Reading Richard Rohr’s critique of American conservatism and liberalism. Here’s his critique of liberals:
Liberals seem unable to call their own consumer lifestyles into question. They cannot see their complicity in the system and thus can’t radically critique it.
In my experience, liberalism creates suspicious people more than loving people. They begin by asking, “who has the power here?” instead of “how can I serve here?”
Liberals seem incapable of being part of a tainted anything: food, institutions,histories, explanations, groups, churches, and most especially authority structures of any kind.
American liberalism, in my opinion, has no practical goal beyond maintaining personal and social freedom. “I choose therefore i am” might be its operational belief system.
All above tweets are from Richard Rohr.
Rohr on conservatives:
If liberals refuse to be part of the dirt of history, conservatives refuse to even see the dirt —at least in their own group!
If liberals refuse to be part of the dirt of history, conservatives refuse to even see the dirt —at least in their own group!
Conservatism’s basic sin is lack of courage, but also lack of exposure or education. It usually does not “know” about the dark side, the other side, the view from the bottom, or even from the top.
It confuses loyalty to systems with loyalty to God. Conservatives, in general, are so enamored with presidents and popes and precedents that there is never any room for prophecy or honest self-criticism.
