This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.

Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
That is definitely not the only or even predominant Christian view outside of Calvinists and related sects. For instance Catholics do not view original sin through prism of guilt, original sin is contracted, not committed. Orthodox Christians actually use different vocabulary, the call it Ancestral Sin.
Yes, seeking redemption is the way how you do it. I did not want to go into details of soteriology as there are even more profound differences in as with what is the nature of grace, what is the nature of justification, sanctification and glorification etc.
As for the rest you are also too hung up on details here, which is strange as as you have no problem saying that Communism and Wokeism “borrowed” this concept. You defined Original Sin narrowly toward Calvinist tradition. Of course you will find out that it is unique. I framed Original Sin as more general concept specifically related to nature of the world and human. Of course various religions or even specific heresies will differ on specifics of cosmology and related human ontology and harmatiology - including Communism and Wokism.
Incorrect partially. You were born with white privilege - but this privilege is bestowed upon you by oppressive system of white supremacy, it is not inside your ontological nature. It is the system that is corrupt. You have to of course do proper progressive work, accept and profess your privilege, listen to people of color as they posses superior standpoint epistemological position etc. But this work is related to dismantling the oppressive system so that future whites are no longer corrupted and we live in true and voluntary equity. I'd argue that there is no true personal atonement in progressivim, you are shaped by material conditions of the systems of opression, to “atone” is to change and ideally abolish these systems, so you and future generations will be shaped differently. There is just endless work in Theory-Praxis cycle for everybody, as we all possess some kind of privilege even black women can be cis etc.
More options
Context Copy link