Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion

Allie Beth Stuckey argues that empathy, when used as the primary driver of politics, can become a tool of manipulation. She contends that progressive activists use empathy to pressure people into adopting left-wing positions under the guise of compassion, while obscuring competing moral considerations. Stuckey examines five major issues where she identifies this pattern: abortion, gender, sexuality, immigration, and social justice. She notes that progressive messaging on these topics—such as "abortion is healthcare," "love is love," and "no human being is illegal"—presents only one side of the moral equation. For instance, she argues that while abortion may be framed as compassionate toward women, the moral status of the human life involved is omitted from the discussion. The book proposes that empathy should be guided by Christian definitions of love, goodness, and justice. Stuckey presents research and Biblical arguments intended to help Christians identify what she calls the logical and moral problems with what she terms "toxic empathy" in contemporary culture and churches.