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Culture wars

TheCatWoman

We keep being told, especially by right wing political parties that our Judeo-Christian western culture and values are under threat from various places mostly Islam, but then I think they forget that Islam has the same roots as Chrisitianity and Judaism, they see the old testament as thier foundation too.

But are we really are we really a christian country anymore? I know a couple of people who go to church, but from what I see very few people actually identify as christian, I certainly don't. I agree that many of our values such as democracy and stuff have grown up alongside christianity and often in spite of it, but I see many of those values as having thier roots in secularism.

I also think that a lot of what's put forward as culture wars are really just a bunch of people who are too lazy to think about the feelings of others, who want to hurt others and proscribe thier liberties and choices. A survey I saw some years ago reckoned that for many middle aged white men 20% representation of groups other than thier's was anough for them to feel some sort of existential threat. In other words, they no longer have the privilages that they believe and have been brought up to believe belong to them.

One of the questions that keeps coming back to me is, what are these western judeo-christian values supposed to be? As an historian, when I look at the conversion periods of several countries I see a removal of rights, proscription of behaviours beliefs and parctices and enforcement of others often at sword point or other threats of violence. I'm thinking particulalry of the fate of one of the worlds greatest mathmaticians, Hypatia of Alexandria, set upon and flayed publically with pot sherds for daring to be an intelligent woman, or Iceland and Lituania who were told to convert to christianity or face invasion, this was all before the Crusades of which we are encouraged to revel in.

As I say I think modern western values have happened despite christianity not because of it and various church groups have co-opted them so as they can attempt to stay relevant when people get sick of the hypocracy.

Parents

  • I can answer many of your questions being a white middle aged man. I will try not to stray into too much politics , or upset anybody. My political views are very mixed , right wing on immigration and net zero and left on economey and the rich. 

    Basically change is the biggest issue. I grew up in the 70's and 80's in a 95% white society on a council estate. Back then everybody worked, being on benefits was shameful, Christianity was the norm(I am agnostic BTW) and people were basically all the same. If you were non white British you fitted in with everybody else. That situation really still existed into the laste 90's being slowley eroded. I have been to places in London that were 80% immigrant, thats not my country, but it has been allowed to happen all over the western world.

    One of the tings that really annoys people like me is we are not supposed to have any prejudice and we are not supposed to have any opinions that are now main stream. To those on the left I am considered racist because I see color, its how my brain is wired, it wont change. I dont activley do anything related to that persons color but I notice it and may have stereo typical feelings about them. Millions of us are the same. Its like with the Trans stuff , you can identify as a chicken as far as I care, but you are still either a man or a woman. 

    I have a big mistrust of relegion, I was baptised and went to a standard non religious school where we sang hyms and prayed. I believe in nothing, its just not for me. I am all for relegious freedom, but also the right to critizise relegion. This is why Islam is very much disliked by people like me. They are stuck in the 7th century, treat women and 'gays' apallingly and take no critisim.

    Before Christmas we relocated 200 miles to a rural area. Its like stepping back 30 years. The only non white faces you see run the post office, and indian and Chinese restuarants. I think the last census showed about 4% ethnics out of 4000. Thats how it used to be, no mosques, no GP surgery translators like where I came from, its a reall community and I love it. 

    I hope I have not upset anybody but the OP did ask the question. Sorry about any bad spelling too, not my strong point!

    Rob

  • in reply to NAS65321
    NAS65321 said:
    To those on the left I am considered racist because I see color, its how my brain is wired, it wont change.

    You see colour, as do most of the population in the UK and the world, and yes, in simplistic terminology, it’s how most of our brains are wired, autistic or non autistic. That does not prevent a person from treating others with the respect and dignity that every human being deserves.

Reply
  • in reply to NAS65321
    NAS65321 said:
    To those on the left I am considered racist because I see color, its how my brain is wired, it wont change.

    You see colour, as do most of the population in the UK and the world, and yes, in simplistic terminology, it’s how most of our brains are wired, autistic or non autistic. That does not prevent a person from treating others with the respect and dignity that every human being deserves.

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