On violence

On her blog, my friend Rev. Elizabeth asked for theories about why we observe increasingly violent language towards the progressive / liberal side of church and secular divides from the right. I offered some thoughts.

Over the last few days, I was a victim, enduring and finally shutting off a rant about my allegedly evil 'liberalism.' (By the bye, I am a conservative economic Republican voter.)

I have excerpted, revised and expanded my note to Rev. Elizabeth below. Here then my thoughts on why we are (and we are!) seeing increasingly violent language towards women, homosexuals, and progressive liberal folk generally but especially Christians; and why it is coming in large part from women.


There are a fair number of people who need to know that they are in their niche. A quick (re-)reading of "Escape From Freedom" by Fromm is helpful in understanding this viewpoint. I don't understand such people, but I am culturally attuned to my Rom and Magyar heritage, which is not about niches!

Among the 'niche people' some believe that an accident of birth, gender, skin color, ethnicity, or academic accomplishment entitles them to positions of wealth, power or both. So, as white (generally) males or females attached to white men, they expect things they do not have.

They look at their niche, and at those who have what they think they should have. And they seek out common characteristics, which may or may not exist. When they can't find them, they assign them.

As they fail to get what they think of as entitlement, they become increasingly frustrated and angry. And then the violence emerges.

I think of the women who are prepared to oppose inclusion, and suggest they fit the theory. They are 'good girls' who would never think a sexual thought about another woman (yeah sure) another man, or even about themselves if it diminished their husband's (err,) performance. They see women getting things they either desire or want to have vicariously via the men in their lives, and the frustration builds.

So, if we elect a lesbian bishop of Chicago Saturday, another case of a 'good girl' not getting to be the wife of a 'good man' who is bishop appears. Clearly there must be a lesbian conspiracy! All this will work for the men who offer only sexuality as a superior factor. A man who is actually considered for bishop is not all that upset when someone else wins, but those not even considered, they are upset!

In a real sense the schism is a failure of one definition of 'good' triumphing over 'evil.'

In the church, we know which way the legal actions are going, and we can observe the fate of the incredible shrinking continuum. What sort of victory puts the 'good,' white, straight clergy and people under the rule of black bishops? From their perspective that is a problem! The fate of REC, now so small it can hardly be discerned, the 'continuum' which is so fractured that some 'true Anglican' polities have more bishops than congregations, that is not the future that being white, and right should produce or so they seem to think.

Envy. At the end of the day, that is my verdict. Envy, 'coveting' to use the KJV word, is at work. If a black female lesbian gets something, then a white male straight did not get it. If one is incapable of admitting they lost on merit, one creates and finds the conspiracy.

Ironic in my view is this: the people leading this lunacy are elites. Does anyone think bishop of Fort Worth or of Pittsburgh is a low level gig? The rant I endured came from a lawyer who owns his own successful firm. No food stamps in that family!

Envy eats the soul. Let it get hold of you and you are in deep trouble. Start claiming that conspiracy has taken your 'birthright' and you are in even deeper. That way lies danger.

I should be incomplete if I did not mention another group whose viewpoint is very similar. The Islamic terrorists read Q'ran to say that if one is a good Muslim, one should be in a theocracy that rewards and advances good Muslims. So a 'Muslim country' should be wealthy, its people wealthy, healthy and happy. If that is not so, a 'great Satan' must have stolen from Allah's people. Which is why the term 'great Satan' for the US tells us so much about those people.

Yes this does suggest that the violent language of the right wing schismatics is on the same road as Al Qida. In a very real way, I see it as the same soul corrupting path of envy.

Luck in the shadows! (A Rom blessing)