"Liberals" And Hatred Towards Christianity

[Geoist]

The Week had an interesting article about the attitudes of many liberals towards Christians. As a liberal, I understand the general animosity towards the Religious Right and their attempts to force everyone to conform to their social/moral standards. But, as a Christian, I do not understand the general hatred towards normal people of faith by so-called "liberals." Damon Linker posted one example:

In a widely discussed essay in Slate, author Brian Palmer writes about the prevalence of missionary doctors and nurses in Africa and their crucial role in treating those suffering from Ebola. Palmer tries to be fair-minded, but he nonetheless expresses "ambivalence," "suspicion," and "visceral discomfort" about the fact that these men and women are motivated to make "long-term commitments to address the health problems of poor Africans," to "risk their lives," and to accept poor compensation (and sometimes none at all) because of their Christian faith.

The question is why he considers this a problem.

Palmer mentions a lack of data and an absence of regulatory oversight. But he's honest enough to admit that these aren't the real reasons for his concern. The real reason is that he doesn't believe that missionaries are capable "of separating their religious work from their medical work," even when they vow not to proselytize their patients. And that, in his view, is unacceptable — apparently because he's an atheist and religion creeps him out. As he puts it, rather wanly, "It's great that these people are doing God's work, but do they have to talk about Him so much?"

That overriding distaste for religion leads Palmer to propose a radical corollary to the classical liberal ideal of a separation between church and state — one that goes far beyond politics, narrowly construed. Palmer thinks it's necessary to uphold a separation of "religion and health care."


Why do so many liberals despise Christianity? - The Week

Palmer is perfectly free to express his feelings towards Christianity or any other faith, but to wish for a ban on evangelism sets a terrible precedent.

 

[Reformedfindlay]

The Week had an interesting article about the attitudes of many liberals towards Christians. As a liberal, I understand the general animosity towards the Religious Right and their attempts to force everyone to conform to their social/moral standards. But, as a Christian, I do not understand the general hatred towards Christianity by so-called "liberals." Damon Linker posted one example:

In a widely discussed essay in Slate, author Brian Palmer writes about the prevalence of missionary doctors and nurses in Africa and their crucial role in treating those suffering from Ebola. Palmer tries to be fair-minded, but he nonetheless expresses "ambivalence," "suspicion," and "visceral discomfort" about the fact that these men and women are motivated to make "long-term commitments to address the health problems of poor Africans," to "risk their lives," and to accept poor compensation (and sometimes none at all) because of their Christian faith.

The question is why he considers this a problem.

Palmer mentions a lack of data and an absence of regulatory oversight. But he's honest enough to admit that these aren't the real reasons for his concern. The real reason is that he doesn't believe that missionaries are capable "of separating their religious work from their medical work," even when they vow not to proselytize their patients. And that, in his view, is unacceptable — apparently because he's an atheist and religion creeps him out. As he puts it, rather wanly, "It's great that these people are doing God's work, but do they have to talk about Him so much?"

That overriding distaste for religion leads Palmer to propose a radical corollary to the classical liberal ideal of a separation between church and state — one that goes far beyond politics, narrowly construed. Palmer thinks it's necessary to uphold a separation of "religion and health care."


Why do so many liberals despise Christianity? - The Week

Palmer is perfectly free to express his feelings towards Christianity or any other faith, but to wish for a ban on evangelism sets a terrible precedent.

I do not have a general hatred towards Christians.

In fact, on this very thread numerous times in the past I have defended the Jesuits (A well known and admired sect of Christianity) vigorously, admiring their dedication to educating the world rather than chanting songs (which to me, educating and securing people's futures is a ten times more co-memorable act than chanting some hymns and calling it a Sunday).

Some liberals might hate Christianity, but I'm pretty sure that the cause for that is not simply because they are liberal.

 

[Northern Light]

Liberals don't hate Christianity, they hate demagogues and dogmatists, just as conservatives do. You don't see anti-Christian rallies happening in most parts of the world, just in America where Christianity has industrialized its creepy American Jesus to shame and guilt people into giving up their money so that the megachurches can influence politics.

There are plenty of cool Christians around who understand the original loving message of Jesus just fine.

 

[Gathomas88]

The Week had an interesting article about the attitudes of many liberals towards Christians. As a liberal, I understand the general animosity towards the Religious Right and their attempts to force everyone to conform to their social/moral standards.

This is more or less precisely what the modern Left is attempting to do as well, so it would seem that you have answered your own question.

Many Liberals, and dogmatic Left Wingers in general, hate the religious for basically no other reason than that they are "different," and refuse to conform to the social and moral standards that the Left advocates.

The "us vs them" mentality is simply human nature.

 

[brothern]

The Week had an interesting article about the attitudes of many liberals towards Christians. As a liberal, I understand the general animosity towards the Religious Right and their attempts to force everyone to conform to their social/moral standards. But, as a Christian, I do not understand the general hatred towards normal people of faith by so-called "liberals."

Let me take a stab. Evangelicals are fanatically opposed to abortion and physician-assisted suicide, while simultaneously are the largest supporters the death penalty and large-scale military interventions (Iraq, Iran, ISIS, etc.) of any other religious denomination (outside of perhaps Mormons) in America. By margins that are hovering anywhere from 70-30 to 80-20. They're 15-20% of the voting public, which praise FSM they don't have more numbers. Or, I guess, are evangelicals not normal people of faith?

In regards to Africa, what aggravates me is that it has been the dumping ground of Christian and Islamic extremism. For example the animus towards LGBTs in Africa has largely been inspired by those two religions. What's worse is that those two split Africa straight in half just north of the equator. Which is why you have the Christian vs Islamic violence in countries like Nigeria and the Central African Republic, as that division runs through the middle of those two countries. The world would be a much better place if those two ideologies could be contained or reconciled, and not be further provoked by intervention of the Western or Arabic worlds.

 

[US Conservative]

The Week had an interesting article about the attitudes of many liberals towards Christians. As a liberal, I understand the general animosity towards the Religious Right and their attempts to force everyone to conform to their social/moral standards. But, as a Christian, I do not understand the general hatred towards normal people of faith by so-called "liberals." Damon Linker posted one example:

In a widely discussed essay in Slate, author Brian Palmer writes about the prevalence of missionary doctors and nurses in Africa and their crucial role in treating those suffering from Ebola. Palmer tries to be fair-minded, but he nonetheless expresses "ambivalence," "suspicion," and "visceral discomfort" about the fact that these men and women are motivated to make "long-term commitments to address the health problems of poor Africans," to "risk their lives," and to accept poor compensation (and sometimes none at all) because of their Christian faith.

The question is why he considers this a problem.

Palmer mentions a lack of data and an absence of regulatory oversight. But he's honest enough to admit that these aren't the real reasons for his concern. The real reason is that he doesn't believe that missionaries are capable "of separating their religious work from their medical work," even when they vow not to proselytize their patients. And that, in his view, is unacceptable — apparently because he's an atheist and religion creeps him out. As he puts it, rather wanly, "It's great that these people are doing God's work, but do they have to talk about Him so much?"

That overriding distaste for religion leads Palmer to propose a radical corollary to the classical liberal ideal of a separation between church and state — one that goes far beyond politics, narrowly construed. Palmer thinks it's necessary to uphold a separation of "religion and health care."


Why do so many liberals despise Christianity? - The Week

Palmer is perfectly free to express his feelings towards Christianity or any other faith, but to wish for a ban on evangelism sets a terrible precedent.

Many liberals are statists at the least, and often marxists-religion is a direct competitor.

Particularly ironic is their stated resentment of others imposing morality on others while they do just that. Orwell would be proud.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

This is more or less precisely what the modern Left is attempting to do as well, so it would seem that you have answered your own question.

Many Liberals, and dogmatic Left Wingers in general, hate the religious for basically no other reason than that they are "different," and refuse to conform to the [lack of] social and moral standards that the Left advocates.

The "us vs them" mentality is simply human nature.

Fixed it for you.

For whatever reason, those on the wrong have come to utterly despise the moral values that, regardless of any religious influence or lack thereof, have underpinned every stable human society in history. And along with that, they hate any person or group who dares to stand up for these moral values.

For some reason, it is Christianity that has come to be most associated with these values, and so it is Christianity, in general that draws so much of the hatred from the wrong.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

Many liberals are statists at the least, and often marxists-religion is a direct competitor.

Particularly ironic is their stated resentment of others imposing morality on others while they do just that. Orwell would be proud.

A generation ago, the cry of the wicked was “Don't force your morality on me!”. Now that these same wicked have gained so much power as a result of their alliance with the political wrong-wing, they now happily use this power to force their immorality on others.

 

[Dragonfly]

Are not the majority of "liberals" in the USofA also "Christian"? = thread fail :roll:

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

Fixed it for you.

For whatever reason, those on the wrong have come to utterly despise the moral values that, regardless of any religious influence or lack thereof, have underpinned every stable human society in history. And along with that, they hate any person or group who dares to stand up for these moral values.

For some reason, it is Christianity that has come to be most associated with these values, and so it is Christianity, in general that draws so much of the hatred from the wrong.

This post, is of course, ignorant, overgeneralizes, and takes a moral absolutist position, a position that has no basis in reality. Anyone from either side of the aisle who is able to think objectively, does not "hate" anyone religious. What they object to is authoritarian evangelicals who believe that they can dictate how others should think and behave and who believe that their moral values are THE moral values. Since we know that morality is relative, it is these evangelicals, ignorant of this fact, who receive the derision. Their morality is, in fact, irrelevant to anyone other than themselves, and their authoritarian position are rejected by anyone who accepts the democratic nature of our government/society. The hatred is found in these evangelicals, but that hatred is based on fear and ignorance.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

A generation ago, the cry of the wicked was “Don't force your morality on me!”. Now that these same wicked have gained so much power as a result of their alliance with the political wrong-wing, they now happily use this power to force their immorality on others.

No Bob, no one forces morality on anyone. The problem that the wrong wingers... your side of the aisle just can't handle the fact the others reject your wrong view and understand that morality is relative... a concept that always seems to elude you.

 

[US Conservative]

A generation ago, the cry of the wicked was “Don't force your morality on me!”. Now that these same wicked have gained so much power as a result of their alliance with the political wrong-wing, they now happily use this power to force their immorality on others.

Agreed. The left has no moral high ground, and never has.

 

[US Conservative]

No Bob, no one forces morality on anyone. The problem that the wrong wingers... your side of the aisle just can't handle the fact the others reject your wrong view and understand that morality is relative... a concept that always seems to elude you.

Your assessment is again flawed. Flawed and tired.

 

[Dragonfly]

Agreed. The left has no moral high ground, and never has.

Neither does "the right".

There is no morality in current state US Politics. None.

 

[Bob Blaylock]

Re: "Liberals" And Hatred Towards Morality and Those who Stand For It

Your assessment is again flawed. Flawed and tired.

Neither does "the right".

There is no morality in current state US Politics. None.

 

[Dragonfly]

Re: "Liberals" And Hatred Towards Morality and Those who Stand For It

No hypocrisy at all. As I stated in a different thread.

One party is lying crooks, the other party is crooked liars.

Both are flawed to the very core. Both.

 

[Kobie]

And yet another thread turns into an opportunity for Blaylock and US Conservative to soapbox about how terrible "the left" is. Color me unimpressed.

 

[Dragonfly]

So back to the topic at hand.

Aren't most liberals, in the USofA, Christians as well?

 

[Gathomas88]

Are not the majority of "liberals" in the USofA also "Christian"? = thread fail :roll:

In name only, by and large.

 

[Dragonfly]

In name only, by and large.

Almost all "christians" ,regardless of political lean, are christians in name only.
Very few do not simply pick and chose which parts to follow and which parts to ignore.

 

[Reformedfindlay]

This is more or less precisely what the modern Left is attempting to do as well, so it would seem that you have answered your own question.

Many Liberals, and dogmatic Left Wingers in general, hate the religious for basically no other reason than that they are "different," and refuse to conform to the social and moral standards that the Left advocates.

The "us vs them" mentality is simply human nature.

:roll:

 

[Reformedfindlay]

And yet another thread turns into an opportunity for Blaylock and US Conservative to soapbox about how terrible "the left" is. Color me unimpressed.

Don't forget Gathomas, he's going a little under lately with the irrational anti-liberal propoganda.

 

[RGacky3]

Many liberals are statists at the least, and often marxists-religion is a direct competitor.

Particularly ironic is their stated resentment of others imposing morality on others while they do just that. Orwell would be proud.

You do know that George Orwell was a Socialist and an Anarchist right?

 

[RGacky3]

This is more or less precisely what the modern Left is attempting to do as well, so it would seem that you have answered your own question.

Many Liberals, and dogmatic Left Wingers in general, hate the religious for basically no other reason than that they are "different," and refuse to conform to the social and moral standards that the Left advocates.

The "us vs them" mentality is simply human nature.

Atheists ... of ALL stripes, hate religion.

However I'd say the Group that ACTUALLY undermines religious faith are the corporatists and neo-liberals that want to commoditize everything, and hand everything over the the market/plutocrats.

That being said.

It's not just "liberals" ... it's atheists.

In the US the "liberals" tend to be atheists. In other countries the left tends to be more religious (take latin America for example).

 

[countryboy]

I do not have a general hatred towards Christians.

In fact, on this very thread numerous times in the past I have defended the Jesuits (A well known and admired sect of Christianity) vigorously, admiring their dedication to educating the world rather than chanting songs (which to me, educating and securing people's futures is a ten times more co-memorable act than chanting some hymns and calling it a Sunday).

Some liberals might hate Christianity, but I'm pretty sure that the cause for that is not simply because they are liberal.

I see, you don't hate Christians, yet you deride Christians who don't worship in a way you approve of. Got it.

BTW, FYI, Jesuits are Catholics. Catholics do a lot of chanting and singing of hymns. I guess those Jesuit educators didn't get to you.