Does bigot work?
Read what Hemant Mehta has to say at Patheos about the whole Chick-fil-A conflab:
Is bigot too strong of a word? It doesn’t matter. The hurt feeling you have when you get called a mean name pales in comparison to the hurt the LGBT community feels when you strip their rights away.
(Plus, you know, I said the word “bigot” with a smile.)
No one should be tolerant of intolerance — and that’s a game Christians love to play (“Well, you’re just intolerant of our religious beliefs!”)… but no one’s taking away their rights. No one’s forcing gay marriage in their church. No one’s asking them to attend a gay wedding against their will. (Let’s face it; they weren’t invited in the first place.)
And thanks, Jac, for the link.
“Social Conservative” is the politically correct term for bigot.
Remember “Some of my best friends are Negroes”?
The more things change the more they remain the same.
“No one should be tolerant of intolerance…”
That’s old school.
Wait. This has been around since 1965? I just started to read it and thought, “Man, this is good.” Will finish it later. Thanks for the link, Leftover.
The Frankfurt School of Critical Theory can sometimes play rather fast and loose with things like Marxism and Liberal Democracy…so prepare to get confused.
Marcuse advocates for “apparently undemocratic means” to counter “organized repression and indoctrination” including “the withdrawal of toleration of speech and assembly from groups and movements which promote aggressive policies, armament, chauvinism, discrimination on the grounds of race and religion, or which oppose the extension of public services, social security, medical care, etc.” This, of course, might seem contradictory to contemporary liberal notions of “absolute tolerance” and “free speech.”
But it’s still a good read…keep in mind it was the 60s…and he does raise many interesting questions.
The more contemporary Stanley Fish approach might be easier to grasp. A little more wordy though. But worth the time.
Your comment makes me feel the same way I felt in college, when I’d wake with a start in a military sociology class and barely keep myself from saying out loud, frantically, “What did I miss? What did I miss?”
Asking “What did I miss?” is a key component of Critical Theory.
So you’re right on track.
Now if I could just stop the napping thing, I’d be golden.
A Philosophy of Sleep.
And…
Power Napping.
Man, you’re just full of…information today. Thankee!
I am just full of it…
always…
Today it’s the coffee thing. I’m celeslurping Democracy.
Stealing that, “celeslurping.”
Politics doesn’t belong in the workplace. Masking the issue as Civil Rights or Religious Liberty doesn’t change the issue: the workplace is subject to current legislation and should be neutral. Lobby, donate, organize, preach–but do it outside of the workplace.
Chick-a-Fil is a drop in the bucket if LGBT issues become workplace issues. England had this problem in the 70s with fascists from the Left and Right facing off at work with the center moderates looking the other way at the violence incited by activist/militants. Keep the Christian bashing and gay bashing as a home hobby.
“Keep the Christian bashing …”
Is it Christian-bashing when you object to the way some Christians interact with the larger world?
Nope. It isn’t. It is, instead, striving for quality control.
I think gay “bashing” and Christian “bashing” are two entirely separate kinds of things because the motivations for them are entirely different.
People seem to bash gays because they somehow can’t stand gay people and attack them for BEING gay, possibly because they are gay themselves but are passing for straight, and openly gay people make them uncomfortable with their own hypocrisy.
But I agree with Susan that Christian bashing is a form of quality control. People don’t attack Christians for BEING Christian. People attack purported Christians for CLAIMING to be Christian while not ACTING Christian.
For example, is it Christian “bashing” to go after Rick Perry for his massively public football stadium evangelical pray-in? Not at all. It is simply reminding him what Jesus himself said in Matthew 6:5-6 about public prayer and pointing out that what he did is hypocritical and isn’t very Christian at all.
Is it Christian “bashing” to go after Paul Ryan on religious grounds for his budget proposal that would reduce the social safety net and greatly increase the burdens on those least able to afford it? Not at all. It is simply reminding him how un-Christian it is to take positions that harm the poor, elderly, sick, infirm and disadvantaged.
So, yeah, I’ve never before seen anybody categorize Christian bashing as striving for quality control, but I think that is exactly correct. Good on you, Susan.
Thank you.
Signed,
Susan C.
An admittedly half-ass Christian, but at least I’ve read The Book.
I don’t think you are a half-assed Christian at all. You simply are acknowledging that you don’t know everything. Which is rather smart, actually.
The “gods,” from the Greek gods to the Roman gods to the Christian God ALL have said that humans are fallible and they have struck down those who were prideful. And they all have said that humans who think they are perfect and better than everybody else are wrong.
Susan, I’m pretty sure that when you get to the Pearly Gates, God is gonna welcome you with open arms, saying something like “Welcome! I’ve been looking for more folks who can help me explain why I smite the hypocrites!”
You dated Jesus. One hell of a good book.
Very kind. Now be sure to tell everyone this wasn’t a paid announcement.
Clearly, it wasn’t a paid announcement. Those paid vacations don’t count, right? Kidding, pants on fire, and all that.
But you did write that book, Dating Jesus, and it is damn good. Reading it was a real treat. Does THAT count as payment?
Nah, I don’t think so, because you sent the book out into the reader-sphere with nothing but the hope that folks would read it.
I do know something about writing, though, and I have this comment to offer. If you write about what you know about and are passionate about? It will be good. You have that gift.