Are Right Wing Christians from Mars and Left Wing Progressives from Venus? I watch the news, and as a liberal (atheist) progressive I become convinced that all religious people are dogmatic, paranoid, hateful, judging nut jobs. I go home for the holidays and many of my family and their friends are religious and they are not – none of them – dogmatic, paranoid, hateful, judging nut jobs.
So what’s going on here? Do all religious people hate gays, minorities, poor people and people with different or no religion? I don’t think so. It doesn’t fit my personal experience, either in person or in the blogosphere. In fact, I have been really pleasantly surprised that in the few instances I have chosen to engage with religious people while blogging, they are surprisingly reasonable. I blog on issues that are tough for the religious/progressive divide – sex, politics, relationships. These are things that should bring us to blows, yet I have been surprised that when you get past the headlines, there is a surprising amount of agreement.
So, over the next few weeks I am going to unpack this a bit. I am going to choose political, sexual and relationship issues and try to figure out where there can be common ground between the religious right and the progressive left. We really need this discussion.
As a self declared left wing progressive, I very often find myself angry with religious people… at least religious people as they are portrayed in the media.
I am going to start using my blogging forum and the (albeit fairly small) megaphone I have to try to find common ground between these seemingly intractable dichotomies.
Most religious people are pretty darn hateful, prejudiced, and opinionated, while judging and pointing the finger at others; something that Jesus specifically told them not to do!
My experience has been more mixed. I find religious people who get media attention and head religious organizations exactly as you describe. On the other hand, I find many religious ‘normal’ people to be kind, thoughtful and very well intentioned. In my ‘real’ life I’m an environmental activist. Years ago I helped organize a coalition of faith-based organization advocating for progressive climate policy. They were nothing like I thought religious people would be like. They were very Jesus-like
I agree, that’s the same thing I’ve seen.
I agree. I’m would love to see more of this. I’ve been trying to do the same with my work.
I don’t really mind conservatives at all. It’s the extreme conservative that bugs me. (even then I still understand him). I think it would be way smarter to speak their ‘language’ rather than simply say they don’t make any sense. It’s more of a dialogue that way rather than a shouting match.
Could agree more. Have you ever read “don’t think of an elephant”. It is a liberal academic trying to teach progressives how conservatives have been so successful in framing their issues and how liberals should be speaking with them.
You said , “As a self declared left wing progressive, I very often find myself angry with religious people… at least religious people as they are portrayed in the media.” As a self declared Christian, I find myself angry with those same people way more often than with those who believe very differently than I do. I think they often injure and even crush the integrity of the majority. I’m looking forward to your posts.
Great read. I can tell you I used to be a dogmatic judgmental religious person and believed it was my “job” to bring everyone around to my thinking. We were street missionaries when we got married.
Well, did God (because yes I do believe in Him teach me a WHOLE lot) As you have seen from my blog, I was given a child with mental illness that only on rare occasions was controlled and we worked hard to control it. I also have a job that I deal/work with homosexuals, have seen lesbians have babies, have sat with people who aborted their baby they went through fertility for because the baby would not live, have dealt with my childs drug addiction, stealing, bi-sexualness, cross dressing, dating other races etc etc etc. We were judged and made to feel unwelcome from the church’s we belonged to, told our child was a danger or my job was causing me to think wrong because I prayed and cried with those in difficult situations. I talk about my child and many people have opened up about the “skeleton” in their closet and are happy to have someone to share the burden with. The church wanted me to be quite. Sorry can’t do that.
But not the church…it judged and condemned. So, God is still very important in our lives but we do not attend church. I don’t judge, I’ve learned to love and give and help and be friends with a huge diversity of people.
We are in the lifestyle, and I swear I have met more “real” Christians than I ever met at church. The most non judging open minded but helpful and ask for prayer and give prayer type people than any church we ever attended.
LOL, being very religious, I’m looking forward to your next posts!