MAGA's war on empathy was started by a woman

[marmar]

MAGA’s war on empathy was started by a woman
Allie Beth Stuckey weaponizes her gender to sell the idea of a cold-hearted Jesus

By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published December 1, 2025 6:45AM (EST)


(Salon) Thanks to Elon Musk, most Americans learned earlier this year that MAGA thinks empathy is evil. Cruelty isn’t the problem, the Tesla CEO claimed in an attempt to justify his turn toward authoritarian politics. “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy,” he declared on Joe Rogan’s podcast in February.

....(snip)....

Unlike Saad and Musk, fundamentalist Christian influencer Allie Beth Stuckey doesn’t see empathy as a failure of evolution. As a creationist who denies the scientific reality of prehistoric dinosaurs, she doesn’t even believe in evolution. And even though she believes the Bible forbids women from being pastors, Stuckey has made it her mission to rewrite the teachings of Jesus so that her savior is a harsh disciplinarian whose “love” has little to do with empathy.

Stuckey’s book “Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion” came out in late 2024, but the idea for it appears to have originated on a 2022 episode of her popular podcast “Relatable.” She hadn’t yet come up with the catchphrase “toxic empathy” — which, in true trolling style, appropriates the progressive use of the term “toxic” to describe unhealthy and cruel behavior — but her basic argument is right there.

“Feeling too much for someone can blind us to reality,” she argued. “It can cause us to ignore the truth, the objective truth, in favor of how a person feels.”

What Stuckey asserts as “objective truth” is anything but: That being gay is wrong, that women are meant to submit to men, that immigrants are dangerous to Americans, that trans identities are illegitimate and that the only meaningful racism in America is “anti-white.” In a sense, she is simply reworking a longstanding argument from the Christian right that kindness and compassion are not what Jesus meant by “love.” To the contrary, true Christian love is what looks, to most people, like beating someone into submission. Denying someone equality or basic dignity, this argument goes, may be painful now, but it supposedly saves them from hell, so hatefulness is actually a deeper form of love. ....................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/12/01/magas-war-on-empathy-was-started-by-a-woman/

[dalton99a]

1. She is a sadistic, virulent racist who would love to run a Nazi death camp

[valleyrogue]

2. Lack of empathy is a hallmark of sociopathy.

Anybody who demonizes it is sick in the head and should not have any kind of forum to spew this garbage.

It is a serial killer mentality.

Besides, what is this idiot doing speaking out in public? According to fundies' interpretation of the Bible, women are supposed to shut up and be meek and passive.

[johnnyfins]

3. I get it.

Feed the poor, but not too much. Welcome the stranger, but only certain "kinds" of strangers. Love your neighbor, but only if they believe the same things as you. Love your enemies...yeah that'll NEVER happen.

[Haggard Celine]

4. If you don't have empathy,

what is left of the Christianity you espouse? This Christian nationalist movement is a twisted cult. Christians who care about other people should be speaking out against this sick shit. Some are speaking out, but we need a lot more. I wish liberal Catholics and Protestants would work together more to oppose these hate mongers.

[oasis]

11. Fake Christianity is not Christianity. That's that.

[valleyrogue]

12. The kicker is this woman is really stupid.

I don't think she is smart enough to pretend to be stupid in order to get the money. She just is. She will demonize and scapegoat groups she hates rather than admit her political beliefs are wrong.

[J_William_Ryan]

5. Like others on the Christo-fascist right,

Stuckey understands that Christian doctrine of forgiveness and forbearance conflicts with conservative dogma of racism, bigotry, and hate.

[Wounded Bear]

6. "It's not personal, it's just business"...

Said every crook in every crime movie since talkies came out.

That woman didn't invent the war on empathy, she just politicized it.

[BattleRow]

16. And before her was Phyllis Schlafly..

Whom Betty Friedan referred to as an Aunt Tom.

[Scrivener7]

7. She may be a disgusting person, but no, she didn't create maga's war on empathy.

And saying maga is the fault of "a woman," thereby blaming maga on "woman," is pretty creepy.

[leftstreet]

20. +1

[SpankMe]

23. Not sure what you mean

I'm not picking up from the article that the author is saying maga is the fault of a woman. Is there a passage you can point to that says this?

As for creating maga's war on empathy, the author makes a case that Stuckey's right-wing indictment of empathy appears to be the first that has gained major traction, to wit:

Stuckey’s book “Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion” came out in late 2024, but the idea for it appears to have originated on a 2022 episode of her popular podcast “Relatable.” She hadn’t yet come up with the catchphrase “toxic empathy” — which, in true trolling style, appropriates the progressive use of the term “toxic” to describe unhealthy and cruel behavior — but her basic argument is right there.

She may not be the very absolute first to do it - there might be some asshole pastor who brought it up once in the 60's somewhere. But Stucky's treatment would seem to be the first to spread widely and gain adherents. So, I think it's a fair enough generalization to say that Stucky "created" the right's war on empathy.

Part of the author's thesis - to me - is that all of the anti-woman BS Stucky is spouting is viewed by many on the right as more valid because she's a woman. If a black guy defended the cops' treatment of George Floyd using a confident tone, or if a Jew defended Hitler in the same way, people on the right would flock to these arguments like seagulls on a dumpster.

[leftstreet]

24. The first to "gain traction" as you say

That would be fair to say

Crazed anti-empathy authors like Joe Rigney and Doug Wilson have been writing and podcasting this crap for some time. But the MSM ignored it.

Hanging it as a "first" on a woman seems...weird

[Scrivener7]

26. That's nice.

[Solly Mack]

8. Yeah, yeah. She beats her children for their own good. She kills you to save you. She's in need of a psychiatrist.

[intheflow]

9. If hell exists,

a lot of these people will find themselves there and honestly believe God made a mistake sending them there.

[krawhitham]

10. Also in 2022 Charlie Kirk "I can't stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up..."

Oct. 12, 2022, episode of "The Charlie Kirk Show."

So the new communications strategy for Democrats, now that their polling advantage is collapsing in every single state… collapsing in Ohio. It's collapsing even in Arizona. It is now a race where Blake Masters is in striking distance. Kari Lake is doing very, very well. The new communications strategy is not to do what Bill Clinton used to do, where he would say, "I feel your pain." Instead, it is to say, "You're actually not in pain." So let's just, little, very short clip. Bill Clinton in the 1990s. It was all about empathy and sympathy. I can't stand the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up, new age term that — it does a lot of damage. But, it is very effective when it comes to politics. Sympathy, I prefer more than empathy. That's a separate topic for a different time.

[BattleRow]

17. Maybe someone should ask his widow about empathy,now.

[Timeflyer]

13. Another Cosplay Christian Talibangelical Grifter.

[ChicagoTeamster]

14. They're all white racists. Period.

[peggysue2]

15. LOL!

Hatefulness is a deeper form of love.

Orwellian much?

How anyone can sell this sort of swill is mind-blowing. But obviously they can and there are those more than willing to buy and swallow away while feeling perfectly righteous in the process because hating is an act of grace.

The Church of Being Your Worst Self. Or maybe, Love in the Time of Trumpism.

This is truly the Upside Down World.

[Radical Lutheran]

18. Jesus was WOKE and Called his followers to have empathy for everyone

To Call Yourself a Christian - is to claim you follow THE WAY OF JESUS THE CHRIST....

Read Jesus First Sermon in Luke 4 - The Spirit of The Lord is Upon me... feed the hungry, give sight to the blind, visit and feed prisoners and declare the exceptable year of the Lord (THE YEAR OF JUBILEE).

Read the Sermon on THE MOUNT... Matthew Chapters 5, 6 & 7. This explains what LOVE is and used to be memorized by Followers of Jesus - It is Basicly the Constitution for The Reign of God. TO Claim Jesus is Lord, means that Ceasar is NOT. We are supposed to be living out the LOVE, respect, care and compassion for ALL PEOPLE.

Galations 3 There is not rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, Male or Female, Slave or Free - for you are all ONE IN JESUS. Eatting together meant you were considered Family. The walls of distinction and discrimination have been broken to rubble. We are united in LOVE.

This woman did not invent Maga Hate. She may have popularized this Lie, with division and hatred. But there is an author of Division, Lies and Hatred... But it is not Jesus.

Jesus is the Way, THE TRUTH and The Life. Healing the Sick, Feeding the Hungry, Curing Mental illness and bringing diverse people together around the Table - were the Hallmarks of Jesus Ministry. Not to mention Jesus said a Roman Centurian in a Gay Relationship was the Model of Faith for ALL OF ISREAL.

This woman is deranged and needs something cast out of her.

Blessings & Peace in this Season of ADVENT

Radical Lutheran

[Bettie]

19. "Christian Compassion"?

Right wing "Christianity" has no compassion whatsoever.

[CurtEastPoint]

21. Here's the delightful empathetic (not) Ms. Suckey and some of her drivel.

[Martin68]

22. Trump was fighting against empathy long before this woman's 2022 podcast. The article claims "the idea for it appears to

have originated on a 2022 episode of her popular podcast “Relatable."

[KT2000]

25. I am guessing

she is someone raised by Ayn Randians who then embraced a cruel version of Christianity. Money good, altruism bad.

[BradBo]

27. A female Charlie Kirk.

[gulliver]

28. The lack of emotional equanimity discredits empathy

Some folks who don't think at all when their heartstrings are plucked actually commit a grave moral misdemeanor: they discredit empathy. Discrediting empathy is actually more immoral than lacking empathy entirely. Those who employ kindness stupidly make kindness look stupid. That reduces the supply of kindness.

I think we need to reinvigorate liberalism intellectually. You have to be willing to be strongly motivated to be kind but, also, strongly motivated to do the work and make sure "intended kindness" ends up being actual kindness. That takes a lot of thought, imo. The surface of the kindness pond is nothing but "plastic worms with hooks" these days.

[rampartd]

29. ayn rand 101

this is conservative orthodoxy.

i don't pretend to understand ms rands cultist pobblebonkl but it amounts to "helping the poor only hurts them. better to let them starve than deprive them of the freedom to starve faster
" or something.

If a man speculates on what 'society' should do for the poor, he accepts thereby the collectivist premise that men's lives belong to society and that he, as a member of society, has the right to dispose of them...that psychological confession reveals the enormity of the extent to which altruism erodes men's capacity to grasp the concept of rights or the value of an individual life.

Ayn Rand

[MakeThemCry]

30. She's a vile white supremacist

Self-proclaimed Christian which Scripture warned us about.

Her day will come.

[Nictuku]

31. Sounds like something a Soulless human might say.