Names, Blogs, and Insight

Well, for the last couple posts, I've mostly been rambling and running my mouth about this-or-thats of politics. I'd say it's time for change. Sort of. I want to talk about why this blog's called "The Religious Conservative" in the first place. Of course, I can, since this is my blog. Hah!

It's not just that fact of which I am, indeed, a religious conservative.

The origin story begins on forums like DemocraticUnderground, MSNBC comment boards, NYTimes editorials. Heck, even the "Discovery Channel" blogs. The term "religious conservative", most commonly known over there as "Conservative Christians" and "Religious Rightists" is used frequently. So much that it's become a sort of staple in political culture, that the label is perfectly OK to use to equate with "bigots", "wingnuts", "religious nutjobs", perhaps the less-recognized "Neanderthals" and "dinosaurs". It's become blanketed synonymously with those, well, insults. anyone with any stink of regressivism that we most certainly have to avoid. Oh yes, we must certainly avoid it.

20 years ago, if you'd have asked someone what they thought of "religious conservatives", you'd get an indifferent answer. Possibly even a proud or benign one. Nowadays, you'd get an "Oh, they're ignorant and intolerant, right?"

Reagan must be turning in his grave.

The media had a large part in this, and trust, the evidence exists that the MSM is left-leaning. Follow the money donated to candidates, committees, causes, follow the ideologies which reporters and writers identify as. As we've aged, so has the current political climate. And right now, that climate is hostile to anyone claiming to be both religious (well, Christian) and conservative.

Even I had been duped. Yes, my glorious, enlightened brain hadn't developed the critical-thinking skills needed for seeing through the ignorance. I can remember a few years ago in a discussion with my class, somehow the subject of politics came up, so did the "Christian Conservative" label. My instinct was to think (and yes, I do remember this clearly), "Don't call them that. They're not like that."

I live in a conservative place. If I once thought that, it's possible lots of others indoctrinated by culture think (or once thought) the same way.

So am I insulting myself by naming my blog "The Religious Conservative"? Hardly. In fact, just the opposite.

If this is what the left characterizes as their enemy, their antagonist, then it's an appropriate moniker for a warrior who stands against it. I take this name upon myself, working for the day it won't have the negative association.

Or what, should I have just named it "RUSH RULEZ"?