Why are fundies so tone deaf?

[DowntownAbbey]

I just read something about how conservatives have higher levels of fear about life in general than moderates and liberals do. (Can't remember where, dammit.) perhaps fearfulness leads people to follow belief systems that deal in moral absolutes: "Follow all our rules, and you'll have nothing to worry about!"

A professor once told me that "conservatism begins with a sense of loss." A lot of conservative and fundie talking points make a lot of sense with that in mind.

[YoshiCat]

I think they think that everyone knows deep down that their way is the right way. Obviously everyone should live a God-centered life the way they do. It's just that they're strong and moral enough to actually do it, the rest of us are weak and give in to temptation. So everything they say/do is correct, as they're guided by God. It doesn't matter how the non-fundies react, because we're heathens who give in to sin.

My husband has a cousin who is a Catholic fundie, follows all Catholic doctrine 100%. So I was talking to her in the foolish hope that she might come to understand why other people find birth control necessary. Her response was always along the lines of holding people to "the standard," not lowering "the standard" because people find it difficult to live up to it. Note the assumption that everyone shares her belief in what "the standard" should be (no sex before marriage, sex within marriage only if you're willing to accept pregnancy).

She was truly shocked when I said that she didn't get to declare a "standard" for everyone and that I don't think there's anything wrong with pre-marital sex. I think it had truly never occurred to her that anyone thought that way.

When you're that certain that everyone shares your beliefs even if they can't live up to them, then you're not going to see tone-deafness or anything wrong with anything you say.