What is the nature of Conservatism

[Szdfan]

How would any conferences know? Has any conference ever surveyed its members on their political leanings? I frankly doubt it.

That's the question. But they're more likely to know than we randos here.

I suspect the answer is that most congregations are more or less a reflection of their communities.

A MCUSA church in Portland OR or Denver CO is going to have a more liberal membership than one in Belleville PA or rural Kansas. And their voting patterns probably more or less reflect those of the communities and precincts in which they are located.

I think that's true. That's been one of the tensions in the Mountain States Conference between the urban churches on the Front Range and the more rural congregations.

[Ernie]

I understand that denominations don't vote. I'm trying to get info about individuals.

Of Anabaptists in the US and Canada who are ok with women pastors... What rough percentage guestimate do you have for...

A. those who are ok with Christians practicing a LGBTQ lifestyle?
B. those who are big on social justice and weaker on verbally proclaiming the Gospel and at least a bit wobbly on scriptural authority?
C. those who lean left, aren't caught up in social justice agendas, and "mostly just care about specific bread and butter issues like healthcare or education"?
D. those who consider themselves conservative, whether that be political, ideological, or religious conservatism?

[Ken]

I understand that denominations don't vote. I'm trying to get info about individuals.

Of Anabaptists in the US and Canada who are ok with women pastors... What rough percentage guestimate do you have for...

A. those who are ok with Christians practicing a LGBTQ lifestyle?
B. those who are big on social justice and weaker on verbally proclaiming the Gospel and at least a bit wobbly on scriptural authority?
C. those who lean left, aren't caught up in social justice agendas, and "mostly just care about specific bread and butter issues like healthcare or education"?
D. those who consider themselves conservative, whether that be political, ideological, or religious conservatism?

What exactly is it that you are trying to uncover? Or what is your thesis? That acceptance of women pastors is some sort of slippery slope away from other beliefs that conservative Anabaptists hold dear?

[Ernie]

I understand that denominations don't vote. I'm trying to get info about individuals.

Of Anabaptists in the US and Canada who are ok with women pastors... What rough percentage guestimate do you have for...

A. those who are ok with Christians practicing a LGBTQ lifestyle?
B. those who are big on social justice and weaker on verbally proclaiming the Gospel and at least a bit wobbly on scriptural authority?
C. those who lean left, aren't caught up in social justice agendas, and "mostly just care about specific bread and butter issues like healthcare or education"?
D. those who consider themselves conservative, whether that be political, ideological, or religious conservatism?

What exactly is it that you are trying to uncover? Or what is your thesis? That acceptance of women pastors is some sort of slippery slope away from other beliefs that conservative Anabaptists hold dear?

I have no thesis nor agenda. I'm a curious person, a homegrown sociologist who likes to learn.

In real life, I regularly interact with some people who don't answer my questions because they assume I want to know something different from what I asked. I need to assure them that the only reason I am asking the question is because I am a curious person. Once they understand this, they are glad to answer my question.
God made us all different and I figure there are times and places in which the world maybe needs people who answer a different question than what was asked. Perhaps when they ask a question, they normally have an agenda behind their question so they assume everyone else does as well.
But when I ask a question, I am just trying to learn. If I have an agenda or a hypothesis I am working on, I generally lay that out when I ask the question.

In real life, I am energized when interacting with people who are also curious. This past weekend a single lady from China who is not a believer was plying me with all sorts of questions about parenting, and how mature, kind, helpful, and social teenagers are raised. She doesn't have a family and isn't hoping to have one at this point, but she is just a curious kind of person who wonders what makes the world go around. I connect with such people.

I am not familiar with current mainstream/mainline Anabaptist life and thought among those who are ok with women pastors. I'm wondering what the percentages look like among this particular demographic. Once I get some information, I may have more questions, or I may conclude that there is nothing here worth noting and will be ready to move on to learning something else.