as shamefully high as it is among us Catholics in America.
 
livingwordunity said:
What I want to know is if the prevalence of dissidence to orthodox Church teachings among the average Eastern Orthodox pew-sitter is as shamefully high as it is among us Catholics in America.
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There is dissidence, of course. It doesn’t seem to be as loud as you see among Catholic dissidents. LA in particular we’ve got a few who carry the banner of the left. Notably Tom Hanks has been active in the movement to legalize homosexual marriage. All in all though you don’t tend to hear of people being openly dissident on major moral issues, and if they are they usually don’t try to bring their faith into it (see Tom Hanks, compare say Nancy Pelosi)
 
I know two EO people. One is an immigrant from Eritrea, she leans left I think. She posted that she voted for Obama. The other is an older convert, he’s conservative. He’s a little fanatical about his faith.
 
Nine_Two said:
There is dissidence, of course. It doesn’t seem to be as loud as you see among Catholic dissidents. LA in particular we’ve got a few who carry the banner of the left. Notably Tom Hanks has been active in the movement to legalize homosexual marriage. All in all though you don’t tend to hear of people being openly dissident on major moral issues, and if they are they usually don’t try to bring their faith into it (see Tom Hanks, compare say Nancy Pelosi)
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She and the vice president, along with Kathleen Sebelius (I think that’s how her name is spelt) are something “special”. Of all the faiths, though, I think it is Judaism that is most liberal.
 
GaryTaylor said:
They have a special understanding of traditional Catholicism too. :sad_yes:
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Makes me want to cry, although I feel that things will change for the better, and that we’ll have (in the US first) more conscientious Catholics in congress and the senate. Keep praying!
 
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