--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever the \"Christian conservatives\" in…" description: "\"“Whatever the \"Christian conservatives\" in America say, there is no one set of rightful opinions that follow on automatically from your belief. If you ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/francis-spufford-12650_change_whatever-the-christian-conservatives-in_2003173.jpg" --- # Whatever the "Christian conservatives" in America say… ![“Whatever the "Christian conservatives" in America say, there is no one set of rightful opinions that follow on automatically from your belief. If you have signed up for the redeeming love of God, you don't—you really don't—have to sign up too for low taxes, creationism, gun ownership, the death…” quote by Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/francis-spufford-12650_change_whatever-the-christian-conservatives-in_2003173.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/francis-spufford-12650_change_whatever-the-christian-conservatives-in_2003173.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/francis-spufford-12650_change_whatever-the-christian-conservatives-in_2003173.jpg) > ““Whatever the "Christian conservatives" in America say, there is no one set of rightful opinions that follow on automatically from your belief. If you have signed up for the redeeming love of God, you don't—you really don't—have to sign up too for low taxes, creationism, gun ownership, the death penalty, closing abortion clinics, climate change denial and grotesque economic inequality. You are entirely at liberty to believe that the kingdom would be better served by social justice, redistributive taxation, feminism, gay rights and excellent public transportation. You won't have the authoritative sanction of the gospel for believing in those things either, of course. But you can.”” [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Faith does not dictate a single political agenda; believers can hold diverse views on social issues while sharing core religious values. **In simple terms:** Religion allows varied political opinions. Key Takeaway Recognize freedom to interpret faith in politics. Themes faith politics individualism social justice interpretation Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - voting decisions - public policy debates - faith community discussions - activism - personal belief formation Key Concepts theology political pluralism moral autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal convictions with communal expectations? - What role should religious texts play in modern policy? A Different Perspective Religious communities may still pressure conformity despite stated freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief Signed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief-signed-3535478/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Christian Conservatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-conservatives-2812088/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change/) [Climate change denial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change-denial/) [Conservatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatives/) [Conservatives America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatives-america-3535476/) [Death penalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-penalty/) [Economic inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-inequality/) [Gay rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-rights/) [Gun ownership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun-ownership/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-of-god/) [Redeeming love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/redeeming-love/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Social justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-justice/) [Taxes Creationism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes-creationism-3535477/) ## Related quotes > [As an Orthodox Jew I must acknowledge that a society can only be successful if it adheres to God's basic plan. By recognizing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lapin/as-an-orthodox-jew-i-must-acknowledge-that-a-society-can-only-be/) [Daniel Lapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lapin/) > [If ever there was a misnomer in the political lexicon, surely 'values voters' is the all-time champ. The use of this term to describe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-belzer/if-ever-there-was-a-misnomer-in-the-political-lexicon-surely-values/) [Richard Belzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-belzer/) > [Mike Huckabee and indeed many of the Christian conservatives in the U.S. have far more in common with the Muslim Brotherhood than they'd like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reza-aslan/mike-huckabee-and-indeed-many-of-the-christian-conservatives-in-the-u/) [Reza Aslan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reza-aslan/) > [Christian conservatives care about their families eating. They're concerned about energy independence. They're concerned about functional government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/christian-conservatives-care-about-their-families-eating-they-re/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [The religious opponents of Christian conservatives are presented as moderates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-h-nash/the-religious-opponents-of-christian-conservatives-are-presented-as/) [Ronald H. Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-h-nash/) > [The tragedy is that in the name of resisting the internal deterioration of faith and the corruption of the world around them, many Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-davison-hunter/the-tragedy-is-that-in-the-name-of-resisting-the-internal/) [James Davison Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-davison-hunter/) > [Most evangelical Christian conservatives I know would at least be uneasy about the prospect of the government picking up the slack of caring for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/most-evangelical-christian-conservatives-i-know-would-at-least-be/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [“If not prevented, desertification of the world can one day make the camels as the best and the sole cars of our civilisation!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-not-prevented-desertification-of-the-world-can-one-day-make-the/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I have blogged previously about the dangerous and deadly effects of science denialism, from the innocent babies unnecessarily exposed to deadly diseases by other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-r-prothero/i-have-blogged-previously-about-the-dangerous-and-deadly-effects-of/) [Donald R. Prothero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-r-prothero/) > [“Conservatives are correct in pointing out that the anything-goes relativism of the campuses wasn’t sequestered there, but when it flowed out across America, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-andersen/conservatives-are-correct-in-pointing-out-that-the-anything-goes/) [Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-andersen/) > [“Entomologist Dr. Ovid Byron speaking to television journalist, Tina, who says, re: global warming, "Scientists of course are in disagreement about whether this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/entomologist-dr-ovid-byron-speaking-to-television-journalist-tina-who/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [“The world doesn't need another climate summit, the world needs a climate summon.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-world-doesn-t-need-another-climate-summit-the-world-needs-a/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [I think the people running climate change denial campaigns are sociopaths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-lawless/i-think-the-people-running-climate-change-denial-campaigns-are/) [Lucy Lawless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-lawless/) > [“The climate change denial movement—far from an organic convergence of “skeptical” scientists—is entirely a creature of the ideological network on display here, the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/the-climate-change-denial-movement-far-from-an-organic-convergence-of/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [And that is what is behind the abrupt rise in climate change denial among hardcore conservatives: they have come to understand that as soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/and-that-is-what-is-behind-the-abrupt-rise-in-climate-change-denial/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) ## More by Francis Spufford > [If your memory was OK you could descend upon on a bookshop – a big enough one so that the staff wouldn’t hassle a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/if-your-memory-was-ok-you-could-descend-upon-on-a-bookshop-a-big/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [There have been low moments before, but Christianity is an incredibly adaptable organism, using different parts of its repertoire to mutate into new ecological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/there-have-been-low-moments-before-but-christianity-is-an-incredibly/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [“Beyond the breakwater you can no longer touch bottom, but you are not afraid, for in this sea the harder you swim the stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/beyond-the-breakwater-you-can-no-longer-touch-bottom-but-you-are-not/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [Self-awareness is not the same thing as self-approval, any more than imagination is the same thing as day-dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/self-awareness-is-not-the-same-thing-as-self-approval-any-more-than/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [What follows is more about books than it is about me, but nonetheless it is my inward autobiography, for the words we take into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/what-follows-is-more-about-books-than-it-is-about-me-but-nonetheless/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [Despite the best efforts of apologists like William Lane Craig, the 'evidence' for Christianity's truth is, in truth, not the kind that science will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/despite-the-best-efforts-of-apologists-like-william-lane-craig-the/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [“You do not chuse where You bestow your Heart. Your Heart bestows Itself, will-you-nill-you, in the Midst of other Business. —”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/you-do-not-chuse-where-you-bestow-your-heart-your-heart-bestows/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [Anyone can be self-educated if they find the loose end of something to care about passionately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/anyone-can-be-self-educated-if-they-find-the-loose-end-of-something/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [You never came out the way you came in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/you-never-came-out-the-way-you-came-in/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [For a believer, Christian faith is true to the human heart, not in the sense that any old thing we fancy believing in will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/for-a-believer-christian-faith-is-true-to-the-human-heart-not-in-the/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [When I'm tired and therefore indecisive, it can take half an hour to choose the book I am going to have with me while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/when-i-m-tired-and-therefore-indecisive-it-can-take-half-an-hour-to/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [“...what goes on inside believers is mysterious. So far as it can be guessed at - if for some reason you wanted to guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/what-goes-on-inside-believers-is-mysterious-so-far-as-it-can-be/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [I can always tell when you're reading somewhere in the house,' my mother used to say. 'There's a special silence, a reading silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/i-can-always-tell-when-you-re-reading-somewhere-in-the-house-my/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [I think I have made allowances for the kind of despair which would test my faith, but you cannot know in advance what disaster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/i-think-i-have-made-allowances-for-the-kind-of-despair-which-would/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) > [You don't have to become an investment banker as a way of demonstrating that education has worked for you. But librarians have to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-spufford/you-don-t-have-to-become-an-investment-banker-as-a-way-of/) [Francis Spufford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) [Explore all 54 Francis Spufford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-spufford/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Whatever the \"Christian conservatives\" in America say, there is no one set of rightful opinions that follow on automatically from your belief. 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