Friday, March 25, 2005

Media Continues To Slander Christians

As Hugh Hewitt and Powerline have already noted, such writers as Professor Juan Cole of the University of Michigan and syndicated columnist Maureen Dowd have begun making explicit comparisons between "radical Islamic fascists" (such as the Taliban) and "conservative Christians."

Unless these writers for some reason admire and respect the Islamic fascists (which does not seem likely) then I must assume that the comparison is intended both to alert the Americans to the irrational and threatening presence of Christians in our midst and to label conservative Christians as totalitarian terrorists intent on imposing their faith and values onto everyone else...or else!

Today, a third columnist, Trudy Rubin of the Philadelphia Inquirer, has added her voice to the anti-Christian media madness.

In a column entitled, "Religion Out Abroad/In At Home" Ms. Rubin states her fear that, "The Middle East - and the Afghanistan of the Taliban - offer frightening lessons about what can happen when that barrier between church and state is shattered."

Now I should make it clear that she is not, apparently, concerned that radical Islamist fascists might find its place is American politics. No, what seems to terrify her is the possibility that Christian beliefs and values might actually inform the way in which some elected officials make moral and legal decisions.

Rubin implies that, should Christianity "take over" the United States we would become at least as bad as Afghanistan under the Taliban.

Trudy Rubin is out of her mind and frightens me to death! Are there really people in positions of influence in our country who feel justified in presenting such foul, hateful, vindictive slander against an entire religion; indeed the very religion that birthed the concept of "freedom under law" in the first place?

Elsewhere in her article Rubin presents these examples as proof of the horrors of conservative Christians:
Some wealthy conservatives who fund Christian lobbying groups have views that sound not so different from Islamists in the Middle East. Examples: Christian philanthropist Howard Ahmanson Jr. says he seeks "the total integration of biblical law into our lives," and the grant-giving Maclellan Foundation endorses "the infallibility of the Scripture."
Does Ms. Rubin realize that she has just lumped every Presbyterian and virtually every other Christian in America in the same category as Middle East Isalmists? I cannot believe that she is as ignorant of basic Christian faith and doctrine as this comment represents. Or is she? Like Professor Cole and Maureen Dowd she appears to have descended into the realm of ideological fantasy. Nothing she writes in this column appears to bear any semblance to reality.

My God! What might happen if people who believe in the infallibility of scripture should assert themselves? Ms. Rubin speculates on this possibility by saying,
"(Although) we do not yet face the full challenge of fundamentalists who murder their opponents...we've seen a hint of this in the murders of doctors who perform abortions--and in the threats faced by Florida Judge George W. Greer in the Schiavo case."
Personally, I have read comments on white supremacist web sites that were more rational than this...and not as frightening!

To add to the surreal fantasy of her article Rubin also cites as evidence of this looming threat the recent "memo" supposedly distributed to Republican members of Congress last week. Either she is ignorant of or has chosen to ignore ABCs backtracking on their "bombshell" story and the rising evidence that the memo was seen being distributed on the House floor by Democratic staffers.

Although she blames conservative, fundamentalist Christians for pressuring the U.S. Congress into interfering in the Terri Schiavo case she omits to point out that the "Sciavo" bill passed the House by a vote of 203 to 58 with almost as many Democrats voting for the bill as voted against it (47-53).

As a Christian I am beginning to worry about the growing conflict between radical secularists and people of faith (particularly Christians) in America. After reading opinions like the ones cited above I am beginning to believe that there are people out there who truly and sincerely want to lock me in and shut me up in the best interests of our country. How ironic that these same people proclaim that Christians are the ones who are the true threats to freedom.

The truth is right in front of them. All they need to do is look into a mirror.