‘Empathy Is Not a Thing,’ Says Albert Mohler in Response to Hillary Clinton’s Essay

“I’m begging y’all. Just because you have some biblical expertise, that does not make you a sociological or psychological or historical or grammatical expert,” said user Aaron New. “Empathy is real. The tiniest (but loud) sliver of Christendom wants to denigrate it. Don’t get trapped in that bubble.”

“Spot-on,” said Dr. Andrew T. Walker of Mohler’s view. Walker is an ethics and public theology professor at SBTS. 

“I appreciate @albertmohler‘s concerns on empathy, but I’m just not going to abandon using the word because the left has weaponized empathy,” said conservative broadcaster Erick Erickson. “I think it’s a good…word to use to explain [that] part of loving one’s neighbor is understanding what they’re going through in life, even if you think they’re wrong.” 

“And I don’t think sympathy really covers doing that. I feel like I’m caught between those who think empathy means affirming someone’s sins and those who think we should abandon the word altogether,” said Erickson. “Again, I appreciate the sound wisdom, but this also strikes me as a very online thing happening right now as part of the right’s omnicause.”