I often say that Islam is a political system disguised as a religion, and leftism is a religion disguised as a political system.  Leftism makes no sense to me, unless viewed as a type of religious faith.  And the further left they go, the more the leftist faithful move from simple beliefs in nice platitudes, to ignoring alternative views, to expulsion of those who question its ideology, to the use of violence against heretics.  This pattern should look familiar to those who have studied the history of various religions.  It should also look familiar to those who have studied the history of leftism.

The indispensable John Hinderaker at Powerline has an article up today about Cigna Insurance Company moving along the spectrum I described above.  They are currently moving past “ignoring alternative views” and diving headlong into “expulsion of those who question their ideology.”  Cigna is actually a step behind parts of the United States, which have already progressed to “the use of violence against heretics.”  A paragraph from a Washington Examiner article John quotes describes the work environment at this company.  Remember: this is a company that sells health insurance, it is not a political organization.  They sell health insurance.  From the Examiner article (emphasis mine):

Those who work at Cigna told the Washington Examiner that they are expected to undergo sensitivity training they consider racist and discriminatory. Lessons include reviews of concepts such as “white privilege,” “gender privilege,” and something called “religious privilege,” which is described as “a set of advantages that benefits believers of a certain religion but not people who practice other religions or no religions at all.”

I presume that the leftists who designed this ‘sensitivity training’ exercise mean Christianity when they describe a religion “that benefits believers of a certain religion but not people who practice other religions or no religions at all.”  I doubt that they mean Islam or Buddhism.

But if they had the self-awareness to recognize that their leftism has taken on the characteristics of a religion, they would recognize that that statement makes the most sense when applied to their own religion – the religion of leftism.  Cigna is openly hiring leftists and minorities over conservatives and whites.  They make no effort to hide this, as the Examiner article documents.  In fact, that is the whole point of their “sensitivity training.”

The “religious privilege” they describe is very real.  But only for their own religion.  You must genuflect at the altar of leftism before being offered a job at Cigna, and you must continue to do so at endless “sensitivity trainings” to remain employed there.

There is “religious privilege” at Cigna.  They should know because they’re doing it themselves.  To benefit the believers of their religion of leftism, but not people who practice other religions or no religion at all.

And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Does this help them sell health insurance?  Of course not.  Their job applicant pool is reduced by at least half before they begin.  So they can’t hire all the most talented applicants.  They know this, and they are ok with it.

Because matters of faith must take precedence over more mundane concerns, of course.

Peace be upon them.