The Christian Right is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion

[timothyu]

So are war and capital punishment but those don’t get nearly the attention abortion seems to get from the pro-life crowd.

There was a time when 'left; meant being against gain at the expense of others, pollution, war and the like. Love was the way. Meanwhile 'right' was money, power, war mongering and greed.

Things have changed and the 'left' has become more self serving, demanding personal rights while ignoring the responsibility they once stood for. Meanwhile 'right' is still money, power, war mongering and greed. So in effect both sides are pursuing, not the same things, but the same values now.

The key according to Jesus was to reject the self serving will of man altogether, for the selfless and serving will of God. You won't find that in politics or any institution of man.

 

[iluvatar5150]

So are war and capital punishment but those don’t get nearly the attention abortion seems to get from the pro-life crowd.

I think an even bigger disconnect exists between the way the conservative pro-life crowd resists all sorts of life-saving policies like environmental regulations, expanded health care access, product labeling, police oversight, and gun control while fighting tooth and nail to draw out the lives of people like Terry Schiavo and Charlie Gard who have such severe medical conditions that they're effectively dead already.

 

[Halbhh]

One of the complexities here is that some of the issues are not only political; they're also ethical. Whether certain things should be illegal, or legally compelled, or funded by the government are all legal questions. But how we treat our neighbors who are gay or female or transgender or poor or single moms is more of an ethical issue. The Christian Right has been loud in expressing one way to address these ethical issues. I'm wondering if the Christian Left hasn't been loud enough in expressing that there are alternative ethical views that are still within the Christian faith -- that you don't have to be an atheist in order to be a compassionate person.

My bishop said recently that he thinks we've lost an entire generation of people from the Christian faith over issues of gender and sexuality.

To be a compassionate person, you could say, is essential to being 'Christian'-- a follower of Christ.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.

 

[carp614]

I don't agree. I used to but I don't anymore. I know there are countless anecdotal stories of people being pushed out of churches by mean spirited, unchristian church members judging them. But I have almost universally heard these stories from people who are living an unapologetically sinful lifestyle. The truth is they were confronted or (even more often) felt convicted and chose to embrace their sinful lifestyle rather than do the hard work of turning away from it.

I really don't think the church is driving people away. I think it's the Gospel doing that work.

 

[durangodawood]

This article looks at the trend that has been happening in American politics.

The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion

Mostly due to the Christian Right involvement in politics....

One could be forgiven for getting the impression that Christianity in America is a branch of the Republican party.

 

[GACfan]

I think an even bigger disconnect exists between the way the conservative pro-life crowd resists all sorts of life-saving policies like environmental regulations, expanded health care access, product labeling, police oversight, and gun control while fighting tooth and nail to draw out the lives of people like Terry Schiavo and Charlie Gard who have such severe medical conditions that they're effectively dead already.

During the many years I have been involved within the pro-life movement, it has been my continuous experience that the vast majority of the conservatives who claim to be pro-life are actually pro-birth because they are literally morally inconsistent to being pro-life in their political conservative agendas.

 

[Speedwell]

One could be forgiven for getting the impression that Christianity in America is a branch of the Republican party.

One of the lamentable consequences of the Southern Strategy. But any more it is not just a branch--it is the Republican Party.

 

[tampasteve]

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[Sif]

In my experience I've notice both sides, liberal and conservative, push you away when you disagree with whatever the issue is. Some of my views/stances are conservative and others are liberal.

Ultimately it will not matter what the issue is. If I am speaking with a conservative and we are speaking on an issue I have a conservative view on the conservative will be kind and respectful. However, once we move to a topic I am liberal (or less conservative) on then suddenly I am "un-American" or "evil" or whatever insult they choose to direct toward me.

I've found the same with liberals. We will be discussing a topic I have a liberal view on and the liberal will treat me kindly and respectfully. The moment we move to a topic I am conservative (or not very liberal) on then suddenly I am "stupid", "violent", "ignorant" or whatever the insult du jour is.

Having said this please understand that this not directed to anyone on this thread or this site.

 

[Halbhh]

This article looks at the trend that has been happening in American politics.

The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion

Mostly due to the Christian Right involvement in politics.



Which does lead to a larger issue, that houses of worship as no longer places where both sides in American politics can come together. There are fewer and fewer such places where liberals and conservatives can meet, and without them I can't see the current trend reversing.

Edit: fixed quotes

Another aspect of this, about after a church becomes too political, and then seems...not about Christ enough, or seems to try to put the gospel in service to the worldly side of people.

Is if a person leaves such a church, then faith should help them want to seek out another church, and hopefully find one that isn't all political.

 

[timothyu]

Ultimately it will not matter what the issue is.

Quickest way around a dispute is to ask how the issue serves the will of God. That is usually enough to move on to something else because not much of man's ideas serve more than self.

 

[NotreDame]

I can relate to that. I thought of this as I read your post: “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” - Brennan Manning

But Christians can hardly be solely blamed, right? Don’t the people, who fall into the category above, burden some blame? Hypocrites merely indicates someone isn’t practicing what they preach, but that’s no excuse, well it’s not a rational excuse, to reject what’s being preached.

The capitalist preaching a moral mandate to help the poor, destitute, homeless and transient, who hypocritically shares not one cent with anyone, cannot be used a rational justification for rejecting the idea of a moral obligation to act. Similarly, Christians acting hypocritically is not a rational justification for rejecting the doctrine that is the foundation for Christianity.

 

[The Faceless]

Why don't we just tell the truth here? People are leaving Christianity or rejecting it straight away because teachings on homosexuality and all things LGBT, abortion and euthanasia, and in some instances (especially my church) female ordination, etc won't change no matter how hard they kick, scream, cry, and shout science and sexist bigot etc.

I will agree that right wing Protestant Christianity in the US leaves a lot to be desired. Their denial of climate change, support for blow hard, insensitive, foul mouthed adulterers like Trump, lack of compassion for immigrants, lack of compassion for the poor and supporting policies that keep the poor down and the rich up, is troubling.

But the former and not the latter is really why people have issues with Christianity. Not too many people are too ignorant to believe otherwise.

 

[NotreDame]

I can understand some of the regrets one may have over the so-called Christian Right, but there is also the choice of exploring other, perhaps more expansive (maybe more correct, even?) forms of the Christian faith rather than throwing the Christ baby out with the bath water.

I absolutely love that idea though. I see many positives, especially for conservatives.

Since those claiming to be socialist or Marxist have starved their people, inflicted famine upon the masses, jailed people for foraging for food and storing food, violated human rights, means socialism is a scourge upon humanity. Get rid of it.

As a matter of fact, maybe any philosophy(broadly used word) can be rejected by the fact it’s adherents, or some adherents, deviate from, act contrary to, the philosophy.

 

[Sparagmos]

I don't agree. I used to but I don't anymore. I know there are countless anecdotal stories of people being pushed out of churches by mean spirited, unchristian church members judging them. But I have almost universally heard these stories from people who are living an unapologetically sinful lifestyle. The truth is they were confronted or (even more often) felt convicted and chose to embrace their sinful lifestyle rather than do the hard work of turning away from it.

I really don't think the church is driving people away. I think it's the Gospel doing that work.

I think it’s generally more subtle than individuals being pushed out. Christ commanded us to care for the poor, the sick, the stranger, the prisoner, and the widow. But evangelical churches don’t call people out from the pulpit or in private over not doing those things. Instead they focus on “sexual sins.” To a liberal, that just looks like bigotry.

 

[98cwitr]

This article looks at the trend that has been happening in American politics.

The Christian Right Is Helping Drive Liberals Away From Religion

Mostly due to the Christian Right involvement in politics.



Which does lead to a larger issue, that houses of worship as no longer places where both sides in American politics can come together. There are fewer and fewer such places where liberals and conservatives can meet, and without them I can't see the current trend reversing.

Edit: fixed quotes

Disagree. Liberals, especially activist liberals, are taking over churches. Now, the fair question is what ordinances and traditions are cast out when that happens. Are certain things permissible afterwords that were not before?

 

[NotreDame]

Why don't we just tell the truth here? People are leaving Christianity or rejecting it straight away because teachings on homosexuality and all things LGBT, abortion and euthanasia, and in some instances (especially my church) female ordination, etc won't change no matter how hard they kick, scream, cry, and shout science and sexist bigot etc.

I will agree that right wing Protestant Christianity in the US leaves a lot to be desired. Their denial of climate change, support for blow hard, insensitive, foul mouthed adulterers like Trump, lack of compassion for immigrants, lack of compassion for the poor and supporting policies that keep the poor down and the rich up, is troubling.

But the former and not the latter is really why people have issues with Christianity. Not too many people are too ignorant to believe otherwise.

People are leaving Christianity or rejecting it straight away because teachings on homosexuality and all things LGBT, abortion and euthanasia, and in some instances (especially my church) female ordination, etc won't change no matter how hard they kick, scream, cry, and shout science and sexist bigot etc.

What if some or all is doctrinally sound?

 

[The Faceless]

What if some or all is doctrinally sound?

The two oldest and biggest churches in the world would disagree. My own, the oldest and truest, especially would. Doesn't matter what people started to believe or teach almost 2000 years after the fact.

 

[Halbhh]

I think this topic is so important:

People should not want, and should leave, churches that are just all about political stuff.

They should want God, not 'conservative' or 'liberal' politics.

They should get up and walk out -- quickly -- when a preacher turns to preach the world as our guide, political stuff as our guide, the nation as our god, and other stuff like that.

If your church covered up the cross with a flag (as some actually have), then run! Run away!

Find a church that doesn't preach political stuff, but preaches to you the words of our Lord in the gospels and 2nd in the epistles, over time.