Why are people so self-righteous?
From spending time on social media each day, I have concluded that the US is full of self-righteous people. The biggest offenders are vegans, anti-abortion advocates and the religious right. Perhaps Americans have always been this way, but I suspect things are worse now than in the past because these self-righteous folks now have a public platform to promote their righteous beliefs.
See, I pretty much follow a live-and-let-live philosophy of life. And I really resent being told how I should feel about something or which rules I should follow in my life. I am more than capable of making my own decisions. I don't need some zealot telling me that what I do or eat or believe is wrong. The positions espoused by these people are not morally superior to those held by others, despite what they may claim.
I might be following a post on Facebook about a terrible case of animal abuse when -- you can bet on it -- somebody will say something like "How can you be so upset about an animal when millions of babies are murdered every year and nobody cares?" I have several problems with this. First, abortion is legal in the United States. Second, most of those so-called 'babies' are little more than clumps of cells with no consciousness and no ability to survive outside the womb. Third, my impression of the so-called 'pro-life' movement is that they really don't care about the child or mother once the child is born. So they really should be called 'pro birth' advocates. Fourth, what have these people done to help the situation? How many children have they adopted or otherwise supported? Finally, nobody is forced to undergo an abortion against their wishes. Abortion is a choice, and it should remain such.
Vegans aren't quite as self-righteous as the anti-abortion crowd. Again, in comments following a post about an egregious case of animal abuse, invariably someone will chime in about the billions of farm animals (sorry, farmed animals in veganspeak) killed to feed people every year. With vegans, it seems to be an all-or-none issue. Either people are animal killers, or they are vegans. I abhor animal cruelty, and I do what I can to avoid things that involve cruelty of any kind. But I cannot be vegan. While I haven't eaten pork for decades or beef for several years, I still eat poultry, fish and eggs. I switched to vanilla almond milk a couple of year ago to avoid the cruelty inherent in the dairy industry, but I enjoy yogurt and cheese on a regular basis. I won't eat anything that is boiled alive (lobster and crabs, for example), and I find shrimp to be disgusting. I won't eat any kind of fish that is endangered, such as swordfish. I eat eggs, but I buy eggs only from free range chickens. If I am someplace where something is served that I don't or won't eat, for whatever reason, I simply don't take any of that particular food. I don't make a scene, and I don't lecture about the evils of pork or any other food.
That brings us to the religious right, those so-called Christians who believe everyone else should be compelled to live according to their religious principles. Those on the religious right are to my mind the most hypocritical, self-righteous people around. They see nothing wrong with discriminating against gays and lesbians as they strive to protect "the sanctity of marriage," when so many of the 'righteous' are guilty of multiple divorces and adultery. How many of these so-called religious leaders have been found to have adulterous relationships and frequent visits to prostitutes? And I resent the in-your-face brand of Christianity these people espouse. If they oppose the gay lifestyle, they should avoid it. If they are anti birth control or anti abortion, they should reject birth control and abortion for themselves. But don't try to force your beliefs, regardless of how strongly you adhere to them, on others. The US was founded as a secular society where people are free to practice whatever religion -- or follow no religion -- they so choose. Christian beliefs should not be taught in public schools other than in a comparative religion course or lesson. The populace that doesn't follow the beliefs of the Christian right should not be forced to live according to their interpretation of the Bible.
I also strongly dislike Christians who feel it necessary to make a public show of their faith. I seem to recall something in the Bible about saying one's prayers in private and not making a show of praying. Wearing a cross around the neck is fine. I have no issues with that. But is it really necessary to point to the sky or kneel every time a football player scores a touchdown or a baseball player hits a home run? Utter a private prayer of thanks if need be, but self-aggrandizement is offensive. Do they really believe that God helped them score that touchdown or hit that home run?
The bottom line for me is the ability to consider both sides of an issue and then decide for myself how to live my life and what to believe. I, like millions of others, have my own moral compass. Trying to force me to think a particular way or follow a certain way of living will not work. I resent the efforts by some to inflict their way of thinking and living on me. I don't care which religion, if any, people follow. I have friends who are Christian (both Catholic and Protestant), Jewish and Muslim, and a few who are atheist or agnostic. All are fine with me. Follow whatever religion makes you happy. But don't try to force your beliefs -- about religion, abortion or veganism -- on others.
Somehow these actions make these 'righteous' folks seem anything but.
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