Any examples of Dems being disdainful of religious folk?

[fairfaxvadem]

I keep reading all these commentaries and some say something along the lines of "well, it is true that Democrats/the Democratic Party Establishment/the Left, whatever, does not hide its disdain for those who take their religion and beliefs seriously, blah, blah, blah."

Who? When? Where?

And of course, it isn't the Jews or the Muslims or the Buddhists or the Hindis that we are belittling, no. They are talking about, but not saying, "Southern Baptists", "Evangelicals", "Christians".

Just about every Dem I know is a churchgoer. Some are Catholics, some are Methodist, some are Jews, some are Muslim, some of us are disaffected and don't go to church. But frankly, except for the one common denominator that we prefer not to shove our religious beliefs down each others throats and don't like others doing it to us, that is the extent of our discussions on the matter. Just about everyone I know finds their religious beliefs to be personal and not anyone's business. They are Dems for all the reasons we have in common as a commnunity, not whether we attend religious services and where.

But, perhaps I am oblivious to the rampant degradation of religious people that goes on and would very much like to hear more on this from those of you who may have more information on this issue. If it is this serious of an issue in REALITY, and not something conjured up as another stick to beat the Godless Liberals with, then yes, we need to address it. It certainly doesn't reflect my own experiences but that doesn't mean it's not happening elsewhere.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LoZoccolo]

10. You should show more respect, sir.

:hi: :nuke:

[freetobegay]

2. Surley you jest.

DUer's shit on religion? No Way! By the way I am a christian & I am being sarcastic.

[Trajan]

3. 'Disdainful' ....

By opposing extreme measures promoted by Fundamentalists, one can be deemed 'disdainful' ...

If that is the case: then count me in ...

Call me disdainful ....

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

33. I guess I'm disdainful since I flipped the bird as I drove past a church

this afternoon that had on its marquis, "Thank you Lord!!!"

I had to think this was "Thank you Lord that Bush was re-(s)elected!"

Pissed me off.

[AlCzervik]

4. war and poverty are far more important moral

concerns than joe and steve picking out lawn furniture. I sick and tired of the faux pious moral outrage.

[cally]

5. I haven't seen it from the party

I see much respect for religious beliefs, or lack of. I think Repubs hate us because Dems respect all religious beliefs.

[sangh0]

6. here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1792330#1792624

...Religion is a very dangerous psychiatric activity that afflicts the philosophically immature...

I've got more. If you want, just PM me.

[DemBones DemBones]

39. That was one of the nicer comments, too. nt

[HootieMcBoob]

7. When will we regain the ability to hide posts? n/t

[coloradodem2005]

8. Well. I did believe that there was a God.

I don't know anymore. The thing is, I did go to church for a while because I wanted to be closer to God and to understand Christianity more. Also for the community. But, I am very disaffected with the evangelicals. I have been for a long time. And I am more so now. Because of the Evangelicals, this country will be in ruins for the next 4 years if not longer.

[sonicx]

9. Elected Dems don't do it. But AirAmerica people go overboard at times...

[FlaGranny]

13. Air America - is REACTING

to hypocracy, not dissing religion.

[LoZoccolo]

16. "I loathe Christians." - Mike Malloy

But actually, I've always seen him as being out of place on AAR, probably only there because of pressure from a lot of people who used to listen to him before the UAW decided it wasn't worth funding a tinfoil hatter. From what I have heard, Randi Rhoades has been respectful, though, and I imagine Al Franken is most of the time as well.

[HappinessPie]

25. I agree, Malloy is very disdainful and tactless in his rejection

of religion. Even though I too am an athiest I have been very uncomfotable with his going overboard against religious beliefs as a whole.

I just can't stand hypocrisy or manipulation *cloaked* as faith.

[LibertyorDeath]

11. Evangelicals are a Cult

[coloradodem2005]

12. They are a really big cult.

[springhill]

14. I am disdainful of organized religion.

Don't like them, never will. They, on a whole, teach intolerance. That's why I have never taken my son and don't intend to. We talk about God, but it is a personal and private thing. Because I want him to also have morals, and I know too many "religious" people whose morals are not something I want to associate with.

[tjdee]

15. Have you opened a religious thread at DU?

It's gotten better here, actually, but when I first started coming here I learned quick to not go into religious threads.

I've read a number of disdainful and belittling posts implying that Christians are somehow stupid and gullible because they believe in a "magic cloud in the sky telling them what to do"... or that "Jesus is just like Santa Claus, maybe we should worship Santa too"....

Is this the attitude of Dem leadership? Absolutely not. Clinton/any other prominent Dem has always Godded this and Godded that. Do most Democrats feel that way? I'd say no.

But it does occur.

[stevedeshazer]

17. Why the duplicate posts?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2610646

[sangh0]

18. HIT AND RUN duplicate posts

,

[stevedeshazer]

21. Yup

just as I thought....

[RC]

19. Disdainful of religious folk?

Naa.


Never.

[sangh0]

20. Yep, keep laughing at the religious folk

It really helped us the other day.

[RC]

24. Yeah they sure did.

What do you think bu$h's base is?

[sangh0]

36. Why do you think they're bush*'s base?

You think insults like yours might have something to do with it?

[RC]

37. Actually, no.

Stating facts should not be insulting.
If one is insulted by facts, then maybe one should reexamine said facts for different view of reality, i.e. learning, education.
Facts can be proven. Faith cannot. Facts allow questioning. Faith does not.
Bu$h's base runs on faith, hand fed talking points from upon high and ignorance of the world.
In my world facts trump faith.

[vi5]

22. I've never expressed disdain but I also refuse to pander to them..

They believe things that I believe are factually untrue, yet place the burden on me which is something I find patently absurd. I am strictly a live and let live type of person, but if someone isn't willing to work with me within the realm of facts and tangible reality and they are over the age of 10, I refuse to pander to them. I don't care if they are christian or hindu or buddhist or muslim or jew. And if the democratic party starts to do so they will lose me as one of their ranks.

Although to be fair to those other religions, none of them tried to influence the election or public policiy in general.

[HappinessPie]

26. Amen.

[DemBones DemBones]

40. Osama tried to influence the election

because he is a fanatical Muslim. Fanaticism and intolerance are the problems, or perhaps we can just say fanaticism is the problem since intolerance seems to always follow fanaticism. Religion is not the problem; fanaticism is.

Plenty of nonfanatics attempt to influence elections and public policy, too. Jews and Jewish organizations are very active politically and Muslims and Islamic groups seem to be getting more so in the U.S. We started supporting Israel because of the Jewish lobby. It's only been in recent years that some fundamentalist Christians got it in their heads to lobby heavily for support of Israel because they want the end times to come soon and that, according to their reading of the Bible, means the Temple has to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Those Christians, and some of the Jews who support Israel, want to run the Muslims out of Jerusalem, disregarding the fact that it's a holy city to Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

[vi5]

41. The primary difference between the way those religions....

...and Christianity try to influence public policy is actually pretty big. Christiantiy (including the supposedly mainstream catholic church of my family) wants to influence public policy in a way that creates laws and leaders who want to tell people that they can't do certain things, based on the christian notion of morality. But for the record I also don't agree with the relentlessly pro-Israel stance our public policy takes either. But there is no doubt in my mind that christianity in this country is the largest religion and the one most concerned with public policy and creating laws that suit them.

Are all Christians like that? No. See my family for example who hate that stuff. But the thing is that if people like them, good christians who don't want to impose their idea of morality on others, don't rise up within their church and take a stand and publicly let their leaders know they won't stand for it, and/or leave the church to protest this type of thing, then they are just as much to blame as the ones out there doing the campaigning and preaching from the pulpit.

What's the quote "The only thing that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

[July]

42. Hear, hear. nt

[DrWeird]

23. Funny, I've never heard of any anti-christian marriage movements.

nt

[darthmix]

27. I have complete respect for Christianity.

I just have disdain for anyone who feels the need to hijack the law in order impose his own religious beliefs on other people.

[Pithlet]

28. Didn't you get the memo?

Most liberals hate Christians. That is why it is so hard to be one in the US. People hide their heads in shame when they go to church. It's just terrible.

[Gin]

29. Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than

standing in a garage makes you a car. My new bumper sticker.

[Pithlet]

30. Good one!

I like it.

[CitySky]

31. or sitting in a henhouse

makes you a chicken! True that.

[lgardengate]

32. Around here and some on radio etc

hate anyone who is a cristian conservative. I am a christian and in most ways kinda conservative.My family are very religious and conservative. They are very insulted by some posts they see me read and stuff they hear in the media that is against them. Some of them were dems at one time.They feel that dems (mostly liberal dems) persecute (sp?) christions (like them).They feared Kerry as pres because of that.My mom said Kerry also misquoted the Bible several times.Her church from (a former dem) said the same.Just telling what i here from them.

[July]

43. People like me find that "persecution" line unbelievable.

Christian churches are everywhere in this country. Even though separation of church and state goes back to the nation's founding, those of us who object to ten commandment displays, "under God," and the more serious official government "faith-based" initiatives that funnel our tax dollars to religious organizations (almost all Christian) are put on the defensive or worse. Don't believe me? Ask some kid who didn't want to say the pledge of allegiance if his constitutional right not to was respected or if he was mocked, marginalized, and generally treated like dirt.

Christians are persecuted in places like China. It is laughable to say that they are persecuted here just because the rest of us want to live our lives our own way, without having to give tacit agreement to other people's beliefs. Any Christian who believes he is persecuted is telling me that it is "persecution" to not be allowed to dictate his beliefs to me. He is mocking people who are truly persecuted for their beliefs.

I don't care what anyone believes, but I'm not participating in other people's religions.

[fairfaxvadem]

34. hmmm, think I asked this wrong...

Also, didn't seen the duplicate post, as the other poster pointed out. (my first attempt to post this I got an error message and was told to repost, is that the duplicate??)

What is a "hit and run" post??? Is that when the original poster doesn't reply? If so, I was upstairs on the phone, never expected many replies, so no, I'm not a hit and runner.

I know that individuals have different opinions on religion, but that's not what I was asking. It was the sweeping allegation that Democrats are disdainful and belittling of those who identify themselves as very religious and we have no respect for it; a systemic behavior not individual behavior.

But, regardless, I clearly shouldn't have posted this question, so as one woman used to say: "Never Mind."

[kayell]

44. I think that we tend to be very caustic about

religious extremism, be it "christian" or other varieties. That is as a whole. There are also a lot of agnostics and atheists here (myself included).

A very limited few are rather inclined to ridicule religion at every chance. Some of those a just looking to get a rise out of people, some may be disruptors, and some genuinely believe that religion as a whole is bad for peoples ability to reason.

Others of us take the more typical view that while religion isn't for us, we don't mind and often enjoy people who are religious and sane. We just don't want to join in.

So bottom line - it occurs, but rarely in regard to sane religious people. If you see a rabid attack on all religion, you may sometimes be wise to be curious about that persons motives.

-----

Edit: I think I should have included another major group - those who have been so grievously injured by religious fanaticism that they are lashing back in their pain. And for many, the pain is virtually unbearable. A lot of people here have been told over the years that they basically have no right to exist. Especially if they had to injure religious abuse in their childhood, this is totally understandable. Or if they've been subjected to Fred Phelps at all. :scared:

[Digit]

35. Like on an ad in the yellow pages with a huge fish symbol?

Um, I won't call them.
My brother is one of these people who will begin quoting scripture to people at the next table when we are out to dinner.
I find this extremely offensive. He has been in this "cult" for about 5 years now and will not speak anymore with his heathen
sister (me).
I object to people foisting their religious beliefs on ME.
The golden rule is good enough for me...treat others as you would like to be treated. Nuff said.

[DemBones DemBones]

38. Uh, it happens pretty regularly on DU. Many people here

are ragingly incivil when discussing Christianity, with fundamentalists and Catholics getting hit very badly.

[HeeBGBz]

45. Since the election, yes

Before I was polite and kind. I would smile and change the subject whenever someone tried to save my soul or spout dogma. I won't be silent anymore. So expect that. If people keep their religion to themselves fine, if they bring up the Republican agenda and God, I will unload years worth of pentup frustration.