Why We All Can’t Just Get Along

American progressives, generally, think of themselves as intelligent, objective, open-minded, reality-based, tolerant, moral, inclusive and benevolent.

In reality, they’re often none of those things.

Progressives – or liberals – are often the worst offenders of their own axioms when they attack anyone who disputes left-wing political/social policies or moral “principles.” The bigotry liberals direct at people with whom they merely disagree can be staggering.

Liberals claim to support free speech, unless, of course, someone’s speech triggers their tender sensitivities by challenging liberal orthodoxy.

Similarly, many liberals condemn corporations – and capitalism itself – even though the capitalist system created the products and standard of living they enjoy. They denounce the “wealthiest 1%,” but the wealthiest ZIP codes are found in liberal-governed states and cities. Ironically, so are the worst, most dangerous neighborhoods and homeless encampments.

But the left reserves its ugliest bigotry for Christians.

When liberals discuss practicing Christians, no slander is unacceptable, no religious custom is off-limits.

Former-President Barack Obama condescendingly denigrated flyover country conservatives as “bitter clingers” to guns and religion.

A Huffington Post progressive wondered, “Do All Evangelical Leaders Believe Gays Should Be Put to Death?” [Spoiler alert: They don’t]

In October, a liberal Salon writer called pro-life Christians “extremists” whose “Christian theology is driving the right-wing assault on Democracy.”

Every Christian – any age, either gender – is fair game for left-liberal animosity. The left bashes Christians with impunity, because Christians are …well… Christian, and behave in a Christian manner from which liberals fear no reprisals.

But left-wing opprobrium goes beyond gratuitous slander to the core of Christian theology. Among the most egregious examples is this cynical challenge: “What would Jesus do?”

Irreligious liberals may imagine they know what Jesus would do concerning COVID masking/vaccinations, immigration policy, public welfare and other politically-sensitive issues, but, although practicing Christians are confident Jesus would prohibit abortion, they refuse to presume knowing what he would do about secular public policy matters best left to the political process.

Just a thought: First, for argument’s sake, let’s stipulate that American Muslims are fully-integrated, law-abiding citizens. Now, if the left insists on bringing religion into political discussions, perhaps, in the interests of the “diversity” about which liberals preach, why not ask, “What would Muhammed do?”

But the left wouldn’t dare speak of Muhammed or challenge Muslims the way they do Christians, because doing so would constitute “hate crimes” that violate the faux-religious liberal doctrine of “multiculturalism.” More importantly, though, doing so might invite retaliation from certain Muslims.

Apparently, there’s nothing like a savage history and a continuing, credible threat of violence to immunize an entire group from liberal animus, focus the liberal mind, and encourage them to tend to their own affairs.

Muslim societies, even some relocated in Western nations, remain virtually immune to liberal criticism despite traditional, institutional toleration of misogyny, honor killings, pederasty, brokered/arranged child marriages, and genital mutilation, among other distasteful practices.

They wouldn’t, but one suspects that if, like the Taliban and other Islamist radicals, Christians were to behead a few “infidels” in response to the treatment they receive from liberals, they’d face far less hostility.

Liberals would be offended and angry if anyone were to generally describe blacks, Hispanics, or women using the same sort of ugly stereotypes they apply to Christians. But poor treatment of minorities offends conservative Christians, too.

The point of identical reactions from their ideological opposites escapes an American left who reserve for themselves the “moral authority” to detect, condemn and punish the most minute, even imagined examples of racism and ethnic or gender slurs, but only those targeting blacks, gays, Hispanics, females and others who embrace left-wing orthodoxy.

Liberals consider conservative blacks, gays, Hispanics, and females “inauthentic.” In fact, the political “apostasy” of conservatives gays, minorities and females makes them targets whom they insult the way they do Christians.

Sadly, left-liberals will not even consider, much less accept, that their shabby treatment of conservatives and Christians is as ugly, ignorant, and offensive as the behavior of people who resisted the integration of blacks into American society.

Although they are frequently both, liberals don’t see themselves as hypocrites or bigots.

They’re much too busy muttering “righteous” progressive platitudes and telling the people they target to “shut up!” – and pick up the tab for left-liberal-approved notions of “generosity.”

https://www.pottsmerc.com/2021/12/06/jerry-shenk-why-we-all-cant-just-get-along/