Is Liberalism in the Genes?
09 Nov 2010, 11:20 pm
NeantHumain wrote:
ChrisVulcan wrote:
I have no trouble believing that there is a "liberal gene". I wouldn't say that your political, philosophical, or religious idealogies are predetermined as much as they give you a predisposition. For instance, my mother is a Protestant, but my maternal grandmother is Catholic. Despite going to Catholic elementary school, middle school, high school, and college, my mother eventually became a Protestant. We still say that my mother was just born Protestant. On the other hand, my grandmother, I am convinced to this day, was born Catholic. What we mean by that isn't that either person was predetermined to adopt a certain , but that the temperament they were born with caused them to be drawn to the beliefs they would ultimately adopt.
I can't see a huge difference between Catholicism and Protestantism (but I guess it depends on which denomination you're referring to). It would be a greater leap to atheism, agnosticism, Buddhism, or Islam, for example.
I can't say if this is still true in every case, because you have to remember that my grandmother was more representative of Catholic culture in the United States in the 1930's, and my mother of only one subculture of Protestants. What I observed in my grandmother was a very emotional approach to spirituality with a reluctance to question the faith she had been raised with. My mother is just the opposite: she has a logical, almost stoic approach to faith. Even though the doctrinal differences in and of themselves may be relatively insignificant, there may be a huge cultural divide.
_________________
Well, I was on my way to this gay gypsy bar mitzvah for the disabled when I suddenly thought, "Gosh, the Third Reich's a bit rubbish. I think I'll kill the Fuhrer." Who's with me?
Watch Doctor Who!
09 Nov 2010, 11:27 pm
Inuyasha wrote:
I have actually found that being liberal doesn't equate to being tolerant. I have been extensively harassed by people whom are liberal online, I have beentreated poorly by some conservatives or moderates but never to the level I have seen from the left.
I've been called a racist for not agreeing with President Obama and not trusting the man. (Which I don't trust him because he comes from Chicago Politics and is friends with a Domestic Terrorist and was in the church of a man whom said, "G-d d*** America!" for 20 years). I don't care what color his skin color is.
I've been called a bunch of things for being against gay marriage.
Etc.
I don't know if there is two definitions of Liberal running around or what.
I've been called a racist for not agreeing with President Obama and not trusting the man. (Which I don't trust him because he comes from Chicago Politics and is friends with a Domestic Terrorist and was in the church of a man whom said, "G-d d*** America!" for 20 years). I don't care what color his skin color is.
I've been called a bunch of things for being against gay marriage.
Etc.
I don't know if there is two definitions of Liberal running around or what.
More evidence of the conservative persecution complex.
I don't know about you, but there's a lot less liberals going into Churches they disagree with and shooting the place up. I'm one of the most vociferous anti-theists out there (indeed, I've offended atheists - of the faithatheist variety - with some of my polemics against religion), but I'd never consider killing people I disagree with.
The only form of intolerance I practice is CONVERSATIONAL INTOLERANCE.
(Although I'm more of an angry centre-leftist than a bleeding heart reform-liberal)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcLcUSsaXCA[/youtube]
Notice how the Unitarians don't even seem to be bashing the ultraconservative mass murderer?
10 Nov 2010, 4:21 am
ChrisVulcan wrote:
I have no trouble believing that there is a "liberal gene". I wouldn't say that your political, philosophical, or religious idealogies are predetermined as much as they give you a predisposition. For instance, my mother is a Protestant, but my maternal grandmother is Catholic. Despite going to Catholic elementary school, middle school, high school, and college, my mother eventually became a Protestant. We still say that my mother was just born Protestant. On the other hand, my grandmother, I am convinced to this day, was born Catholic. What we mean by that isn't that either person was predetermined to adopt a certain , but that the temperament they were born with caused them to be drawn to the beliefs they would ultimately adopt.
Temperament is heritable to some extent. But temperament does not consist of a particular set of ideas or premises. Consider the matter of being sociable vs being wrapped up in self. The former might give rise to an ideology of sharing and the latter to an ideology of hold on to what one possesses. The first might more likely believe in charity and the second not so much.
ruveyn
10 Nov 2010, 10:20 pm
ruveyn wrote:
ChrisVulcan wrote:
I have no trouble believing that there is a "liberal gene". I wouldn't say that your political, philosophical, or religious idealogies are predetermined as much as they give you a predisposition. For instance, my mother is a Protestant, but my maternal grandmother is Catholic. Despite going to Catholic elementary school, middle school, high school, and college, my mother eventually became a Protestant. We still say that my mother was just born Protestant. On the other hand, my grandmother, I am convinced to this day, was born Catholic. What we mean by that isn't that either person was predetermined to adopt a certain , but that the temperament they were born with caused them to be drawn to the beliefs they would ultimately adopt.
Temperament is heritable to some extent. But temperament does not consist of a particular set of ideas or premises. Consider the matter of being sociable vs being wrapped up in self. The former might give rise to an ideology of sharing and the latter to an ideology of hold on to what one possesses. The first might more likely believe in charity and the second not so much.
ruveyn
That's what I'm saying. My grandmother wasn't born believing in Catholicism, but her temperament made her more drawn to the culture in the Catholic church. Ditto for my mother, a Protestant.
_________________
Well, I was on my way to this gay gypsy bar mitzvah for the disabled when I suddenly thought, "Gosh, the Third Reich's a bit rubbish. I think I'll kill the Fuhrer." Who's with me?
Watch Doctor Who!
10 Nov 2010, 11:27 pm
ChrisVulcan wrote:
That's what I'm saying. My grandmother wasn't born believing in Catholicism, but her temperament made her more drawn to the culture in the Catholic church. Ditto for my mother, a Protestant.
I'm not sure that emotional approach speaks to the Catholic Church now since I mostly associate it with my upbringing at a Catholic school in the 1990s. You can probably find a more emotional approach or a more stoic one by parish more than the Catholic Church as a whole. Catholics tend to accept the legitimacy of the Church hierarchy (obviously), but other than that, there's a wide difference of temperament and attitudes (the hardcore conservatives dominate the bishop hierarchy, and some of the laity and some groups of monks/nuns are more concerned with social justice). Some Protestant churches are extremely emotional (Pentecostalism); some very angry and condemning; some very stoic and bourgeois.
