Why do conservatives hate liberals so?

[BelindaP]

I'm beginning to wonder why there is so much hate and fear on the part of some conservatives towards the liberal Christians.

 

[D.W.Washburn]

They don't hate us. They disagree with us.

Our religious faith is something that we hold deeply and passionately. It is close to the very core of our being. It's no wonder any of us gets defensive, and yes, even offensive, in protecting our beliefs against those who disagree with us.

Remember, too, that no one fights like family.

 

[BelindaP]

It's awfully tough love, then.

 

[Im_A]

I'm beginning to wonder why there is so much hate and fear on the part of some conservatives towards the liberal Christians.

i think some may hate, but some don't but regardless i think the reason behind the confliction is the same.

both sides have different perspectives of the world, life, the spiritual world around us. when they collide, we see what we always see.

 

[Speculative]

I think the disagreement model applies to most conservative Christians (they do not hate us, they merely disagree). However, I do believe that there are quite a few conservatives that I think actually do hate liberals (or anyone who disagrees with them). I know that the way I, and some others have been treated right here on this forum can be classified as hatred. The ones that hate us are a minority, but they are out there--and some of them are very vocal. In a real life example, consider those like Fred Phelps.

I think the reason for this is primarily fear. Much of what is taught as absolute truth by conservative Christianity is mere speculation, and not defensible. Many of these people have staked their lives on these teachings, and it's a terrifying thought to think that they might be wrong. Imagine spending your free time going to funerals holding signs that said hateful things against homosexuals, for example, because you were convinced that God wanted you to do that. Then imagine finding out that not only had you wasted your time, but you had actually inflicted cruel emotional harm on innocent people, and, as a matter of fact, God DID NOT want you to do that. Pretty uncomfortable position.

In a real life personal example: When I started reading skeptical literature and questioning the doctrines of the right-wing church I was attending four years ago, the elders of that church didn't want to hear it. At the time, I merely advocated for greater emphasis on apologetics because I found Christianity poorly defended outside the church walls. My pleas for equipping our members to witness to skeptics fell on deaf ears. Why? I think part of the reason was that the elders were afraid that if they truly engaged atheists (especially well-educated deconverts) on theological issues, they would find that conservative Christian doctrine is not quite the settled issue that they thought it was. Subsequently, I have found their fears to be justified.

That's the long answer.

The short answer is: because they're afraid.

 

[GreenPartyVoter]

The conservatives who know me, love me. The ones who get into heated debates with me on the 'net couldn't give a flying flip about me.

Knowing someone makes all the difference in humanizing them.

 

[TheManeki]

The short answer is: because they're afraid.

Exegetical Panic Defense, perhaps?

 

[Speculative]

Exegetical Panic Defense, perhaps?

Yeah, that was a good article

 

[Tenebrae]

Because anyone who doesnt believe exactly as they believe, then they are evil

Big amounts of pot calling the kettle black I think.,

 

[Im_A]

I'm beginning to wonder why there is so much hate and fear on the part of some conservatives towards the liberal Christians.

Because anyone who doesnt believe exactly as they believe, then they are evil

Big amounts of pot calling the kettle black I think.,

if you don't mind me asking you this and i'm not meaning to be offensive to you here...

but what about the liberals who debase conservatives and do the same thing that some conservatives do to liberals? maybe it is off topic of the OP, who knows and i apologize if it is.

just the thought came to my mind for this topic was, sure we can call the kettle black all we want, but us liberals are just as black as they are and poor examples of supposed "way we should be" to people who disagree with us.

 

[Tenebrae]

if you don't mind me asking you this and i'm not meaning to be offensive to you here...

but what about the liberals who debase conservatives and do the same thing that some conservatives do to liberals? maybe it is off topic of the OP, who knows and i apologize if it is.

Fair comment. I'm more open to the fact that not all conservative christians are judgemental biggots than I was several months ago

just the thought came to my mind for this topic was, sure we can call the kettle black all we want, but us liberals are just as black as they are and poor examples of supposed "way we should be" to people who disagree with us.

 

[Athene]

I think Miing answered this one in the witch hunt thread, we are the witch and we are being used to unify CCC. If we protest their treatment of us, if we report their spiteful hate filled posts then it will be seen as further evidence of a liberal conspiracy against them. If we try and rise above, if we try the route of reconciliation then it will be seen as further evidence of a liberal conspiracy against them.

The best thing we can do is ignore them, don't try and fellowship, don't report any of the posts no matter how hurtful and malicious they are (and no doubt plenty of such posts will be made). Don't go in too CC at all, if there are no liberals on the horizon then they're going to look pretty silly claiming it's all those liberals fault, even sillier then they do now trying to pretend that no attempts were ever made by CCC people to fellowship with us (which we responded too) or that Time never invited us to contribute in his definition proposal, or that Times behaviour over BeMi had nothing to do with the increased interest in the forum.

 

[Speculative]

I think Miing answered this one in the witch hunt thread, we are the witch and we are being used to unify CCC. If we protest their treatment of us, if we report their spiteful hate filled posts then it will be seen as further evidence of a liberal conspiracy against them. If we try and rise above, if we try the route of reconciliation then it will be seen as further evidence of a liberal conspiracy against them.

The best thing we can do is ignore them, don't try and fellowship, don't report any of the posts no matter how hurtful and malicious they are (and no doubt plenty of such posts will be made). Don't go in too CC at all, if there are no liberals on the horizon then they're going to look pretty silly claiming it's all those liberals fault, even sillier then they do now trying to pretend that no attempts were ever made by CCC people to fellowship with us (which we responded too) or that Time never invited us to contribute in his definition proposal, or that Times behaviour over BeMi had nothing to do with the increased interest in the forum.

I originally considered this question in light of the larger outside world, but if we're talking about this website, I think this is an accurate assessment of the problem and good advice for how to deal with it.

 

[Pogue]

I think the situation's slightly different in the UK, since we have more than two main parties. Very few conservatives could be said to actually hate liberals (even the terms liberal and conservative aren't really used to describe somebody's politics to the same extent) I think the political system in the US is very different- there's more rivalry between the two parties, which represent liberals and conservatives, so things seem a lot more polarised (based mainly on observations from the internet, I have to confess)
As for conservative Christians- I don't think the majority of them do hate liberals. The ones who do are extremely vocal, and I suppose for them we'd represent everything which is wrong with society. They can't see it from another perspective, because they've got no reason to even try.

 

[Rochir]

They don't hate us. They disagree with us.

If it was only that, we would not have all these problems around here lately!

No, some really seem to despise us, no matter what we do or say!

 

[Catherineanne]

I'm beginning to wonder why there is so much hate and fear on the part of some conservatives towards the liberal Christians.

[Sweeping generalisation warning]

I think there is a tendency for the conservative side of our faith to comprise people with a low tolerance for uncertainty. They need answers. Having found answers, and people who offer the same level of certitude they need, they feel at home. Their belief can be stated in black and white, and its tenets can be written on stone. This is a very comforting feeling. I imagine conservatism as a home which feels as if it has central heating and double glazing, and is impervious to the elements.

Then we look at liberalism. We have a much higher tolerance of uncertainty, having found from experience, perhaps, that everything we thought we had written on stone at one point or other turned out to be flawed, or not as absolute as we thought it to be. There is less comfort in liberalism. The roof leaks, the windows are rather draughty, and even the front door does not fit properly.

Those in the centrally heated house do not understand why we who live in our shack actually prefer to do so. 'Do you not want the warmth we have?' they might ask.

And the funny thing is, we don't. Because when we look at their house, it is just as leaky and draughty as ours is, but they cannot see it, nor allow themselves to feel it. We prefer to know, even if it is uncomfortable, that there are few absolutes, and none at all in this world. We cannot pretend not to see that everyone's roof leaks.

I don't think conservatives actually hate us. I think they fear uncertainty, and find our tolerance of it totally incomprehensible. They then label it as wishy washy, or lukewarm, or some such perjorative, as if there is a hierarchy within our faith, and they are nearer the throne of grace than we are. They might use labels like 'Bible believing Christians', attempting to make us 'Bible non believing' by implication. They say they are 'spirit filled', as if we are strangers to the spirit, when the Bible itself says that no man can call Jesus Lord without the spirit being present.

Conservatism is Christianity under siege.

 

[Catherineanne]

No, some really seem to despise us, no matter what we do or say!

The trick is, stop caring what they think, and how they feel. It is not our problem.

Just imagine what it must be like to live like that. Lord, have mercy!

 

[chaoschristian]

I'm beginning to wonder why there is so much hate and fear on the part of some conservatives towards the liberal Christians.

Neo-radicalism, which is evident in the liberal and conservative extremes, is much more focused on social dominance and control than it is on truth. The truth (usually The Truth) is simply one of many effective tools in first creating homogeny through which control is exercised.

If you desire to control a group of people, simply identify a group that self-identifies as displaced or diseffected, unite them through some totem (The Truth) and then create an enemy against which to protect the totem (liberals or conservatives).

Watch Bob Roberts.

 

[Peregrino]

[Sweeping generalisation warning]

I think there is a tendency for the conservative side of our faith to comprise people with a low tolerance for uncertainty. They need answers. Having found answers, and people who offer the same level of certitude they need, they feel at home. Their belief can be stated in black and white, and its tenets can be written on stone. This is a very comforting feeling. I imagine conservatism as a home which feels as if it has central heating and double glazing, and is impervious to the elements.

Then we look at liberalism. We have a much higher tolerance of uncertainty, having found from experience, perhaps, that everything we thought we had written on stone at one point or other turned out to be flawed, or not as absolute as we thought it to be. There is less comfort in liberalism. The roof leaks, the windows are rather draughty, and even the front door does not fit properly.

Those in the centrally heated house do not understand why we who live in our shack actually prefer to do so. 'Do you not want the warmth we have?' they might ask.

And the funny thing is, we don't. Because when we look at their house, it is just as leaky and draughty as ours is, but they cannot see it, nor allow themselves to feel it. We prefer to know, even if it is uncomfortable, that there are few absolutes, and none at all in this world. We cannot pretend not to see that everyone's roof leaks.

I don't think conservatives actually hate us. I think they fear uncertainty, and find our tolerance of it totally incomprehensible. They then label it as wishy washy, or lukewarm, or some such perjorative, as if there is a hierarchy within our faith, and they are nearer the throne of grace than we are. They might use labels like 'Bible believing Christians', attempting to make us 'Bible non believing' by implication. They say they are 'spirit filled', as if we are strangers to the spirit, when the Bible itself says that no man can call Jesus Lord without the spirit being present.

Conservatism is Christianity under siege.

Conservatism is people under siege, perhaps more like people thinking they're under siege: paranoia.

 

[ladyt28]

There will always be extremes in any camp whether it be 'conservatives', 'liberals', different denominations, etc - I can even see it in NASCAR! The thing that gets me is that when I am in other areas of this forum, I do not have a clue that we believe such different things...and I learn that well after viewing that individual as a friend..and still do consider them as such.

I don't think it helps to generalize an entire group of people - I can say that I do not agree 100% with either camp. The ones who do agree 100% on any side just might be the ones who I would see as extreme. I mean, do every one of you who are reading this agree with each other 100% of the time? I don't think so - we all have different experiences, different influences...we are going to disagree on something somewhere and that's ok, that is what keeps the discussion going!

I could not bring myself to avoid fellowship - I just think it is wise to be more discerning on where I go within the forum to have fellowship. And this is just my 2 cents so if you want to give me back some change, that's ok - LOL!