In my experiences within both conservative and progressive Christian circles, there seems to be a kind of mutual playing in the politics of fear with regard to the other. On the conservative side, progressives are viewed as morally bankrupt libertine weaklings who lack the backbone to stand up to "the culture." In the words of one famous conservative preacher, this is because they are a bunch of ivory tower elites who are "educated beyond their intelligence."
But on the progressive side, the stereotyping and fear-mongering isn't much better. There is, in fact, an assumption that conservatives are less intelligent and largely uneducated. That they don't have access to or interest in the latest (Jesus Seminar) scholarship or philosophical trends. That they've never heard of - not to mention read - a gnostic gospel. And that they are thus a bunch of anti-science hayseeds whose opinions on a slew of moral issues are primitive and dangerous to society.
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