Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Politics and Religion
All or Nothing? Or Some?

All or Nothing? Or Some?

Last updated on: June 30, 2022 at 8:57 am by Gene Veith

0 Comments

All or Nothing? Or Some? 2022-06-30T08:57:24-04:00 Gene Veith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We blogged about some conflicts among “woke,” “intersectional” progressives. Another conflict has broken out over tactics and focus. Some activists are insisting that the only goal worth pursuing is to achieve the whole progressive agenda. Others, while believing in that agenda, believe that it is more pragmatic to pursue one issue at a time.

So reports founding editor John F. Harris in Politico in an article entitled The Left Goes to War with Itself. He says that this conflict is paralyzing progressive efforts, both in the Democratic Party and in issue-advocacy groups, even as they face what looks to be a conservative tsunami in upcoming elections.

One side, applying the doctrine of intersectionality, believes that all progressive issues–economics, the environment, gay rights, trans rights, abortion, racial justice, feminism, gun control, etc.–are connected and cannot be separated from each other. As a result, they insist on doctrinal purity, as it were, and will not work with anyone not equally committed. The other side is willing to do what it takes to pass their favored policies, even when it means forging temporary coalitions with people who oppose them on other issues.

Here is how Harris explains it:

One way to think of the contest roiling the progressive movement is between “lumpers” and “splitters.” The lumpers see American society in need of a sustained and comprehensive overhaul, and are wary of people, even potential allies, who don’t share this synoptic worldview. A core assumption is a commitment to “intersectionality” — the concept that contemporary power arrangements reflect historic and overlapping patterns of discrimination on grounds of race, class and gender and that progress on specific issues must include challenging the underlying power structure.

The splitters prefer to take one issue at a time, and are happy to accept an ally on, say, climate change or gun control, even if that person doesn’t share their views on abortion rights or how to remedy systemic police violence against Black people. In their view the choice isn’t sweeping progress versus incremental gains. It is incremental gains versus no progress at all.

He draws on another article on the “meltdowns” that are occurring throughout leftist organizations. These often consist of conflicts between leaders and staff members who are raising questions about sexism or racism in the organization itself and who are objecting to the organization’s ties to people who are not doctrinally pure.

Many organizations that were once single-issue advocacy groups have broadened their focus to implementing the entire progressive agenda. For example, the Sierra Club has become well-known as an environmentalist organization. Now its official definition of environmentalism includes the “environmental health of all communities, especially those communities that continue to endure deep trauma resulting from a legacy of colonialism, genocide, land theft, enslavement, racial terror, racial capitalism, structural discrimination, and exclusion.”

NARAL (originally the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws that now just goes by the acronym) is a leading pro-abortion organization. But now it also proclaims, “If your feminism doesn’t include trans women and girls, it’s not feminism. If your feminism doesn’t understand how anti-trans policies disproportionately impact BIPOC folks, particularly Black trans women and girls, it’s not feminism.”

Left-leaning pragmatists–for example, Hillary Clinton–worry that the “all or nothing” mindset will lose elections and prevent any part of their agenda from being accomplished.

The reversal of Roe v. Wade may unite progressives. But they will still have to decide if they can make common cause with libertarians on the right, which might be an effective coalition in the pro-abortion cause. The purists, though, will refuse to do that. And especially if their protests continue to be violent, that may turn the general public against them.

leftist organizations

progressives

Previous Post

June 29, 2022

A Thorough Statement of Faith

Next Post

July 1, 2022 What Web Sites Would You Recommend?

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"As a (retired) lawyer I see potential liability from sharing things like power or sharp ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"I am not sure the items you mentioned, though disused, discontinued, discarded, could be considered ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"“Friend, use me in your relations with your neighbor just as you would want your ..."

DakotaLutheran

Luther on Tools

"Archaeology: It's the case that we don't have to go back very far to discover ..."

DakotaLutheran

Luther on Tools

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category America Apologetics Art baseball Bible Blog Christ Church crime Culture Economics Education Ethics Family Food Football Government History Holidays Holy Week Humor International Islam Language Law Life Issues Literature Media Medicine Movies Music Nature News Personal Philosophy Politics psychology Reformation Religions Sacraments Science sex Social Science Sports technology television terrorism Theology Uncategorized Vocation war

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What miracle did Elijah perform for a widow at Zarephath?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Multiplied flour and oil Fed 5,000 Cured leprosy Turned water to wine

Books by This Author Books by Gene Veith

See All Titles »