I leaned what it is from my grandpa, not a history book. He was tolerant and treated it as the root word suggests. Most of those in the US today could not care less about your take on it. If you trace any word back in time you will arrive at a point where the meaning was different. I trouble myself with the now and care not for the use of it in the distant past. You case case in point for what I wrote above. Quit calling them that and give them a more accurate and less flattering description. Regressive has no positive qualities. Where conservative does in the modern definition.

The problem with using the word conservative these days leaves out there used to be differnt types.

I'm fiscally conservative, I spend money on what is of use to me and try not to waste it on useless frills, such as alcohol or drugs or expensive essentials.

I materially conservative. My car is sixteen years old and well maintained. My phone is seven years old. It replaced one that went out after eleven years.

I am morally conservative. That word doesn't mean what haters think it means. A moral cannot be negative to others. A moral that involves hate or judgment are no moral at all. They are simply hate in the form of bigotry and racism.

Finally I would consider myself socially liberal. I don't feel any conflict between these outlooks.

These have nothing to to with religion in any way. They have through the simplification of the word been thrown into the fire with these people who do not embody is real conservative values. They use the word as a cover for their hate. They are regressive. throwbacks who pine for some imagined past.

My manager considers himself conservative, yet when I push him on things regarding social welfare, corporate regulations, etc... He espouses liberal or even sometimes leftist views.

It is odd lol.