Call to Arms

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eyeguy13 @ Jun 3 2006, 12:55 AM) [snapback]265041[/snapback]</div>

Several reasons 1. save fuel 2. Save the earth (yes I am a environmentalist). 3. Its soooo cool..

About the avatar it makes my brother-in-law mad...... :blink:

 

I'm a conservative Christian of the republican persuasion. I don't care what label a candidate puts on themselves as long as they have the correct stand on the important issues. Even our Republican candidate for govenor around here is a big fan of abortion, so maybe we get lucky and the two candidates crash into each other on the campaign trail and we get two new ones to pick from.

I drive my prius because it saves me $350 a month in fuel expenses. I could care less if it actually burned the same amout of fuel or polluted more... it's about the $

It will be typical around here to find some of the liberals bashing God and evangelical Christians. That's just their way of telling us they are searching for God in thier lives. Once you point that out, the thread seems to dry up.

Welcome....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ Jun 3 2006, 08:59 AM) [snapback]265110[/snapback]</div>

If you're a Christian, aren't you supposed to respect and care for the earth that God created? You only drive a hybrid because it benefits you personally, but could care less about pollution or using up our diminishing resources? You don't sound very Christian to me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eyeguy13 @ Jun 3 2006, 12:55 AM) [snapback]265041[/snapback]</div>

This was answered a while back in another poll (one that was correctly posted to FHOP) asking to rate Bush's performance as president. Last time I checked, something like 16.45% of respondents approved of his performance.

The prevailing thought on that thread about what appeared to be a conundrum was that conservative Prius owners did not buy the vehicle for the traits for which it was marketed and why 'liberals' buy them (fuel mileage, environmentally friendly).

This makes sense since conservatives don't believe in global warming and, if you do the math, the added cost for a hybrid over the same, non-hybrid vehicle do not offset the fuel savings for many years (at least not at current fuel costs).

A liberal wouldn't much care that the costs don't offest for some time, because simply using less fuel means that the gas companies won't make as much money, whereas a 'real' conservative is all for private-sector profits since big-business making as much money as possible will benefit everyone in the long run, i.e., Reagan's (in)famous 'trickle-down' economic theory.

Rather, conservative thinking would dictate that the main focus on buying a Prius was substantially more mercenary, i.e., primarily that it had great resale value. Being the current hottest selling vehicle ('trendy') probably played a large part in buying one, as well.

IOW, the same type of person that would buy a Yugo or East German Trabant (or Hummer H1, for that matter) if they were selling well and had the best resale value.

Conservatives should view buying a Prius (or any hybrid, for that matter) as 'un-American' (I know my brother-in-law, a rabid, money-grubbing, SUV-driving, Bush-lover, sure does), unless a Prius is bought with the main intent of reselling it to a liberal later (at a substantial profit).

 

I agree that non-Prius stuff belongs in FHOP, where all opinions are permitted, though insulting language is discouraged.

As for your question why there are more liberals than conservatives here:

Prius appeals more to environmentalists, because of its super-ultra-low-emissions rating, and because burning less gas means less carbon returned to the atmosphere. There are indeed conservative environmentalists, but for some decades the Republican Party (which practically invented environmentalism with Teddy Roosevelt) has been contemptuous of the environment. It's much more common in the conservative camp to assert that energy supplies are basically unlimited. This leads to a lower percentage of environmentalists. Liberals are more likely to view resources as being limited, which leads to a higher percentage of environmentalists.

The environment is only one reason for driving a Prius, but it does tilt the owner profile more to the left. These are not absolutes, but they govern the percentages of liberal and conservative Prius owners.

Likewise, conservatives who can afford it are more likely than liberals to drive an SUV. Conservatives are more likely than liberals to buy an American-made car. These also reduce the number of conservative Prius owners.

 

this thread is simply adding to the problem that is being complained about in the OP. and has just opened up yet another liberal vs conservative bashfest.

here we go again.

 

Check out the poll results. What beautiful even distribution of all political views. No single political view owns the hybrid.

The Prius is mainstream baby !

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ Jun 3 2006, 08:59 AM) [snapback]265110[/snapback]</div>

Now that's the kindling needed for a flame war. Some people just don't like the in your face approach some evangelical Christians take... you may find many of those liberals are not basing God but how you might go about worshiping God or how every disagreement lead to a liberal verse God slug fest. You may also find some of those liberals also believe in God but in a more intimate setting between them and God. They may also find your interpretation of what it means to be a Christian more radical or against their beliefs. Remember you don't have to be "Born Again" to be a Christian nor do you need to be a member of the GOP... nor do you need be a conserative.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(riscky @ Jun 3 2006, 10:12 AM) [snapback]265159[/snapback]</div>

Thank you riscky! If I might add...they also may not be Christian.

Personally, I do my best to avoid any individual who proselytizes, no matter their religion or political persuasion...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chinook-hybrid @ Jun 3 2006, 03:09 PM) [snapback]265210[/snapback]</div>

Who cares what political party you are from. I though that this forum was about the Prius? Leave it to you right wing guys to bring in politics and your agenda to a forum about cars. I'll bet you don't believe in global warming. Just my .02 FishHawk

 

Let's Fred this thing.

 

I am amazed this hasn't been moved to Fred's yet.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tomdeimos @ Jun 2 2006, 08:17 PM) [snapback]264894[/snapback]</div>

I guess I should trade in our Prius for something more suitable like a Tahoe. If I hurry I could take advantage of the reduced gas payments! Maybe I should disband the recycling committee I organized for our department as well, or step down as the head to avoid any confusion. Seriously though there are a number of Christian environmental groups like Sage, Web of Creation, TargetEarth, and lots of others listed here.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ Jun 3 2006, 10:14 AM) [snapback]265113[/snapback]</div>

I must have missed those verses that let you decide what does and does not make a Christian.

All of those verses about it being about letting Jesus being Lord of Your life must have meant only if you care about the environment as well. While I don't think Christians should abuse the Earth, neither is it our permanent home or being an enivornmentalist a measure of how Christian you are. There are many reasons why some Christians are more concerned about the earth than others, some think that since we have been given dominion over the earth, that it should be used for our benefit without much regard to the long-term future.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tochatihu @ Jun 3 2006, 04:25 PM) [snapback]265313[/snapback]</div>

yep send it to FHOP. This is not Main Forum. Interesting but not Main Forum. BTW I have been an Independent, Independent for more years than I like to think. I was even on the Greek Pages of my Year Book as an Independent (GDI), first and last as far as I know. Hillsdale College. My conservative credentials are impeccable. Of course I may be a great disappointment to them.

 

I'll defend christians as being slightly more rational than that.

From what I have read, (and admittedly, it is not a lot, as I try to avoid nausea) two stances seem to be common: One, that self destruction is just validation of end-of-life scenarios. Bad for infidels, good for christians; and the much more common position, that humanity is too insignificant to destroy god's creation.

I have to agree with the latter opinion. Earth will survive. How well humanity does, however, is looking rather bleak. In the same way that christianity could not accept that the earth revolves around the sun, because it contradicted a religious belief, they cannot accept global warming.

When science contradicts dogma, the average christian will ignore the science. Prius is a symbol that man is destroying Earth, and people must change their ways or accept the consequences. These Christians cannot and will not accept the conclusion that god has either deserted them, or does not exist.

The coalition of christianity with right wing ideologies is at least a thousand years old, and modern day america aligns republican corporatism with religious dogma. For these reasons right wing and/or religious people are a minority of Prius owners. It will stay that way until the Prius becomes an obvious money proposition through the economic realities of fuel prices or carbon taxation.

In short, to mainstream christianity, environmentalism is heresy. DNC has nothing to do with it. It does not have to be this way, as Michael so clearly demonstrates. But unfortunately, he is a distinct minority.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ralph b @ Jun 3 2006, 05:35 AM) [snapback]265093[/snapback]</div>

Excellent reasons!!! For both owning a Prius and having the Homer avatar.

 

While I still believe that conservatives are less likely than liberals to buy the Prius, this does not translate to Christians vs non-Christians.

The vast majority of Christians do not reject science. The vast majority of Christians accept evolution as a fact, and believe that god's role was to set the whole thing in motion and/or to direct the course of the mutations that are the raw material for evolution. And many Christians (including nearly all my Christian friends, of whom I have many) are environmentalists, believing that god intended us to care for the earth, and not to rape it.

Christians on the extreme political right are very vocal about their religion, and use it to justify all sorts of mean-spirited attitudes and judgemental accusations, such as calling anyone to right of Rush Limbaugh "evil."

But most Christians practice their religion as a personal matter and are pretty evenly spread out along the political spectrum from liberal to conservative. It is a great mistake to imagine that the hate-mongers are representative of Christians in general, or that Christians are all anti-environmentalists.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 4 2006, 10:46 AM) [snapback]265564[/snapback]</div>

You mean to the left of Limbaugh....

 

I think it really just boils down to, if you don't want to read about the topic, don't open the thread. You have free will, and you have the ability to choose which threads you read and respond to.

As for the people complaining about the avatars, my suggestion would be to lighten up.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Jun 4 2006, 05:08 PM) [snapback]265692[/snapback]</div>

Or better yet turn them off