Contrary to what many think, Marion Maddox, writing in the Herald, pointed out that the real passion for those values that the left wing of politics is supposed to espouse has in actual fact been most evident in the lives of conservative, evangelical Christians. They spearheaded the anti-slavery movement, campaigned for prison reform, fought for women’s suffrage and were instrumental in the recognition of Australian native title. She quotes sociologist Hans Mol, who found in successive studies that in addition to being more conservative on things like law and order, marriage and abortion, practising Christians are less likely to support racist policies, oppose humane treatment of refugees or deride the unemployed as dole bludgers.
Passion for values, you see, comes more from faith than from politics.