[lbo-talk] a nation of thumpers

[Dissenting Wren]

Holden Village isn't a nest of thumpers.  The mainstream Protestant denominations stopped being Biblical literalists a long time ago.  Hell, they practically invented the methods of biblical criticism that make it impossible for any serious person to be a thumper. Unfortunately, these mainstream Protestant groups have been losing ground to the evangelical "thumpers" for a few decades now.  

________________________________
From: Julio Huato <juliohuato at gmail.com>
To: Lbo Talk Lbo Talk <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 9, 2011 10:14 AM
Subject: [lbo-talk] a nation of thumpers

Doug wrote:


> 30% of Americans take the bible literally; 49% see it
> as the inspired word of God; 17% see it as a book of
> legends

For a week, I've been spending time with a vibrant group of them
thumpers.  I'll be here until July 16: http://holdenvillage.org/

They invited me to "teach" them my secular (Marxist, I say) version of
socialism.  And I'm having the most interesting discussions on
socialism and politics I've had in a while.  It turns out that I can
learn more on socialism from them than I could ever "teach" them,
since they've managed to build a very robust and functional
*socialist* village in this secluded and beautiful place in the
mountains of Washington.

Believing that the Bible is God's word -- distorted or straight or
whatever -- is not necessarily an obstacle for people to join the
struggle for a better life.  Anything, even certain paralyzing,
nihilistic interpretations of Marxism, can be used as an excuse for
not moving or for fostering cynicism and alienation -- as if the
system didn't do enough of that already.  I'd rather have people
willing to fight, even if they use mysticism and faith on extranatural
forces to rationalize their fight.
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