GOP Urged to Abandon "Social Conservatism"

"Social Conservatism" has become the metaphor for "Christianity".  The Left says that religion is now irrelevant, and are convinced that as long as Republicans continue to support the Christian agenda, they'll never win national races again.  Many establishment Republicans agree with them.  With Mitt Romney's narrow loss this year, the Left, the GOP Establishment, and the Media are piling on the party to abandon the "Religious Right".

Interestingly, their argument is based on inflated themes on irrelevant questions.  Mitt Romney was in part a victim of collateral damage when Senate candidates from Missouri and Indiana made some unfortunate blunders when answering "gotcha" questions about abortion.  Both made statements about strongly-held beliefs that innocent human life should be protected that were distorted by Democrats to make them seem ignorant and out of touch.

Another common "gotcha" question that's a media favorite against Republicans is the one about the age of Planet Earth.  Bible Literalists believe the earth's between 6 and 7 thousand years old, because that's what the Bible suggests in Genesis.  The Left loves it when they get a conservative Christian to admit to holding something akin to that belief, because they can proceed to use it to bludgeon the entire party with the charge that they're flat earthers who ignore science.

My perspective is that Conservatives need to blunt all these attacks on their faith by refusing to play the game.  I'd parry their "gotcha" questions like this:

"You don't have to be a religious person to understand that abortion is the willful execution of a human being.  Why punish the innocent baby for the sins of her parents?"

"I don't know how old the earth is, I wasn't there.  Why ask an irrelevant question about ancient history when there are so many substantive questions about here and now that need to be discussed?"

"It is an established fact that children raised in intact families with a mother and father who are responsible adults committed to each other are much more successful than children raised in single parent households.  You don't have to be religious to acknowledge the societal benefits that result from a country that values families."

My advice to the GOP is don't abandon your Christian base and traditional values.  Embrace us and be smart about your message and you will win.