The Divine Right Of Bloggers

If bloggers seem to have a divine right to do anything, it's to criticize. Based upon some recent issues, Dean Barnett criticizes Instapundit and Bryan at Hot Air and Red State to boot. Glenn was making a point about how kowtowing to Muslim extremism would only open the door to more extremism, eventually from another particular group:

“Sooner or later, you know, fundamentalist Christians are going to pick up on this lesson, engage in similar behavior, and make similar demands. Because, apparently, it works fine.”

As a Christian, why would anyone doubt that? It seems pretty plain to me, as a Christian living in a secular state, if said state starts to offer special privileges to Muslims, or any other religious group, there is going to be push back, with whatever tactic that works eventually being embraced. It's a statement of prediction based upon some awareness of human nature and the struggle for political power, not a slur against my religious beliefs.

If one group or another feels respect for it's equality isn't there, or it's being stripped away, it will fight back. The first instance is the very thing that happened within the Black community circa the 1960's. They finally had enough and they got angry. It's human nature, not divine inspiration that most often leads men to fight.

Barnett:

Glenn’s little jibe violated one of my fundamental rules of snarky writing: If you find it absolutely necessary to tweak an ethnic group, make fun of your own. With that small exception, save the ethnic cracks for your private gatherings and correspondence.

While a Christian myself, except in the eyes of some who have emailed over the years to ask - well, are you a real Christian, or, you know, one of those who just happened to be born not a Jew, or Muslim, or whatever? My how that grates, but I digress. As a Christian myself, I honestly find some of the reactions to Glenn's post as more proof of his point, than anything else.

Acknowledging that Christians are one of many groups in America interested in preserving their rights and equality with the capacity to fight for it were it to slip away, is not, in my eyes, a slur. It is a statement of fact. At least I hope it is. Because if I ever did find myself living in a once secular state that foolishly gave way to any extremist ideology, I would hope there were enough others like me willing to fight back, as we should.

The solutions we need today are political, not religious ones. Fundamental Islam is as much, if not more so, a political movement, as opposed to one of religion. It's goal is power, not spiritual grace. And while a Christian myself, my fellow Christians who always seem to insist on weighing in on political discourse while hanging from a cross have a tendency to undermine their own arguments and hang us up over issues we needn't address.

As as for Barnett's admonishment of Instapundit's alleged snark - geesh, lighten up, I didn't get the memo that blogging wasn't supposed to be fun, or funny. But then, I don't blog in a Town Hall. I think I prefer doing it on my own for right now.

Finally, as regards Barnett's admonishing of Eric at RedState, I'll let them respond. I've seen things at RedState over the years that were more fiery than I thought they needed to be. So I went and read something else. I honestly fail to see the value in this type of criticism from Barnett. In the face of liberal blog activism, the solution can not be for the Right to lie down. Ultimately all such criticism really seems to achieve is perhaps making one feel somehow holier than thou and, imo, that isn't what conservative politics should be about.

Nevertheless, the prose is needlessly purple and hostile. I’m not going to war against other Republicans. I don’t even go to war against Democrats. Especially when there’s a real war going on, such rhetorical table pounding isn’t my cup of tea.

Comments

[Lord Nazh]

Just exactly what 'ethnic' group was Glenn supposedly making 'fun' of?

Posts like that are why I stopped read Townhall.com ...

[southdakotaboy]

The lefty college professors would have a colective coronary if the local Evangelical mega Churches showed up on their campuses one day and made the anouncement that, from now on every time that the college offended them they would react just like muslims in the Middle East.
Nothing like four or five thousand pissed off people showing up to get a persons attention. There would be no way that local police would be able to stop them either. Most of these people know each other by sight and have been memebers for along time. That would give the police little chance to infiltrate the church and they wouldn't be able to keep them from organizing.
The left really has not thought this whole thing through. They have know idea what will happen when the Evangelicals get pissed off.

[seekeronos]

The thing is, there is a wide gulf between different groups of people who call themselves "Christians". The thing here that sets my teeth on edge is, that any "Christian" with at least a small degree of familiarity with Jesus' teachings knows that anti-government and anti-society violence is unacceptable, ungodly, and opposed to Christ's teachings.

There are (this is not an all inclusive list) in order of likeliness of picking up on the Islamists' tactics:

1) Crazy "Christian Identity" rednecks who think that all non Anglo-Saxon-Celtic-Teuton-Nordic races should be killed off or seperated out of "Jesusland" (hint: not Christians -- these are cults)

2) Ultra legalistic or Hyper-Calvinist types that are best described by the likes of Fred Phelps (hint: not Christian, at least not according to the fruits of thier works. Some of these, like Phelps' "church"... are cults.)

3) Reconstructionist Rushdoony type post-millennialists/extreme charismatic Pentecostals who believe that their job is to remake America into a "Christian Empire" on earth (hint: nutjobs who don't read scripture or listen to the Holy Spirit. There may be some genuine Christians mixed up in this, but they are largely deceived.)

4) Fundamentalist Baptists who insist on adhering to the Word of God, probably don't have much use for homosexuality, sexual immorality, drinking, dancing, or wearing immodest attire, and have a specific emphasis on winning souls to Christ through the preaching of the Gospel (hint: probably Christian, but individual walks may vary -- evaluate for adherence and obedience to God's word and actually showing of LOVE to each other and to the lost)

5) "Mainstream" Church Christianity, such as the average Presbyterian, Episcopalian, UU member, members of modernist "rock and roll" or "Jesus is my home-boy" churches, Prosperity Gospel (think Jan and Paul Crouch) churches, megachurches like the First Church of Ted Haggard, etc. (hint: maybe a few Christians in these, but hard to find amongst all the hypocrites and confused people just "going thru the motions")

6) The most liberal churches and cults, like the one headed by those gay bishops who like to marry people and animals, and other perversions like that. (hint: not Christians)

Of these, perhaps the bulk of group (1) and a few boneheads from groups (2) and (3) would ever resort to trying to actually use terror tactics to get their way.

Group (4) and group (5), composing the overwhelming 90%+ of "Christians" in the USA (again: individual walks may vary in terms of obedience and love for God) would not conceive of resorting to the wickedness of the taliban or Al-Q or Hezbollah. As I said, it goes against the Bible which is generally well-read, if not altogether well followed, in these churches.

Group (6), the most liberal bunch, account for probably 7% or 8% of people who attach to themselves the label "Christian", and these folks wouldn't say boo when oppressive tyranny came their way, much less take up arms to displace a functional secular government.

Which is not to say that should an evil, oppressive and anti-Christian government prevail that Christians would not be within scripture to defend thier brethren and families, but to say that the true Bible-believing Christian is only biding his time until he can start blowing himself up in a crowded mall, or behead folks to make a point is simply wrong.

[Zifnab]

"if the local Evangelical mega Churches showed up on their campuses one day and made the anouncement that, from now on every time that the college offended them they would react just like muslims in the Middle East."

By rioting, launching character assassinations, and calling for their heads on pikes? Yeah, the evangelicals already do that. You guys just don't have the numbers to actually make it count.

I think of the Evangelicals get "really pissed off" they will succeed in marginalizing themselves even further into the fringes of society. Support for the pro-life community took a sharp hit every time some radical evangelical decided to settle the issue with sniper bullets or car bombs.

But if Christianists embrace the same terror tactics as their Islamist ideological counterparts, I look forward to seeing how Republicans react when a large part of their base picks up the moniker of "domestic terrorists".

[seekeronos]

Christianists?

What wacky terbacky you on now, Ziffy?

When was the last time a "Christianist" blew up a shrapnel bomb loaded with 6-penny nails in a mall, or hung contractors up from a bridge, or sawed off the head of prisoners gathred in a night raid on national TV?

And don't trot out McVeigh either, that guy was an agnostic who dabbled with Aryan Nations/Identity cultists.

Randall Terry? He's a criminal, and his "theology" hardly matches anything close to being Christian. Unlike Islam, we repudiate those who call themselves by the name of Christ and commit crimes. Such folks in Islam are elevated to the status of "martyrs".

As for numbers, Christian "Evangelicals" have the numbers to have helped determine policy in this nation for some time. Without all the bloodshed.

[Terry Gain]

Zifnab

Please post your evidence in support of your assertion:

"By rioting, launching character assassinations, and calling for their heads on pikes? Yeah, the evangelicals already do that."

[Phoenix]

Good grief. All this means is that *everyone*, no matter their religion or not, will eventually fight back if they're marginalized by some fringe group. It's human nature.

Chances are, if something like a dirty bomb took out Dallas, the entire country would be of one 'religion'. Vengeance is ours...... But the little things are going to start first, and I would bet they'll start on campuses. Not like Zif dreams, though. We are civilized people with just enough tolerance in us to make us a formidable force if we're squeezed.

[southdakotaboy]

Zifnab did you scroll down to the bottom picture of the three in you first example? The one where it says the above caption is fictional? Or did you think that none of us would? And Zifnab is it not telling that you have to go back over 10 years to find a single example of a Christian planting terrorist type bombs (not suicide bombs). The examples of muslims blowing themselves up are just to much to mention. And as far as Pat Robertson saying it would be cheaper to assasinate someone he is right.

[Terry Gain]

Zif
Assuming your examples are valid (and it makes no difference since the diparity is so large) that's 3 examples as against hundreds every day for the past 30 years. No point in talking to someone who can't distinguish between a drop and a deluge but I thought it would be interesting to see how you couldn't back up your stupid "Christianists are a threat" bs.

[SDN]

Do the Gaia Worshippers of Animal Liberation Front / Earth Liberation Front count, ziffy?

[Terry Gain]

"Now lets see if you can find me an aethist or hyper-liberal terrorist"

God you're stupid Zif: Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Lenin, Castro, Hussein, Amin for starters. Don't know about PolPot.

I'm sure others can add to the list of non-believer mass murdering terrorists.

Now post your list of mass murdering Christian leaders. And don't you dare post the name of a Chrisitian who has liberated 58 million Muslims.

[Terry Gain]

Zif

I accept your concession of defeat, albeit ungracious and classless, but I wouldn't expect anything else from a dimwit like you.

It was hardly a fair contest. Every sentient human being knows that atheists have been responsible for more deaths of innocent human beings than any other group.

[seekeronos]

So Zif, you have four or five people who are tied to bombing abortion mills or murdering the staff and physicians that worked therein.

Some of them are "Christian Identity" adherents, including Mr. Olympic Park Bomber, and this "Christian" Identity is a heretical cult which is roundly rejected by all mainstream and fundamentalist Christian churches.

Others belong to the so-called "Army of God", which is a very insult to the Creator.

If you ever have read a New Testamant, you would know that Jesus commanded his followers to (a) follow Him (b) preach the gospel (c) make disciples (d) baptize them and (e) teach them to do likewise (a ~ e). Guiding all of this is love, self-sacrifice, and a fervent desire to please Jesus, who died for our sins and redeemed us from certain death and eternal punishment in Hell.

Pretty much anything those AOG or Christian Identity folks have to say is of the devil, and is a lie from the pit of Hell.

They do much damage to the Cross of Christ by attempting to wrap themselves in Him, but fail miserably, for they preach a false gospel of hatred. I'll even agree with you on the pont that they are little better than the Muzzies who practice the same tactics.

Jesus NEVER taught His followers to slay people or exact retribution on sinners as a body of believers; while the death penalty is authorized by God for use by the state to dispose of exceedingly wicked criminals, it is not for us to take it upon ourselves to be agents of God's wrath on the guilty.

So then: I will clarify my question: which ___mainstream___ Christians have done such things as this?

There may be an identifiable element of "christians" who wish to stoop to the same level as the Muzzies, but I can guarantee that they are the rare exception and not the norm as it would be among Muslims.

For Islam, it truely is the rare Muslim who is a "moderate" and will also repudiate his radical Islamist brother.