Is empathy toxic?

In this book, Joe Rigney argues that while empathy is often seen as a virtuous trait, it can also be a tool for manipulation and a source of harm. Rigney distinguishes between empathy and sympathy, suggesting that empathy involves joining people in their darkness and distress without making judgments, whereas sympathy involves showing compassion while maintaining a sense of boundaries and truth. He discusses how unregulated empathy can lead to emotional blackmail, selectivity, and cruelty, and how it has been exploited in various contexts, including under the progressive gaze and within feminist and church settings. The book emphasizes the importance of genuine compassion that is grounded in truth and justice.

In 'Toxic Empathy', Allie Beth Stuckey explores how progressives exploit Christian compassion by using empathy as a tool of manipulation. She delves into five heated issues: abortion, gender, sexuality, immigration, and social justice. Stuckey argues that progressives use catchy mantras to present their perspectives as empathetic, while ignoring the other side of the moral equation. The book is about submitting empathy to God’s definitions of love, goodness, and justice, equipping Christians with research-backed, Biblical truths to dismantle progressive lies that have permeated culture and the church.