When did religious conservatives start using liberal as an insult?

Question

I find it strange, being that the Bible repeatedly says "be ye liberal", and that liberal had such a positive connotation for so long, that it should suddenly change it's meaning.

What do they mean by liberal when they use it as an insult?

And when did the Communist/Monarchist insult get taken over by conservatives?

some informative answers, but Mark D has me most convinced so far. (my original question was when, he's got the best when)

I can't find the word liberal in the McGovern biographies I found. He seems just to be a war hero who doesn't want people to starve (kind of like the biblical definition of liberal)

ok, TECHX69, thank's for the date, but In know it was more than six years ago (my best friend mom's a big Limbaugh fan) .

Ali G, with Reagan is good. But as President or governor of California?

Answer 1

Liberal started becoming an embarassing description in the early 1970s, basically by the time that George McGovern was nominated.

Please look at my answer to this question, too.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As.u7eoSfWGemI1RJIEd4Prsy6IX?qid=20061224131233AAgoQBP&show=7#profile-info-b2be39c37b890669e768954c6f7b552faa
.

Answer 2

Liberalism is ok when it is practiced.

But todays America's liberals, are not real liberals.

They are against change of all types and devoid of new idea's or solutions to problems.

Conservatives offered many new programs and initiatives the last 6 years, and liberals always fought against them, with never an original idea or solution to offer in return.

In reality the liberals of today are Stalinists and Marxists. Their belief that government is the solution to all problems and no wealth show be privately owned is what drives todays liberals.

They are also anti-American. They believe America is the worlds problem and the world would be better off without America in it.

Liberals are all for forsaking the poor weak and downtrodden if America's military is involved in keeping them alive, but insist on keeping America's poor weak and downtrodden in their miserable existance because of 'political correctness', (New Orleans and any urban city).

Answer 3

Liberalism became an insult when the two parties split into two factions each: the extremists, who do both parties harm, and the moderates, who are tired of people (like Alex (a prime example of a conservative extremist), who has of course answered this question as though liberals are pond scum because they dare to believe in something other than what he believes in.

I have the utmost respect for REAL conservatives. They are the ones who, though they disagree with my point of view, at least accept that I am allowed to have it, to express it and to embrace the differences in our thought patterns.

Extremists just focus on party and care about little else. They think that the only reason someone might disagree with what the President is doing is because of his political party - when, in fact, some of us really just have legitimate grievances with spending billions of dollars and losing thousands of American lives to "bring democracy" to a country where the penalty for theft is still the cutting off of a hand.

Go figure.

Anyway - the answer is, the conservative extremists (NOT all conservatives) use it as an insult, believe it IS an insult, because they can't think globally. They see their universe as immediate, not far-reaching.

Answer 4

Liberal became an insult once Liberals stopped using their brain for something other than a hat rack.


Hey A D

First Bush does not want a draft and does not think a draft is necessary. It is Charlie Rangle and the Dem's that want a draft.

The US has been involved in this war on terror since 2001 and they complain about it taking forever. I guess it is a good thing that you are not an Israeli. Israel has been fighting terrorism since 1972 and the Arabs stopped attacking Israel with regular army.

Answer 5

When "liberals" diverged from the beliefs of classical liberalism, and instead embraced big government and government interference, with the ensuing loss of rights and freedom that necessarily accompanies a powerful centralized government.

It really should be "leftist" or "socialist", but that might have freaked too many people out.

Answer 6

With Reagan. It was a catchy phrase to demonize all democrats and get votes.

It has caught on ever since on the right. The likes of Limbaugh use the word in every sentence. It's like money in the bank to him and his ilk. Literally!

Answer 7

The correct term is Social Conservative, not religious conservative. There are many Fiscal Conservatives who are religious and it doesn't mix with there politics.
For the Social Conservative, the word liberal has become synonymous with devil worshiper. Social Conservatives actually fester hate for those they see as a threat to their beliefs. As is the problem with all those who allow hate to enter their souls, they have become what they hate.

Answer 8

They are reactionary against mainstream America,which is liberal by todays standards.

"liberal" is a word these hold outs of the past use because they cannot move into the future,which is pretty damn "secular and liberaL'


Also because they are religous to deny secular society,not so much as embracing actual religion itself.

They hate sex,life,etc.

Answer 9

When they figured there is no end to Bush's war, and they got scared of a draft, so they would say anything to avoid it.....They are just now figuring out what Bush means when he speaks of The "Global War on Terror"
They are kinda slow though.

Answer 10

quote:They are reactionary against mainstream America,which is liberal by todays standards.

"liberal" is a word these hold outs of the past use because they cannot move into the future,which is pretty damn "secular and liberaL'

interesting. why do you think it is that about 90% of our population identify themselves as "Christian?" it would seem to me that YOU are the one who is "reactionary against mainstream america."