God's Army
From Newsweek:
Seventy-five percent of Liberty's debaters go on to become lawyers with an eye toward transforming society. "I think I can make an impact in the field of law on abortion and gay rights, to get back to America's godly heritage," says freshman debater Cole Bender...
..."We are training debaters who can perform assault ministry, meaning becoming the conscience of the culture," says [Jerry] Falwell, who is also hoping the team will elevate the humble academic reputation of Liberty itself. "So while we have the preaching of the gospel on the one side - certainly a priority - we have the confronting of the culture on moral default on the other side."
Jesus.
Be forewarned and aware. Mr. Bender and his merry ilk are here, they're most definately not queer (at least, not admittedly so), and we're going to have to deal with it.
There is little difference between this sort of evangelicism and the fanatical religious extremism of the Middle-East. We can hedge and quibble and debate about just how much difference exists, but the fundamental truth of the matter is that the goals of these groups are remarkably, substantially, similar. They hate our freedom, our liberty, our tolerance, and our melting-pot culture.
posted by MMorse @ 10:50 AM
12 comments
12 Comments:
While the goals may be similar, you have to admit that their tactics are radically different.
And I'd never suggest otherwise.
But the fact remains that their goals are similar. That's something to contemplate, especially if you're a Christian who thinks that Muslim extremism is harmful.
How was the weekend, Cap?
Well there's harmful (blowing shit up and setting shit on fire) and there's harmful (working within the system to change laws to suit your ideology).
Good. Enjoyed the game and time with my family. You?
Excellent. Spent too much time drinking, but I'm recovering.
It's too easy, I think (respectfully), to say that the threat posed by radical Muslims is physical. It is jsut as, if not more so, ideological. It's the beliefs they cultivate which then motivate violent activity.
The same beliefs that motivate radical Christians to bomb abortion clinics.
It's those beliefs I'm concerned with. I'd never suggest that Mr. Bender is "the same" as one of the madmen who attacked our country. But I think it's both valid and reasonable to point out the harm implicit in radically religious belief. That harm can be physical (as in "blowing shit up"), or it can be societal (as in picketing a US Army soldiers funeral because he was gay).
Oh to be sure teh problem isn't only a physical one. Muslims want to have Sharia law be the law of the land wherever they are in the majority and no doubt as their numbers increase here they will want to try and make these laws part of our landscape.
But I'll ask a question, what "societal harm" was there in that picketing? The asshats in question made themselves look like...asshats and risked making a bunch of people who are very friendly with guns unhappy (not a smart move). How did they harm society? A better example than that (or Christians blowing up abortion clinics, when's the last time that happened where several people were killed and what was the overwhelming Christian response?) would probably be Christians passing laws requiring that ID be taught.
The societal harm in the picketing?
Well, I'd see it as manifold. There's the potential physical harm that comes with that sort of ugly confrontation. There's the psychological and emotional harm done to the grieving people who just want to bury their son/friend/loved one. There's the reinforcement/encouragement of prejudiced or hateful beliefs. There's the way in which those sorts of actions goad and rationalize the sort of behavior that gets the Matthew Shepard's of this world murdered.
I see what you're saying, and I think you're right. It's different. But it's still harmful. You and I may see those picketers as crazies, but there's a large section of this country that agrees with their fundamental, underlying belief.
Sure, its been a little while since the last abortion clinic bombing, but its also been awhile since anyone flew a plane into a building. Check out this site for statistical info on violence at US abortion clinics. It's not "Definitive" by any means, but it gives you some idea of the fact that, despite almost no media attention, this stuff till goes on:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_viol.htm
I don't see most of those as "societal" but rather individual. I'll agree that allowing them to picket (and I don't think they should have been allowed) could have caused many problems. I'm not sure that it did though.
"But it's still harmful."
Agreed.
"there's a large section of this country that agrees with their fundamental, underlying belief."
Even the most conservative Christians I know have more respect than that. I don't know how large the section is but I hope and pray it's a minority.
"Sure, its been a little while since the last abortion clinic bombing, but its also been awhile since anyone flew a plane into a building."
Both are acts of terrorism and both reprehensible, but the two don't belong in the same sentence like that.
"Check out this site for statistical info on violence at US abortion clinics. It's not "Definitive" by any means, but it gives you some idea of the fact that, despite almost no media attention, this stuff till goes on: http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_viol.htm"
I will.
Give this a read.
Read it, enjoyed it, left a very long comment on it.
And because I'm feeling spunky, why don't abortion clinic bombings and terrorist acts belong in the same sentence? Because more people died in the attacks of 9/11? Isn't all life sacred? Should it matter what the body count is? Or should it simply matter that people have died, at their fellow man's hand, in a way that bespeaks violent adherence to harmful ideology?
Who's spunky and why are you feeling him?
Okay, you're right, maybe they do belong in the same sentence, but the scale of the second item was so much bigger that it was jarring.
It seems like that's comparing shooting a rapist (killing someone whom you think is bad and worth killing) to blowing up a school bus (killing a bunch of folks to make some sort of point). Does that make sense?
Regarding the sanctity of life, yes all life is sacred.
Makes perfect sense. You're right - the scale is entirely different. But in terms of the ideology involved, I don't see any difference.
And Spunky's my gimp.
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