The political problem with ridiculing people of faith

Bruce Wilson has an interesting critique of Michael Lerner over at Talk 2 Action. I agree with some of what he says and disagree with other things, and I’ve engaged in a tiny bit of debate with him. In my most recent post, I noted:

I never feel attacked by the ACLU. I don't feel attacked by Americans United for Separation of Church and State or any of the other good organizations working so hard to keep that wall up between religion and government. What I feel is a personal attack that tends to blindside a person at dinner parties, on Internet forums and postings, and in a variety of other personal ways.

Some (not all) folks walking a secular path look down on and denigrate anyone of any sort of faith. The ridicule is real, and it can be pretty nasty. If I feel this as a very Leftist, very liberal person of faith, then anyone of a traditionally Christian and even a politically moderate bent might feel it even more. And if I am not just hallucinating this, then we in the anti-theocratic movement need to understand that this kind of anti-religion ridicule is hurting us politically.

In other words, the secular Left cannot expect to be able to make common cause with and work with people of faith, even those who agree with them, if individual secularists continue to make fun of people with a spiritual life.

Some of my other comments on Lerner can be found at:

Love and Fred Phelps

While the Left Abdicates...