Posted by
Mekhong Kurt/Bangkok, Thailand on November 7, 2009:
The American Taliban is alive and well, most unfortunately, in my view.
Though I live in Bangkok, I have many American friends here, both long-term, year-round residents and those who come and go, either because their work takes them back and forth or they're retired and split their time between here and the States. The point is that though expats here are hardly typical of the average person on the streets of America, I do get considerable exposure to at least some thought from said streets.
And some of that slice of thought I hear is downright chilling. I know people who seriously propose that anyone not Christian -- especially Muslims -- be at least suppressed, if not repressed. But "let's include the Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. etc. etc. while we're at it since this is a Christian nation."
Well, no it's not. And that's a large part of the entire point of the founding of the country in the first place. All these people blathering about our "Christian" Founding Fathers simply don't have a clue, and certainly haven't actually *read* -- heaven forbid! -- what those folks had to say.
It's a case of "Don't confuse me with the FACTS!!! -- my mind's already made UP!!!"
Though I never served on active military duty, I was in ROTC three years, so had to take an oath along the way. I also took oaths when I was a peace officer and a security officer. And you know what? -- not one of those oaths restricted my obligation to Christians, and not one of them came with an expiration date. I've been entirely out of such work since mid-1981, but I still feel myself obligated to protect and serve, if appropriate and need be. I have, and so long as I'm able, will. Not that I'm Mr. Hot Stuff; I just take promises seriously. Including to defend our Muslims. OUR Muslims, let me stress. And our Jews. And our Buddhists. And Hindus. And Zorasterians. And whoever. We're a nation of free people, and that includes freedom OF religion and, if we want, freedom FROM religion -- an important distinction.
I also will defend anyone's right to disagree with me, though I do hope anyone disagreeing realizes that his or her rights end at the tip of my nose, and those of all the rest of us.
Without honor for each other, what are we? Mere savages.
Posted by
Mike from Dallas on September 17, 2011:
And that's what gives SO many Christians a bad name, the hypocrites who are supposed to be Spiritual Leaders. Blame the victims for being there? And a God that uses a scattergun approach to "punishment" by killing thousands of innocents who aren't even involved in the "sins" that he so detests? Robertson opened his damned fool mouth yet again in the Hurricane Katrina issual, blaming the children who suffered and died for the sins of the "wicked city". Definitely Old Testament stuff. How about these so-called Christian leaders get around to the CHRISTIAN part of the Bible, you know, the New Testament? But that's apparently not as profitable as stirring up your flock with inflammatory rhetoric, another way to say inciting the rabble.
Before anyone responds with the Christian charity of forgiving the human frailties of such spiritual leaders, No. ONE time is a human error. Repeatedly making a living from stirring up such misguided emotions is a conscious choice to profit from the misery of others.
Posted by
tOM, Ottawa Canada on September 18, 2011:
The sad part is that the US has spent trillions on security and wars it justified by 9/11, kidnapped innocent people and tortured them, and severely injured the freedoms of Americans by spying on every phone and email communication and persuading and entrapping US muslims.
So not only has the US approached bankruptcy, it has injured the very freedoms it says it wishes to protect.
---
I sure wish I could argue and say "Not true!" -- but sadly I cannot. -rc
Posted by
Keith, St Joseph, MO on September 19, 2011:
Not to defend the late Mr. Falwell, but defending "equal treatment" -- how, in any substantial way, is what he said 10 yrs ago any different from the Rev. Wright's "God Damn America!" sermon? Is the "American Taliban" restricted to old white males, or do black Marxists who use Christianity for their own personal gain and for political power get inducted into the club, too?
---
This page is clearly NOT an exhaustive examination of all the stupid things any preacher has said over the arc of history. It's about the stupid things two highly visible preachers said at a very specific -- and critical -- point in history.
As to whether other preachers are eligible to be labeled "American Taliban" the answer is obviously yes. I definitely agree they can be on the right and the left, be white or black (or other), be famous or not. To imply that I played favorites at this specific point in history, though, is a bit much. The Rev. Wright, as moronic as he was revealed to be years later, wasn't on national TV pointing fingers while the twin tower rubble was still smoking. -rc
Fundamentally Wrong - Comments
Posted by Mekhong Kurt/Bangkok, Thailand on November 7, 2009:
The American Taliban is alive and well, most unfortunately, in my view.
Though I live in Bangkok, I have many American friends here, both long-term, year-round residents and those who come and go, either because their work takes them back and forth or they're retired and split their time between here and the States. The point is that though expats here are hardly typical of the average person on the streets of America, I do get considerable exposure to at least some thought from said streets.
And some of that slice of thought I hear is downright chilling. I know people who seriously propose that anyone not Christian -- especially Muslims -- be at least suppressed, if not repressed. But "let's include the Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc. etc. etc. while we're at it since this is a Christian nation."
Well, no it's not. And that's a large part of the entire point of the founding of the country in the first place. All these people blathering about our "Christian" Founding Fathers simply don't have a clue, and certainly haven't actually *read* -- heaven forbid! -- what those folks had to say.
It's a case of "Don't confuse me with the FACTS!!! -- my mind's already made UP!!!"
Though I never served on active military duty, I was in ROTC three years, so had to take an oath along the way. I also took oaths when I was a peace officer and a security officer. And you know what? -- not one of those oaths restricted my obligation to Christians, and not one of them came with an expiration date. I've been entirely out of such work since mid-1981, but I still feel myself obligated to protect and serve, if appropriate and need be. I have, and so long as I'm able, will. Not that I'm Mr. Hot Stuff; I just take promises seriously. Including to defend our Muslims. OUR Muslims, let me stress. And our Jews. And our Buddhists. And Hindus. And Zorasterians. And whoever. We're a nation of free people, and that includes freedom OF religion and, if we want, freedom FROM religion -- an important distinction.
I also will defend anyone's right to disagree with me, though I do hope anyone disagreeing realizes that his or her rights end at the tip of my nose, and those of all the rest of us.
Without honor for each other, what are we? Mere savages.
Posted by Mike from Dallas on September 17, 2011:
And that's what gives SO many Christians a bad name, the hypocrites who are supposed to be Spiritual Leaders. Blame the victims for being there? And a God that uses a scattergun approach to "punishment" by killing thousands of innocents who aren't even involved in the "sins" that he so detests? Robertson opened his damned fool mouth yet again in the Hurricane Katrina issual, blaming the children who suffered and died for the sins of the "wicked city". Definitely Old Testament stuff. How about these so-called Christian leaders get around to the CHRISTIAN part of the Bible, you know, the New Testament? But that's apparently not as profitable as stirring up your flock with inflammatory rhetoric, another way to say inciting the rabble.
Before anyone responds with the Christian charity of forgiving the human frailties of such spiritual leaders, No. ONE time is a human error. Repeatedly making a living from stirring up such misguided emotions is a conscious choice to profit from the misery of others.
Posted by tOM, Ottawa Canada on September 18, 2011:
The sad part is that the US has spent trillions on security and wars it justified by 9/11, kidnapped innocent people and tortured them, and severely injured the freedoms of Americans by spying on every phone and email communication and persuading and entrapping US muslims.
So not only has the US approached bankruptcy, it has injured the very freedoms it says it wishes to protect.
---
I sure wish I could argue and say "Not true!" -- but sadly I cannot. -rc
Posted by Keith, St Joseph, MO on September 19, 2011:
Not to defend the late Mr. Falwell, but defending "equal treatment" -- how, in any substantial way, is what he said 10 yrs ago any different from the Rev. Wright's "God Damn America!" sermon? Is the "American Taliban" restricted to old white males, or do black Marxists who use Christianity for their own personal gain and for political power get inducted into the club, too?
---
This page is clearly NOT an exhaustive examination of all the stupid things any preacher has said over the arc of history. It's about the stupid things two highly visible preachers said at a very specific -- and critical -- point in history.
As to whether other preachers are eligible to be labeled "American Taliban" the answer is obviously yes. I definitely agree they can be on the right and the left, be white or black (or other), be famous or not. To imply that I played favorites at this specific point in history, though, is a bit much. The Rev. Wright, as moronic as he was revealed to be years later, wasn't on national TV pointing fingers while the twin tower rubble was still smoking. -rc
Read the article that everyone's commenting on, or post a comment about it.