I appreciate the Christian perspective on this, because the cult of kindness is also alive and thriving in many American buddhist communities. For me, spiritual growth has required looking at some of my-less-than-kind thoughts, not denying that I regularly experience negative emotions like anger, and working realistically with the human condition as I experience it. As such, I haven’t really felt supported in delving into my “shadow” side in many of the Buddhist communities who are very wrapped up in self identifying as “good people.” Striving toward goodness is admirable, but wanting to believe one is automatically more kind because they are a buddhist or a liberal, to me is living with a kind of wishful thinking that prohibits spiritual growth.
Although I regularly vote Democrat and support a lot of progressive policy initiatives, I have found myself questioning a lot of the ideology and philosophical assumptions behind progressivism and liberalism in recent years. For me this has drawn me toward a dialectic between progressivism and traditionalism, not assuming one side is completely right, or even that both sides are equally right, but that there are aspects in both progressivism and traditionalism which genuinely serve different people in different ways, and that the two can be in dialogue with one another. I appreciate your nuanced writing on the gender issues; I think a lot of people are looking for this type of nuance, but feel uncomfortable admitting they are not 100% on one side or the other of the culture wars.
I think part of the tension I try to hold personally is to see all my opinions and all my questions about issues as part of my own “working hypothesis” that is in flux and open to revision with new information or experience ...
And I try to allow the rest of the world that same permission to alternate between being opinionated irrationally and then softening or changing their opinions.
As a mystic, I am increasingly aware of how we construct and deconstruct shared and personal realities... And respect, curiosity, and courage have become as important to me as kindness or “correctness”.
Wow, Rebekah! Powerfully articulate. I self-identify as a post-progressive Christian these days. That doesn't make me anti-progressive. I still passionately support LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors. But I have also noticed in the last year a number of progressive thinkers (Christian or not) who are more and more wrestling with questions about various issues of gender stuff. I have come across progressives who express anxiety about expressing public doubt, dissent, or even sincere questions about gender issues. This ongoing development has stirred my own questions about various gender issues in DEI conversations. I appreciate your own unique voice expressed here.
Glad you linked this article since I missed it before. I agree with others that you captured nuances here in a helpful way. My thoughts after reading are that we can start with a big picture view -- people have a right to speak for themselves and their own experience -- and then understand that applying our stance to real life situations is most always hard work, getting into the nuts and bolts and working out solutions. As others have said, a multiplicity of values comes into play: compassion, courage, respect, boundaries ... and especially a recognition that needs among people often clash with no clear "right" answer.
And not loving people for who they are is unloving.
Obviously, it isn't just Christians who are transphobes, but it always seems like it is the Christians who will blather on and on about how loving they are, before they say asinine hateful crap like this: "The truth is, as a nurse who has seen medical fads and “expert opinion” wax and wane like the phases of the moon, and under heavy influence from pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, I am deeply concerned about the increasing medicalization of children, teenagers, and young adults by transactivists, and the irreparable harm that may result."
So thank you for reminding me, yet again, why I'm glad to no longer be a Christian. Congratulations!
I appreciate the Christian perspective on this, because the cult of kindness is also alive and thriving in many American buddhist communities. For me, spiritual growth has required looking at some of my-less-than-kind thoughts, not denying that I regularly experience negative emotions like anger, and working realistically with the human condition as I experience it. As such, I haven’t really felt supported in delving into my “shadow” side in many of the Buddhist communities who are very wrapped up in self identifying as “good people.” Striving toward goodness is admirable, but wanting to believe one is automatically more kind because they are a buddhist or a liberal, to me is living with a kind of wishful thinking that prohibits spiritual growth.
Although I regularly vote Democrat and support a lot of progressive policy initiatives, I have found myself questioning a lot of the ideology and philosophical assumptions behind progressivism and liberalism in recent years. For me this has drawn me toward a dialectic between progressivism and traditionalism, not assuming one side is completely right, or even that both sides are equally right, but that there are aspects in both progressivism and traditionalism which genuinely serve different people in different ways, and that the two can be in dialogue with one another. I appreciate your nuanced writing on the gender issues; I think a lot of people are looking for this type of nuance, but feel uncomfortable admitting they are not 100% on one side or the other of the culture wars.
Very well said, Rebekah!
I think part of the tension I try to hold personally is to see all my opinions and all my questions about issues as part of my own “working hypothesis” that is in flux and open to revision with new information or experience ...
And I try to allow the rest of the world that same permission to alternate between being opinionated irrationally and then softening or changing their opinions.
As a mystic, I am increasingly aware of how we construct and deconstruct shared and personal realities... And respect, curiosity, and courage have become as important to me as kindness or “correctness”.
Wow, Rebekah! Powerfully articulate. I self-identify as a post-progressive Christian these days. That doesn't make me anti-progressive. I still passionately support LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors. But I have also noticed in the last year a number of progressive thinkers (Christian or not) who are more and more wrestling with questions about various issues of gender stuff. I have come across progressives who express anxiety about expressing public doubt, dissent, or even sincere questions about gender issues. This ongoing development has stirred my own questions about various gender issues in DEI conversations. I appreciate your own unique voice expressed here.
This is an amazingly thorough dissection of the issue for how succinct it is. Thank you for writing it.
Glad you linked this article since I missed it before. I agree with others that you captured nuances here in a helpful way. My thoughts after reading are that we can start with a big picture view -- people have a right to speak for themselves and their own experience -- and then understand that applying our stance to real life situations is most always hard work, getting into the nuts and bolts and working out solutions. As others have said, a multiplicity of values comes into play: compassion, courage, respect, boundaries ... and especially a recognition that needs among people often clash with no clear "right" answer.
I'm sorry but kindness is EVERYTHING.
And not loving people for who they are is unloving.
Obviously, it isn't just Christians who are transphobes, but it always seems like it is the Christians who will blather on and on about how loving they are, before they say asinine hateful crap like this: "The truth is, as a nurse who has seen medical fads and “expert opinion” wax and wane like the phases of the moon, and under heavy influence from pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, I am deeply concerned about the increasing medicalization of children, teenagers, and young adults by transactivists, and the irreparable harm that may result."
So thank you for reminding me, yet again, why I'm glad to no longer be a Christian. Congratulations!