Liberals should stop patronising believers

An editorial in the Guardian on Friday suggests that this year may be a good one for liberal Christians, and gives them a little pat on the back. 

The suggestion is based on four things: the churches have shown their social relevance during the pandemic; the incoming American president is a liberal Catholic; in his latest book Pope Francis has called for a ‘new humanism’; the leader of the Orthodox Church, Bartholomew I, has spoken in favour of social justice. It also notes that illiberal Christianity is going strong, citing Poland’s illiberalism on abortion, and Trump’s recent support from evangelicals, but it opts for optimism: liberal Christians have a vital role to play in creating ‘a less polarised, more fraternal public square’.

This sums up the liberal view of religion: some of it is surprisingly acceptable! Maybe we should not assume that religion is intrinsically backward, for it sometimes contributes to progressive political goals, and when it does so we should be welcoming rather than accusing it of being the nice face of bigotry.