Sean Speer: Are you a social conservative? You might be surprised

Social conservatives — those who embrace the traditional values of community, family and work — have been done a disservice by some fringe candidates for the leadership of the Conservative party, writes Sean Speer. Getty Images

It's fair to say that a recent series of controversial television interviews by marginal candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada has not served social conservatives very well. And it is that a disproportionate approach to whether homosexuality is an option or if gay conversion therapy is somehow an issue of moral complexity has come to narrowly define conservative social persuasion, reinforce left stereotypes and damage the position of Social conservatives in wider Canadian society.

This being the case, it could be considered that this speaks of a major problem for the conservative social movement in Canada. His critics, the leftist media and his most vehement defenders narrowly defined it as primarily about same-sex marriage and abortion. One can recognize that these are complex issues that involve a collision of competing rights and different visions of morality and still understand that social conservatism is much larger than any individual policy question.

Social conservatism is something bigger

You could say that social conservatism is much bigger than any individual political question.

Modern social conservatism, broadly defined, is basically what might be called “bourgeois virtues.” This refers to a set of institutions, norms, and values, including marriage, paternity, and work, generally associated with human flourishing.

On the other hand, others call them the “sequence of success”, which is the abbreviation of a set of behaviors and lifestyle choices that, in their entirety, function as a “poverty insurance policy”. This is also not simple rhetoric.

Without a doubt, it is really surprising, in fact. Strong and intact families are the most effective tool against poverty we have. The jobs are in second place. Social conservatives understand it instinctively.

It turns out that many would also invariably go back to the notion that they subscribe to social conservatism since it has been narrowly defined in the media and popular culture, the truth is that many live according to the bourgeois virtues Traditional community, family and work.

Source: Sean Speer | National Post