I think there is seething hostility here rooteed in Bushco and their perceived enablers

[Perky]

A lot of hostility from GLBTs and Athiests agaist the religious right which is completely understandable. But it occassionally is a shotgun blast that I think unintentionaly hits lefty religionists as well.

[Double T]

1. Stay out of the line of verbal fire........

and don't wear your religion on your sleeve; YOU won't be mistaken for ONE of THEM.

[Lerkfish]

4. sounds threatening.

:shrug:

If you are religious, it is an important part of your life, whether progressive left christian or right wing christian or buddhist or muslim or jew.
Religious people are not going to swallow who they are to stay out of your "line of fire".
unless, of course, you're also saying atheists should not appear to be atheists in order not to be attacked by religious people. Would that be a palatable suggestion, you think?

[bryant69]

9. Well said n/t

[Double T]

12. Many who claim to be religious, act and behave in exactly the opposite way.

It is as if the illusion of 'Super Faith' will compensate for or disguise who they really are. Saying one thing and doing another should certainly come under fire. bush is a perfect example of professing his 'extreme faith' and 'right to life' while executing orders that result in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women and children. 'hypocite' is an appropriate label.

[Lerkfish]

15. ok, but you suggested the nonhypocrites would be acceptable collateral damage

when firing at hypocrites.

that continues to sound threatening.

[muffin1]

21. I second that

The religious right see no problem with starting an unprovoked war, killing hundreds of thousands of people. They see no problem with the death penalty - even for the mentally retarded. They see no problem with huge tax cuts for the wealthy, while millions go without health care or food.
Christ-like? Not even close.:-(

[Double T]

23. amen, sister!!

[Lance_Boyle]

14. 'If you are religious, it is an important part of your life'

Precisely - it is an important part of YOUR life. Not mine. Keep it to yourself.

[Lerkfish]

16. please reread the post I was responding to.

there is a difference from being against proseltyzing and swallowing who you are.
I trust you understand the difference?

[bryant69]

17. We are talking about simple expressions of faith?

I'm all for keeping religious discussions in the Religion forum for those interested in it, incidentally

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[murielm99]

7. Interesting.

Ever since I joined DU, those who dislike the fundies have told us that we religious progressives need to speak up and reclaim our faith.

Which is it? Speak up, or shut up?

[Double T]

11. IMO, religion should be a personal, private part of one's life...........

and should NOT require the equivalent of flashing neon signs and brass bands to profess devout beliefs.

[Lerkfish]

18. so you ascribe to the "shut up" and allow the fundies to take over strategy?

you think its better for progressive religious people to stand back, shut up and allow the fundies to completely take over?

alrighty, then.

[Double T]

22. Don't think I said ANYTHING about 'shutting up'.............

I think instead I would call it 'being REAL'. If your 'REAL' people will listen, if you're a 'fraud' people will eventually see through you.

[Lerkfish]

25. but your suggestion for being "REAL" is what, exactly?

so far, you're just telling us not to wear our religion on our sleeves, in other words, shut up, right?

[SidDithers]

20. So you ascribe to the "shut the fundies up" with secularism strategy...

and that religion has no place in politics. I agree with you completely. It's too bad so many of our progressive brethren don't argue for a secular government with the same amount of passion that they display when they feel they're being discrimiated against for their beliefs.

Sid

[Lerkfish]

24. In fact I do, and have repeatedly argued for that very thing here at DU

fwiw. I have always ascribed separation of church and state. maybe if you had an actual conversation with a progressive christian, instead of attacking them, you might learn something.

[murielm99]

26. Again, we are all being tarred with the same brush.

There are organizations like Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and groups like Sojourners. Listen to Jimmy Carter speak out.

I have stated here, and in many other places, that I prefer to pray in my closet, that religion is a personal matter. I have said that I do not believe my religious tradition has a monopoly on truth.

I know many agnostics and atheists in my daily life. We manage to respect and like each other. I have never heard them speak with the kind of nastiness that I see on DU.

I will continue to challenge fundies in my daily life. I will continue to challenge them when they try to erode the separation of church and state. And when I see broad-brush condemnations of Christians and other religions on DU, I will be vocal about it, too.

I don't ask atheists or agnostics to defend themselves. I don't ask it of Muslims or Jews, either. Please have the same courtesy.

[Lerkfish]

19. yes, its an interesting conundrum. "shut up and sing"

:shrug:

[Perky]

29. I think we have to yell

If we don't yell, DUers will continue to think Christians are a monolithic an maleovolent political force.

I am aware of a miniscule level of abject evangelism on here (or Christians telling people how to live) I personally thin that is completely inappropriate on both contextual an theological grounds.

Christian DUers are actually a very tolerant bunch, the only place we gent pissy is when Christians or evangelicals are used insted of the subset know as fundies.

We just wish the anger were more focused on the common enemy and to ask us to deny part of our core beliefs as a primary of our liberal politics or to yell more at the RW I am not sure where some folks think that balnce is.

[Trajan]

2. Atheists who are Secular Humanists ....

Should find room in their world for gentle people of faith .... Religious Humanism is our counterpart with the same goals and methods ....

I find that when faith gets loud, ANTI faith gets loud too ....

One could surmise the opposite would be true as well ...

[Phredicles]

3. As an agnostic I agree; many of the most actively progressive people I know

are also devout in one faith or another.

[Mythsaje]

5. I have recently determined that I will never debate religion

with anyone who hasn't read Thomas Paine's "Age of Reason."

That should pretty much clear the field.

:evilgrin:

[Lerkfish]

6. the assumption being that a religious person cannot read?

:shrug:

[Mythsaje]

30. No, the assumption being that if they can read the book

and still be caught up in the trappings of Christianity, nothing I say is going to have any effect.

[Lerkfish]

31. so, you base your worldview on this book, and you are convinced that if anyone

else reads the book, they will adopt your worldview or if they do not, they are irrevocably lost.


and you do not see the irony?

[CanonRay]

8. My hostility isn't seething, it's boiling over

[Sapere aude]

10. There is nothing wrong with faith or lack of it as long as you stay the hell out of others lives

with it. Why is so hard about that. If you met a person and did not know their religion or lack of it why would you need to know or why would you want to tell them about yours?

[Perky]

27. But don't you then think is inappropriate for athiest to tell believers

they are stupid boobs for believing as they do? Isn;t that the same as Chitians effectivel saying that anyone who believes in evolution must be stupid?

[Perky]

28. Note FROM OP SOrry about this thread

I though I was responding to another thread about anger here on DU. Apparenlty I started a new thread which was not my intent. I should never pst on DU without two cups of coffee in me "banghead:"banghead:"banghead:"banghead:

[SidDithers]

13. "Have A Blessed Day"...

No thank you.

Sid

[edhopper]

32. I am

openly hostile to religion, and I think I have posted this feeling on the Religion thread. But I am not hostile to all believers.
I feel that religious people should have an active role in the democratic process. After all the Founders were religious, each in their own way.
I think the hostility is at those on the right who wear religion on their sleeve (GWBush!!) and tell us Christianity is the driving principle of our country.
If that's not your belief why are you offended by remarks made about those people.
I am not offended by people in other countries who say hostile things about America, when they really are talking about Bush.
I don't think you should "shut up" about your religion. When it pertains to the discussion, please speak freely.