Mary Eberstadt’s piece in today’s OpinionJournal (in the “Taste” section, no less) hit an odd, off-key note. In adding her two-bits to the massive accumulation of virtual ink relating to the Edwards’ blogger-scandal, she writes:
For what the blogger tempest really illuminates is a fact that could come to haunt the Democrats as they vie for national office: namely, that their past few wilderness years have also been boom years for the church-loathing liberal/left punditry. As a result, anti-Christian invective now graces (or disgraces) many of the books, magazines, Web sites and blogs to which liberals, including the Democratic elite, habitually look for ideas. One motto of this cottage industry is that the most serious threat to the American republic can be found in, no, not those religious fundamentalists, the ones that first leap to mind after 9/11; but, incredibly, certain other believers–our nation’s Christians.
Yes. Incredible. Like this latest bizarre attack on evolution, maybe?
Or perhaps the five different sets of science standards in eight years for Kansas schoolchildren, thanks to their evolution vs. creationism battles?
Or would Katherine Harris help trigger some memories?
You know — I don’t think you have to be a Democrat or a Liberal (and Polimom’s neither) to see that concern about religious fundamentalism making inroads on our government isn’t someone’s flight of fantasy.
You link to a Katherine Harris post with no images of mammarial protuberances? What a waste.
;^)
I’m trying to maintain my g-rating here, Ashley. : o
I don’t think that Mary Eberstadt is that far off. After all, it seems we need an enemy to unite us. In the days after 9/11, that enemy (for much of the USofA) was the “Islamofascists”. For the left wing, the enemy (since Nov 2000) has been GWB. Now that his second term is drawing to a close, they need a new enemy to unite them – and it seems that “right-wing Christians” are the chosen ones. Not a bad choice (depending on your point of view), given their propensity for taking such intellectually brilliant positions as “Evolution is the practice of Kabbala” and “inoculating 11-year old girls against a virus will encourage them to have more sex”.
However, that being said – we really need to remember that words mean things, and sometimes have unintended consequences (as, for example, is the case when someone hears an inflammatory statement, then goes out and commits an act of violence in response.)
It also doesn’t hurt to remember that Christians, even though they may be seen as “mainstream” or “the majority” in this country, have a history of being the victims of persecution – after all, in the early days they were put to death in pretty horrid ways, for the amusement of the citizenry of Rome. And, in fact, the Pilgrims came to this land originally due to such persecution.
All in all, it points to a need to develop a more civil tone during our political discourse.
~EdT.
Yes, we need to be much more afraid of Christians. Just look at all the cars they have blown up in the last six years in this country. Its disturbing, and I wish someone would realize the physical danger these people are. History has shown that when you let people talk about their religious beliefs bad things happen and Christians have been using various media forms to talk for far too long. Watch your children very closely around Christians. They might get converted.
No, Jack, “Christians” haven’t been blowing up cars wholesale in the USofA recently – although IIRC one blew up a Ryder truck back in the early ’90s, and it took a whole building full of people with it.
In reality, “Christians’ as a group are no more (and no less) violent than “Muslims” – each group has its extreme wing. So far, most extremists on the “Christian” side are choosing to practice their brand of lunacy in a legal manner, though there are some who will cross the line into violence (remember the folks who bomb abortion clinics and shoot doctors?)
~EdT.
Us wacko Chrisitans are just ready to blow up ourselves and everyone else….. /sarc off
IMO the left has completely lost it. They have BDS so bad they can’t see straight.