I want to be socially conservative

[CroMagna]

Reading all these books by conservatives is really inspiring. I find I feel really connected to the conservatives that I meet and talk to, from a political and economic standpoint. But I feel like I'm hiding

1. my sexual preference (bisexual)
2. my religion (LaVeyan Satanism)

This is not that difficult, considering that I'm already keeping it from my African family, whom I still live with and see often. Social liberalism is fading into the background. I'm thinking of just abandoning these aspects of my identity and switching to heterosexual (I guess I would still be attracted to women so this is complicated) and switching to either Buddhism or Christianity. I would feel like a full conservative and like a fit in with that group.

This is also important given the fact that I want to live in Brazil soon. Brazil is a socially conservative, third world, Catholic country. Things like that are flatly shunned. I figure if I abandon them I won't feel like I'm hiding it. Then again, maybe I should just keep them, but not say anything like what I'm doing now. Maybe that's not "hiding", maybe that's just not saying anything. Or I could have the courage to be open about them but that doesn't seem commonsensical.

Edit: What if Brazilians aren't like that? What if they're wilder than me? LOL
I like being socially liberal, it's more fun....just wanted to add more confusion.

[lasti]

Hiding a part of oneself is never good. Can't you be comfortable without a label?

[Ontowhere]

Originally Posted by lasti

Hiding a part of oneself is never good. Can't you be comfortable without a label?

My thoughts exactelly!

[CroMagna]

I'm very label-happy. I assume by label you're talking about the conservative box and not the other two.

[Lilith785]

Originally Posted by CroMagna

I like being socially liberal, it's more fun....just wanted to add more confusion.

I'm socially liberal but politically conservative. Can you imagine the conversations that go on in my head. lol. I'm sure you've heard this a million times but "above all, to thine own self be true"

[funchy]

What good is the label if deep down your beliefs are elsewhere?

I'd also be a little careful about taking the "social conservative" mindset hook, line, and sinker. There is an awful lot of strong intolerance, hypocrisy, disrespect for life, sometimes racism/sexism, and plain old general hatred mixed in. I bet if you asked them, the Klu Klux Klan members would say they're conservatives. There are social conservatives who have killed doctors because the doc worked at a family planning clinic that offered abortions. Conservatives value Creationism over science and often vote against helping babies or the poor. Some of them will force their way on the world, even if it means suffering or killing others.

[pyrogen]

CroMagna, are you sure you're not just an objectivist or libertarian??

And you can follow traditional ideas - traditional family structures, et cetera - without being socially conservative. I think we need more terms to add to the confusion. Plenty of 'liberals' are socially traditional in their family structures.

[JaredR]

Do you really want to be conservative, or do you just want to belong?