roachboy,
Actually, in many ways I agree with what you wrote, but what I am trying to do is to create a new paradigm that goes beyond what I consider to be useless if not detrimental stereotypes, but instead goes to the heart of the issue.
In this case, I consider the heart of the issue to not be the martyrdom complex exhibited by Christian fundamentalists, but the martyrdom complex exhibited in general by all far-from-the-center individuals. To me, that is where the proper line is drawn.
If you look carefully, this redefining is a central theme in many of my posts, whether they be about AA or gay marriage or whatever.
My complaint about your approach is that I believe you are dealing with the symptoms and not the disease when you fail to acknowledge that there ARE cases where the same radical elements persecute Christians, the new paradigm again, being radical non-accepting elements.
What I believe my approach encourages is self examination because it moves away from identifying features that all to easily allow us to separate ourselves from what we are disparaging. In other words, if you are not an evangelical Christian, you must not be intolerant. Yet we both know that this is fallacious reasoning.
As to this particular issue, I am frequently offended by what the Religious Right do in the name of Christ.
But until I see someone of that ilk posting, I cannot engage them directly, and engaging people directly is what I find most enjoyable about this discussion board.
__________________
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis
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