And the higher the status of the group, the more power can be gained by the advocates. At that point, is there ever any incentive to abandon the story? No, because as a group rises in status, there is power to be had in advocacy for the group. How many powerful groups got their “start” in marginalization? The Catholic Church and Christians in general? Other groups that are so powerful that one might be called a bigot just for stating that they are powerful?Ī story of persecution is useful for attracting empathy and support, even after a group has recovered from its marginalization. I understand that from your perspective, as a gay man, the defining Puritan ethos is one of vicious repression, but I think there are larger truths we can learn once we understand the genesis of the Puritans as a “marginalized community.” Namely, the Puritans were once the rebels and the outcasts. I find your argument regarding the new censoriousness of the LGBTQ community to miss some important context. Responding to my latest column on “our gay inheritance,” a reader actually hits on some themes discussed by Pinker and me:
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