Someone pointed out my blogs are bare, so here's something I posted back a couple weeks ago on Myspace, the replies there were scant but interesting. So here it is.
.. a dangerous past time, I know. At some point in my deconversion from fundamentalist Christianity I had to come to grips with the word liberal, and the word evil not being synonymous. I can't say I was raised to think so, like many people I met while in Fundamental Christianity or many I have met since leaving. No, I was not taught liberals were evil, perse, by my family. My parents are not at all religious, but they were conservatives that believe liberals are at best misguided. So it came as a shock to me when I started hearing people, Christian people, seemingly devout Christian people talking about liberalism as a good thing, or at least benign. The thing is, now, I will say I do not have a problem with people of any faith, creed, religion or personal deity relationship. No, be a Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jew, Pagan, whatever, just don't be a fundie. "Fundies are the problem" I say, "it's not Christians I don't like, no it's fundamentalists." Thing is I've been thinking about that too. Fanaticism is bad, I really believe it is, but, can I say all fundamentalists are bad people? Would it be right to hate "those people" ? I'm not sure. I was one, I knew, and know a lot of people who see themselves as fundies, some, yes are hateful, damaging people. Can I lump all fundamentalists in that boat though? Even with fundamentalist I am not in the habit of saying I hate, and I no longer, in any serious manner, use the label evil, I don't really believe in "evil" exactly. I have though, painted fundamentalists in some rather unpleasant lights, and I've used a broad brush to do so. Is that just as wrong as when I was a sold out for Christ fundamentalists and I called liberalism evil? Is it fair? I don't have any answers, just questions and meanderings.
Have a spiffy day.
Purple
For me, religious discussion is more about the fun of dissecting ideas than anything else. Frankly, I don't care if people are religious or not, other than the ramifications such belief has concerning my main interest, antinatalism. Religion has both good and bad social influence, I think. Same with political parties. Even though I'd probably be deemed a liberal in some aspects of my thinking, I find a lot of dishonest thinking and rhetoric in the so-called liberal agenda.
ReplyDeleteHey, you posted! Good deal!
Okay, but in both religion and politics who's having the "bad" influence? I know in politics it comes from both ends, conservitive and liberal. With religion are fundamental beliefs salvageable? Not that I'm going to convert back any time soon mind you.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, with religion, that there are a lot of "good" influances on the part of fanatics, if any. Are all fundies fanatics though? Some are even self described fanatics. As I said I don't really have any answers to this. I may be changing some of my thinking though.