The answer is that it is not only a misuse of the term "value," it betrays a complete misunderstanding of the concept. To return to the examples offered above, do those who believe that freedom is superior to tyranny believe that freedom is only superior for them? Can you imagine someone arguing: "I happen to value the ability to speak, write, worship and assemble freely as a value for me, but I do not believe that such freedom is better for anyone else"?
I am arguing that the Judeo-Christian value system as developed on the basis of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) and developed largely by Christians, and especially in America, is the best value system ever devised. I believe it is superior to all other value systems with which I am familiar. I believe that as a moral system for a society, it is superior to that of the secular/socialist values that dominate Europe and the left in America, and to any other religion. And as I argued in Part VIII, Judeo-Christian values are even larger than Judaism or Christianity alone.
Is this insulting to members of these groups? Of course not. Is it in an insult to Republicans that Democrats think their party has better values?
The reason this is not insulting is that decent and intelligent people understand that better values do not mean that all those who carry the same name as those values are better people. I think Judeo-Christian values are superior, but I would have to be a fool to believe that all Jews and Christians -- or even all people who say they subscribe to Judeo-Christian values -- are better than everyone else. All human beings must be judged according to their behavior, not according to the value system they are associated with.
I fully acknowledge that there is a real danger of arrogance associated with having values. The moment you believe in a value, you believe that value is superior to some or all other competing values. And this can lead to arrogant thinking: "Everyone with my values is wonderful; everyone else isn't. And I have nothing to learn from people with other value systems."
That is why those who adhere to Judeo-Christian values must carry them with genuine humility. There are wonderful people in every religion and wonderful people who are atheists, and there are awful people in Judaism and Christianity and among individuals who claim to hold Judeo-Christian values.
But it is simply intellectual cowardice to deny that one's value system implies anything but its superiority to some or all other values.