Is Leftism a kind of Religion?

[TreeBeard]

2 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

1. Both religion and leftism offer a sense of community and belonging to their followers.
2. Both provide a set of values and beliefs that shape the worldview of their adherents.
3. Both can inspire passionate devotion and commitment to a cause or ideology.
4. Both offer a "vision" of a better future, whether it be in the form of salvation or a more just society, ending in disaster if allowed political power. 
5. Both can be criticised for being dogmatic and intolerant of dissenting views.

Can you say the exact same things about the libertarian right?

Edited April 9, 2023 by TreeBeard

[TreeBeard]

2 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

No, Libertarians are not such sheep as ultra-religious and radical leftists folk are.

With a libertarian you can actually reason, as for the other two, Almighty needs to bless one with patience to listen at such cultist positions, regardless if it's religious or leftism mob movements. 

So, a political stance is only a religion when you say it is.  Got it.  

[Legato]

7 minutes ago, TreeBeard said:

Can you say the exact same things about the libertarian right?

Libertarian's follow tenets from both sides of the political spectrum.

[CdnFox]

2 hours ago, dialamah said:

Yet it is the right-wing Florida government that wants to ban a book's mention of Rosa Parks race. So much for the right's vaunted defenders of free speech.

No, that's just misinformation from the left. It's a lie.  Post any information showing that they  are proposing an actual ban on the book.
And there's the real difference between the right and left - the left HAS to lie to try to make it's point where the truth serves the right just fine.

[TreeBeard]

7 minutes ago, Legato said:

Libertarian's follow tenets from both sides of the political spectrum.

That still doesn’t make “leftism” a religion.   And libertarianism can still fit all 5 of the criteria above in the post that I was responding to.  

[TreeBeard]

3 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

This is all you have for today? 

Huh?

Are you trying to declare a “win”?   What a lazy way to disagree with someone. 

Edited April 9, 2023 by TreeBeard

[TreeBeard]

5 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

How can you make such a statement and expect me not to dismantle you?

Stop being lazy….  You deleted that part, but put this part in your very next post.  Next you’ll be claiming that you pwned me.  

[dialamah]

20 minutes ago, CdnFox said:

No, that's just misinformation from the left. It's a lie.  Post any information showing that they  are proposing an actual ban on the book.
And there's the real difference between the right and left - the left HAS to lie to try to make it's point where the truth serves the right just fine.

https://www.theroot.com/really-ron-desantis-you-want-schools-to-talk-about-ros-1850236824

Ever listened to Trump and his cultists?  Tell me again how the right is so "truthful."

 

[TreeBeard]

4 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

Anyhow, seeing how now you are moving the conversation to me.

Who’s the one claiming victory in their posts?   You “dismantled” me.  “Is that all you got”?   Who is actually straying the conversation to the personal?  I can see it makes you feel like a prize fighter vanquishing his foe with a knockout punch!  But, it’s all self-declared fakery.  

Edited April 9, 2023 by TreeBeard

[TreeBeard]

Just now, Contrarian said:

You made a statement that Leftism and Religious folk are (=) to Libertarianism, as a response to my opinion.

No, I didn’t.  I made a statement that points out your criteria are arbitrary and can be used for anything being called a religion if you simply assert that it is.   Assertions are all you and @blackbird have got. 

[CdnFox]

12 minutes ago, dialamah said:

https://www.theroot.com/really-ron-desantis-you-want-schools-to-talk-about-ros-1850236824

So NO BOOKS HAVE BEEN BANNED AT ALL!!!!!  So you lied. As suspected.  And in fact there's no actual threat of banning a book - they're just worried that the schools HE"S IN CHARGE OF may not find their textbooks suitable and may not buy them, . Maybe. 

Well - there's going to be a lot of textbooks the school doesn't find suitable because they're only going to pick one for that grade and subject and so a bunch will wind up disappointed. Not buying a book is not the same as banning it.

Further - the books can mention her race just fine. What they can't say is that white people are bad and black people are good. But they can mention her name and that she was black all they want.

So another lie.

12 minutes ago, dialamah said:

Ever listened to Trump and his cultists?  Tell me again how the right is so "truthful."

 

He's more honest than you apperently   You just lied your ass off and tried to pawn it off as trump's fault? Nice try.

And considering trump isn't president or even the nominee, he doesn't speak for conservatives.

Conservatives care about the truth - ALL the left does is lie these days. Anyone who doesn't support that lie is considered right wing (even if they've been on the left of center all their lives).  IT's pathetic.

Edited April 9, 2023 by CdnFox

[blackbird]

54 minutes ago, TreeBeard said:

That’s for sure!  Like…. Possibly all of them.  

I never said all religion is false.  Do you believe Leftism is a true religion?  It has the marks of religion as the article explains, but only a man-made religion.

[WestCanMan]

5 hours ago, bcsapper said:

Holy cow!  Is that how your religion acts? 

What bastards!

TBH, it has in the past. 

Alt-leftism is in that stage right now.

Not many people see it from the inside: no one ever thinks of their own religion as being the bad guys. Some warning signs are listed above but of course you don't want to tamper with your 'hard-earned sense of bliss', right?

If you think that crimes by the police are warranted to prevent non-violent, legal activity then you're not in a good place. Same applies if you think that freezing the bank accounts of people who aren't committing crimes is ok. If you think it's ok to force people to take a drug which they don't need and which has been proven to be almost valueless, and also has dangerous side-effects, you're not a decent person.

I know what your answer will be, more ignorance and deflection. One day you'll back on this stage of your life with a deep sense of shame. 

[blackbird]

4 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Ok, so if you think that it's harmful don't you think it should be banned? 

Freedom of association is part of the Charter of Rights; therefore how would you ban a political party you don't agree with?  I know they do that in places like Iran or China where any group that does not follow the party line is illegal or banned.  But maybe you're trying to trick me into saying they should be banned.  Am I correct?

[WestCanMan]

4 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Ok, so if you think that it's harmful don't you think it should be banned?  As long as we can hate speech, why wouldn't we ban pro socialist speech?

Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

I'd rather have people say their things in the open where they can be exposed for what they are than have them whispered to people who lack the capacity to see them for what they are. 

That's why teachers didn't want parents listening in on their classes while the kids were at home during covid. 

[WestCanMan]

1 hour ago, TreeBeard said:

So, you’re saying that acting like a religion is a negative thing?

Touche 

[TreeBeard]

26 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

I can see this got you agitated.

LOL

There you go making everything personal again and declaring victory.  This is a pattern, from your drinking thread all about you, to your centrist thread about how you’re above it all and no one is as great a centrist as you, to personalizing a thread when you don’t think someone is a “real centrist”. 
 

Declare victory, as I am not responding to your nonsense.  

[WestCanMan]

1 hour ago, TreeBeard said:

That’s for sure!  Like…. Possibly all of them.  
 

Can you explain what gaudy vestments leftists are wearing?  

Pink hair. Blue hair. Nose rings. Facial tattoos. Eyebrow rings. 

Anybody who looks like a troll doll come to life is a full-blown leftist.

Quote

What are the rituals and chants?  

Full initiates chant: "What do we want? DEAD COPS! When do we want it? NOW!" and

"Pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon."

 

The group is rife with slogans/platitudes like:

"Orange man bad!"

"Seditious mobs."

"Reparations"

"Insurrection/Mostly peaceful protests."

"De-Fund police!"

"Global warming."

"Bodily autonomy."

"The vaccine/no bodily autonomy for you.

"RACISTS AND MISOGYNISTS!"

"Pro-choice."

 

Like an exorcist armed with the cross and the holy water, the woke crusader goes forth with a quiver full of baseless accusations and platitudes. 

Edited April 9, 2023 by WestCanMan

[TreeBeard]

26 minutes ago, blackbird said:

I never said all religion is false.  Do you believe Leftism is a true religion?  It has the marks of religion as the article explains, but only a man-made religion.

What is the definition of leftism that you’re using, and what is your definition of religion.  Let’s make sure we’re discussing the same thing. 

[TreeBeard]

1 minute ago, WestCanMan said:

Pink hair. Blue hair. Nose rings. Facial tattoos. Eyebrow rings. 

Is that fundamentally different than this?  If so, how?

 

4 minutes ago, WestCanMan said:

The group is rife with slogans/platitudes like:

Like “lock her up”, or “let’s go Brandon”?, etc, etc. 
 

Again, how are they different?

[TreeBeard]

4 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

When you can not hold to ideas, you talk about my drinking thread. Just like the right wing trolls that attack me when I disarm them too.

You post about it on a public forum every single day and get upset if someone mentions the thread?   LOL

As predicted, you declared victory once again!  ✌️ 

[TreeBeard]

Just now, Contrarian said:

OMG, who said I am getting upset?

EXACTLY!!!

Thank you for noticing!  
 

Quote

 I can see this got you agitated. 

Let’s admit that I’m not agitated and you’re not upset. 

[TreeBeard]

2 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

You gave into emotion and attacked me straight under the belt.

But, you can’t help yourself can you?   I’m done with conversing with you on this or any topic. 

[WestCanMan]

1 hour ago, Contrarian said:

1. Both religion and leftism offer a sense of community and belonging to their followers.
2. Both provide a set of values and beliefs that shape the worldview of their adherents.
3. Both can inspire passionate devotion and commitment to a cause or ideology.
4. Both offer a "vision" of a better future, whether it be in the form of salvation or a more just society, ending in disaster if allowed political power. 
5. Both can be criticised for being dogmatic and intolerant of dissenting views.

The glee club do 1-4. Sports teams do that as well.

5 comes close, but it's a watered-down version of the reality. 

5 is more like: both are completely dogmatic, intolerant to (even violent towards) dissenting views, and react angrily to logic, facts, and common sense.

 

What makes leftism a religion is the suspended sense of disbelief, the utter devotion to believing things without evidence, and the complete unwillingness to allow any cognitive dissonance in to muddy the waters.

What pushes leftists into the realm of cultism is their violence towards truth, logic and reason. (Some snicker and say that the difference between a cult and a religion is a living God, for me the dividing line is the existence of harm. Self-harm, the willingness to cause intentional harm to non-believers, harming family members through things like anti-vaxing or banning transfusions, destroying members financially to make them dependents, auditing members for the purpose of extortion, etc. If your religion involves/requires some form of harm then it's a cult)

[TreeBeard]

Just now, WestCanMan said:

What makes leftism a religion is the suspended sense of disbelief, the utter devotion to believing things without evidence,

What beliefs do they hold that are without evidence?