The Authoritarian Personality Type: Fundamentalist Christians on parental Rights part 2

If you haven't yet, please read: www.theauthoritarians.com

Another (sheesh, get off of the soapbox loser!) video about Dr. Bob Altemeyer's research on right wing authoritarian personalities. I need to state again that this is not specifically right wing as in right wing Republican, but anyone who tends to bow towards strict authoritarianism. In the US these may be fundamentalist Christians who vote conservative Republicans, but might be a fundamentalist Moslem and vote Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran if Iranian.

Altemeyer reports a series of test questions given participants where they are asked how they would react to several scenarios. Groups were randomly selected and given one of three scenarios:
1)A law is passed that public schools go back to teaching strict Christian values and theology.

2)You live in an Islamic country. A law is passed requiring strict Islamic teachings at the public school your child attends


3)A law is passed where from early on in public schools children would be taught that there are no gods, and that belief in such is illogical and against all science.

As would be expected, low RWA's, including atheist, agnostics, and the vast majority of Christians opposed ALL three scenarios as bad laws because religious beliefs are one's personal business and should be imposed nor negated in a public school. Fundamentalist Christians, on the other hand, answered differently.

Christian fundamentalists overwhelmingly believed scenario 1 was a good thing and said they would support it. When question about if this would interfere with other's beliefs or lack of, they stated that we live in a Christian nation and the majority rules. If you do not like it send your kids to private school or leave.

Those fundies given scenario 2 strongly opposed it for the same reason that low RWA's did (wrong to impose your belief on others). When questioned about the fact that this takes place in an Islamic nation, the common reply was that the rights of the minority have to be respected.

And, as no surprise, for scenario 3 the fundies were opposed for the same reasons given in #2. What might surprise some Christians, however, is that atheists overwhelming agreed. Atheists did not support opposing religion in a public school as it violated the rights of parents in raising children how they choose.

Part 2:

Another study by Altemeyer proposed that an atheist teen (raised by atheist parents) approaches you and asks you for advice on spiritual matters because they are questioning their parent's beliefs. Another group was given the same question but the teen was a Christian teen raised by Christian parents

The results might be fairly predictable! Low RWA's, including Christians said they would recommend the kid talk to a parent, a friend, a pastor, etc. because it was not their place to interfere. Fundamentalist Christians, on the other hand, overwhelming believed it was their place to convert the atheist teen! They also believed that it would be wrong for anyone to try to convert the Christian teen, because spiritual issues are a parents business.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Altemeyer
• authoritarians
• right
• wing
• RWA
• Christian
• Islam
• Moslem
• fundamentalists
• Fundamentalism
• hypocrites
• liars
• frauds
• convert
• evangelize
• school
• prayer
• creation
• creationism
• evolution

[longfootbuddy]

really?

[LithodidMan]

@longfootbuddy Yeah really. This video has nothing to do with schools, public or private but is about the ethics of proselytizing your beliefs as an individual to another parent's child.

[longfootbuddy]

i have an idea, pick a private school you want your kid to go to, and pay for it your own damn self!

[LithodidMan]

@longfootbuddy ??? Not sure what this comment has to do with the topic.

[Tatarize]

It's not really a Poe, but additional views by leaning towards trolling. If they didn't do it, somebody else would and they'd end up being more popular. So by necessity the top folks are going to lean troll, if they didn't they wouldn't be top folks.

[longfootbuddy]

@LithodidMan nothing to do with schools aye?

[longfootbuddy]

@LithodidMan really?

[rejoin]

these ppl are convinced that their ideas are ultimatively right. If you think the worlds gonna end because ppl don't have the right faith that won't make you act morally upright. chances are bigger your gonna try anything to prevent the catastrohpy. I think the revival of authoritarian parenting is an incredible danger. People are again beeing raised into a strong vs. weak value system. It tops in the view that everybody deserves what he gets. even if its death and torture

[LithodidMan]

@RobertMOdell I think you misunderstood - there is absolutely no 'government mandate' in experiment two. I did discuss the results of experiment one but did not at all treat the two experiments as if the were directly cross-comparable. Rather than my convoluted explanations, I would suggest reading the Altemeyer study directly, it is free and all online.

[RobertMOdell]

@LithodidMan ok. but for experiment 2, where fundies think it was "wrong for someone to try to de-convert a Christian child", you specifically chose government mandate as opposed to a private person the fundies have allowed access to the child. I have no problem with people I expose my kids to sharing their beleifs, however I strongly oppose the government operating within that realm in any way.