This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
There’s hardly a case in the Old Testament where God’s love and mercy does not hinge on recognition and submission. See how Christ came in the sign of Jonah: the mercy of God is by swallowing Jonah in a whale when God produced a storm to traumatize him for failing to heed His desire. And Jonah was only released when he “called out to the Lord”, declaring “salvation belongs to the Lord”. Jonah’s mission of mercy was to warn Ninevah of the consequences of their sin: “Yet forty days and Ninevah will be overthrown!” As a response, the Ninevans fasted, sat in ashes, called out to God, and turned from their evil ways.
You write that there is an “enculturated dismissal of Christians as hateful bigots that the world has worked so hard to cement”, and I have to say, I dont think this is what is stopping people from being Christian to any significant degree. These people have met Christians, they have passed church signs, they have already seen ads, they have already imbibed the cool-aid Christ that acts like a hippie, they’ve seen the reels or tik toks by Christians before. They actually have an image in their mind of a much weaker and accepting Jesus, I bet. And we don’t actually see the standard irreligious American choose their social identification based on what people are nicest. They don’t chase the jobs which allow them to be nicest to those in need, they chase the job that gives them money. (There’s not a waiting list for retirement community volunteers.) They buy the product that gives them status. They listen to the self-aggrandizing, self-worshipful hymns of rappers. They want the university that gives them status. They care a lot about their hairlines and jawlines. They watch shows and model their identity based off of characters who are cool and beautiful. They are, you know, animals with instincts, like you and me. Or at least just me. The girls used to like Kim Kardashian, now they adore Taylor Swift. The boys like Andrew Tate or John Wick. Humans like high status people, not nice people. I mean, maybe Taylor Swift is nice, but she doesn’t sing songs about washing feet and loving homeless people. Her
liturgiesmusic videos are filled with status signifiers and handsome men.If there are ads that can make people watch movies for three hours, there are ads that can make people pick up some Christian literature or attend a church once. Do you think anyone is watching a movie about the nicest man in existence? The top movies of 2023 are the heroic spider man and the beautiful Barbie.
Yes
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link