Is the Difference between Liberals and Fundamentalists a class issue?

[Waiting for the Verdict]

I've been reading some of Perretti's paranoid stuff, and it made me think about how class effects religous beliefs. I'm not saying all fundies are lower class, or all liberals are upper class, but it does seem that this could be a causal factor for the religous warfare between our two groups. For instance, think of the major liberal congregations....Unitarians, Congregationalists, Quakers, Episcopilians. Most are centered in the east, where the old money is. And generally, rightly or wrongly, they have been associated with old money. Of the evangelical denominations, only the OPC and Presbyterian America churches have that reputation and they are pretty small branches of evangelicalism/. Of course, this breakdown isn't perfect. The United Methodist Church is considered mainline, yet Methodists were historically a poor group.

What do you think? Do you have any stats on this? And if I'm right, what does that imply about how Christianity operates in America. Even if libbers aren't richer, the perception that they are might fuel class warfare between fundies and liberals.

 

[FLANDIDLYANDERS]

It's ironic that while the thread was opening... I was automatically thinking you were gonna say the opposite::: cos I'm poor and Liberal where as the rich peeps seem to be to be more fundie! Not that such terms are so well applied here in the UK.

 

[Waiting for the Verdict]

It's ironic that while the thread was opening... I was automatically thinking you were gonna say the opposite::: cos I'm poor and Liberal where as the rich peeps seem to be to be more fundie! Not that such terms are so well applied here in the UK.

Yea, I think this applies more in the U.S. than the U.K. I don't think you could make this generalization for the U.K>

 

[Athene]

It really comes down to educational level achieved, to me fundamentalists generally seem to be less well educated then other christians belonging to different groups. Or maybe I'm being a bigotted, prejudiced snob, you tell me.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

It really comes down to educational level achieved, to me fundamentalists generally seem to be less well educated then other christians belonging to different groups. Or maybe I'm being a bigotted, prejudiced snob, you tell me.

I just love when people tell me I am less well educated because I don't agree with them. I guess college was worthless since it didn't make me more liberal.

 

[ottaia]

I just love when people tell me I am less well educated because I don't agree with them. I guess college was worthless since it didn't make me more liberal.

What bothers me is that I do have the education and have people tell me that I am totally wrong and not give a valid reason.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

What bothers me is that I do have the education and have people tell me that I am totally wrong and not give a valid reason.

I actually started a poll once about what education level the christians here were. It was moved and deleted eventually but most are at least Bachler's level. Not that education is the end all be all but I think it's funny that atheist and liberals use this as a litmus test while complaining on how the less educated are treated. I don't think they know what they want sometimes.

 

[Athene]

I just love when people tell me I am less well educated because I don't agree with them. I guess college was worthless since it didn't make me more liberal.

I didn't realise we'd been having a disagreement, I normally keep track of things like that. . . .

The very nature of fundamentalism is to be intolerant of beliefs different to their own, I associate this kind of extreme intolerance with lack of education.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

I didn't realise we'd been having a disagreement, I normally keep track of things like that. . . .

The very nature of fundamentalism is to be intolerant of beliefs different to their own, I associate this kind of extreme intolerance with lack of education.

Let's see you said fundamentalist are uneducated. I explained I have a college degree. What part did you find offensive? That your general attitude towards those you don't agree with are uneducated and stupid or that you obviously have the intolerance you find so unacceptable.

 

[Athene]

Let's see you said fundamentalist are uneducated. I explained I have a college degree. What part did you find offensive? That your general attitude towards those you don't agree with are uneducated and stupid or that you obviously have the intolerance you find so unacceptable.

First of all, I said 'to me' meaning in my opinion, fundamentalists are 'generally' uneducated, (implies that this is not always the case)

You're putting words in my mouth, I don't like that, and you can't assess my general attitude from a few posts. If you really want to know my general attitude to fundamentalists, it is bemused bewilderment.

If you want to prove me wrong do so, but by acting so aggressively you are shooting yourself in the foot.

 

[UberLutheran]

I just love when people tell me I am less well educated because I don't agree with them. I guess college was worthless since it didn't make me more liberal.

Well, I'm sure there's still time to pursue a graduate degree or perhaps a second bachelor's degree.

Here -- have some liberal cooties...

(JUST KIDDING!!!)

 

[tulc]

I guess college was worthless since it didn't make me more liberal.

Well....you might want to ask for some of your money back!
tulc(did they teach you how to live on ramen soup? because that to me would be worth the price of admission!)

 

[UberLutheran]

Considering the churches where I live:

My parish is as middle-class/working class as they come, but it has historically been a socially and politically liberal Lutheran parish. (So are the other five Lutheran churches with which we work and share resources.)

First United Methodist, near the Capitol, is very much an "old money" church. It was the church that George Bush attended before he became President.

Hyde Park Baptist is very much an "old money" church, but it is VERY conservative.

Riverbend Baptist is very progressive and very, very wealthy (and has several thousand members).

St. Matthew's Episcopal is an "old money" church, very wealthy, and also conservative.

St. David's Episcopal and St. Martin's Lutheran are huge "old money" churches but quite liberal.

University Baptist is also an "old money" church and one of the most progressive churches of any type in the city.

Trinity United Methodist and Grace United Methodist are older churches, very much middle and working class, and very liberal.

St. Mary's Cathedral (Catholic) is old money, liberal and progressive; but St. Louis Catholic is very wealthy and very conservative (and also the largest church in Austin). St. Ed's is rather poor but extremely progressive; St. Ignatius is well-off and conservative; and San Jose is very poor but progressive (These churches are all within one square mile of each other.)

Granted, Austin is not the entire country -- but I don't think a correlation can be made for fundamentalist/liberal or conservative/progressive tied to wealth or education.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

First of all, I said 'to me' meaning in my opinion, fundamentalists are 'generally' uneducated, (implies that this is not always the case)

You're putting words in my mouth, I don't like that, and you can't assess my general attitude from a few posts. If you really want to know my general attitude to fundamentalists, it is bemused bewilderment.

If you want to prove me wrong do so, but by acting so aggressively you are shooting yourself in the foot.

There your comments not mine.

 

[NothingButTheBlood]

Well....you might want to ask for some of your money back!
tulc(did they teach you how to live on ramen soup? because that to me would be worth the price of admission!)

My education was worth every penny thanks.

 

[BarbB]

It really comes down to educational level achieved, to me fundamentalists generally seem to be less well educated then other christians belonging to different groups. Or maybe I'm being a bigotted, prejudiced snob, you tell me.

I'm pretty fundie and I have a college degree.

 

[ottaia]

I am not sure it is education so much as the type of education. If I went to the local Assembly of God Bible College, I am sure my theology would be differnt than the theology I learned in an ELCA seminary.

 

[BarbB]

...The very nature of fundamentalism is to be intolerant of beliefs different to their own, I associate this kind of extreme intolerance with lack of education.

Not at all - rather the liberal's view of the very nature of fundamentalism is to be intolerant of beliefs different to their own.

 

[ottaia]

I'm pretty fundie and I have a college degree.

I think it is more than just having a college degree. A MBA, IMO, isn't going to move you toward the liberal end of things. A MSW just might.

 

[ottaia]

Not at all - rather the liberal's view of the very nature of fundamentalism is to be intolerant of beliefs different to their own.

Granted, we are dealing with a microcosm here, but I have not found fundimenatlist to be very tolerant of anything except their own pov.