The following is an attempt at humor about stuff liberal Christians (LCs) like. Sometimes I identify with the LC, so don’t take this too seriously. And if it hits too close to home, here’s a post you might appreciate more: Stuff Young Calvinists Like. Any similarities between the two lists are entirely coincidental. :)
Stuff Liberal Christians Like
Approved Media. All LCs follow the Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and NPR. In that order. Following approved media indicates that you are an original thinker. The Daily Show receives the highest honors. It is watched religiously by all LCs, although they would object to the term “religious” as used in that context. It is preferable to watch approved media on your laptop rather than live on TV. Watching TV indicates an addiction to entertainment, plus the money used for your cable subscription could have been better spent on something worthwhile like fair trade coffee or Obama 2012. It is considered acceptable to listen to NPR live, as long as you read the Huffington Post at the same time. LCs also enjoy Bill Maher, but this requires a qualification. LCs strongly approve of Maher’s vulgarity and his misogynistic treatment of conservative women, however, his blanket hatred of anything remotely deistic is a minor cause for concern. If you replace “remotely deistic” with “fundamentalist”, this concern goes away. LCs also believe that you are a victim of propaganda if you like Fox News, Drudge, or Glenn Beck. Only the narrow minded listen to one side of the story.
Being Authentic. LCs place an extremely high priority on being authentic. You prove you are authentic by getting a tattoo, refusing to listen to contemporary Christian music, and by shopping at a co-op instead of Walmart.
Drinking Alcohol to Relax. If an LC asks what you do to relax, the correct answer is: “I like to have a glass of wine, and watch the Colbert Report online.” Make sure to point out that you’re only drinking one glass, and take care to correctly pronounce “Colbert” in French. They will smile and tell you that they prefer to drink light beer, listen to NPR, and read Bishop Spong. When it comes to relaxation, the correct answer always involves alcohol and approved media. Frequent references to alcohol help LCs prove that they have thrown off the legalism of their parents. This rule isn’t applicable to Catholic LCs.
Cursing Like a Sailor. All LCs curse. Dropping the F-bomb is a great way to parade one’s spirituality. Swearing is also used as a way of indicating one’s strong commitment to social justice issues. Thus it is important to swear only in the correct context. Here are some examples:
*BLEEP* They canceled the curb side recycling program! [Correct usage]
*BLEEP* My power bill has doubled since last year! [Incorrect usage]
Notice how the correct example addresses a social justice issue. That’s because curb side recycling impacts the poor, but rising power rates do not.
Barack Obama. LCs love Barack Obama. This is because of the color of his skin, not the content of his character. Of course, an LC will not admit this up front. If you ask an LC for specifics about what he likes about Obama, he will give you a disdainful look. If that doesn’t shut down the discussion, he will scream something about WMD’s and the evils of a theocracy. If you point out that Obama started several new Middle Eastern wars, and is spending your kid’s money today, he will accuse you of being a racist.
Rob Bell. LCs love Rob Bell. They particularity appreciate that he writes at a 5th grade reading level, in pithy one sentence paragraphs. LCs have read all of Bell’s books, and will often trot out this fact to impress you. What they neglect to mention is that it took them all of 15 minutes to read everything Bell has ever written, and that they did this while simultaneously listening to NPR. While LCs like Bell, they detest Mars Hill. LCs believe that all mega churches are evil. An exception cannot be made for Bell, even if he does wear cool glasses. LCs also despise the other Mars Hill run by Mark Driscoll, for obvious reasons. Driscoll is the worst kind of species – a fundamentalist complementarian who also drinks and curses. This messes up all of the LCs’ meta-narratives.
Palestine. The LCs position on Palestine is best understood by addressing an uncomfortable demographic fact. Most LCs are white. LCs experience a lot of self-hate over being part of a privileged group, and wish that they were a non-Jewish minority instead. LCs are always looking for ways to appear sympathetic to the plight of minorities (posting Facebook statuses is an excellent way) while at the same time taking great care to do nothing that might risk their own privileged status. The easiest and most non-threatening way to accomplish this goal is by placing the blame on Israel for the Palestinian conflict. If Israel would submit to Muslim control, all violence in the Middle East would end, and the world would become a peaceful place. LCs are also irritated that Israel even exists, because it’s an indication that God keeps his promises, and that all that end times crap just might be true.
The Word “Progressive”. LCs hate to be called liberal. The word conjures up images of overweight gray-haired white male politicians from Massachusetts. LCs prefer to be called “progressive”. Don’t confuse the two terms. Liberals take money from the rich. Progressives make sure that no one gets rich.
The NRSV. The NRSV is the preferred Bible translation for LCs. It uses gender neutral language, Calvinists hate it, and you can get it with the apocrypha. LCs haven’t actually read the apocrypha, but it’s important for them to have a Bible that contains it, as it gives evidence of their ecumenical spirit.
Important disclaimer: I’m 1/64 Cherokee. It’s very important for LCs to be aware of that fact, as it gives me carte blanche to write posts like this. :)
