When Deconstruction Becomes Dogma
The new fundamentalists aren’t on the right
People who have followed the path of religious deconstruction and reinterpretation often pride themselves as open-minded, inclusive, progressive, and free of harmful dogmas. Such pride is increasingly unwarranted.
Deconstructionists have shown themselves quite often to be just as dogmatic and judgmental as the religious fundamentalists they claim to oppose.
We see this kind of “reasoning” or “thinking” — more like feeling — all the time on Medium. There are countless “ex-Christians” and “exvangelicals,” for example, attacking the beliefs and practices of more traditional or orthodox (small o) Christians. Quite often, it comes down to “I hate Christianity because it teaches X and that hurt me, and now I’m free.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for religious freedom.
No government or law should force people to be a part of a religious community they don’t want to be a part of. I believe people should have the freedom to worship as they see fit — with whom they see fit. Or not worship at all, if that’s what they wish.
But this doesn’t mean that every individual’s logic is intellectually sound.
