I’m not a fan of political and religious polemics (really!), but I enjoy hearing Ann Coulter speak – she’s an over the top conservative, and says what many of us only think. She is well known for her solution for radical muslim countries (you can buy this on a t-shirt if you dare):
We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.
Well, she has a new book out, entitled Godless: The Church of Liberalism.
Human Events, a conservative newspaper, is offering the book free with a subscription, and here’s a snippet from their description of the book:
Though liberalism rejects the idea of God and reviles people of faith, it bears all the attributes of a religion itself. In Godless, Ann Coulter throws open the doors of the Church of Liberalism, showing us:
- Its sacraments (abortion)
- Its holy writ (Roe v. Wade)
- Its martyrs (from Soviet spy Alger Hiss to cop-killer Mumia Abu Jamal)
- Its clergy (public school teachers)
- Its churches (government schools, where prayer is prohibited but condoms are free)
- Its doctrine of infallibility (as manifest in the "absolute moral authority" of spokesmen from Cindy Sheehan to Max Cleland)
- And its cosmology (in which mankind is an inconsequential accident)
Then, of course, there’s the liberal creation myth: Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
For liberals, evolution is the touchstone that separates the enlightened from the benighted. But Coulter neatly refutes the charade that liberals are rationalists guided by the ideals of free inquiry and the scientific method. She exposes the essential truth about Darwinian evolution that liberals refuse to confront: it is bogus science.
Nice.
What does this accomplish Seeker?
Debate? Or is this just giving those of us who disagree with you the finger?
So conservatives who consider evolution to be the best explanation are traitors in Coulter's world?
Let's say you're a conservative who believes that the government shouldn't invade people's homes. Uh-oh! That means you might have to support something like gay marriage…
But in Coulter's world, as in the world of many conservatives (and liberals), showing any sort of subtlety about such issues is an absolute impossibility. If you don't believe that immigrants should be blown up, you're not a conservative. It is people like Coulter who have absolutely ruined debate in this country because instead of focusing on genuine political discource, Coulter The Shrill Harpy simply insults her opponents. Why? Because she's capable of little else apparently.
<a ref="http://moviemasterworks.com/blog/wp-content/PostImages/anncoulter.gif" rel="nofollow">Ann Coulter vs. Mr. T.
Ann Coulter vs. Mr. T.
Let's say you're a conservative who believes that the government shouldn't invade people's homes. Uh-oh! That means you might have to support something like gay marriage…
Man, are you obsessed with the gay issue? ;) It's always about gays with "you people."
Seriously though, your argument is bogus. Government *should* stay out of people's homes – gays can get married by any gay affirming church they want. Who is forcing government into their homes? Not me. It is gay rights activists forcing their dysfunction on society by forcing government to give them the OK. OK? Get it straight instead of spouting obvious nonsense (you are free, of course, to spout not-so-obvious nonsense which we can discuss ;).
If you don't believe that immigrants should be blown up, you're not a conservative.
Did she say blow up immigrants? If you looked at the original article, you would see that she was talking about terrorist nations. No blowing up, either. Kill the whacko leaders (like Iran's president), and liberate them from their backwards thinking by teaching them Christianity, that's what she is saying. Of course, she is being blunt, and she doesn't expect us to do that, but in plain fact, that is quite possibly one of the best solutions for these people, most of which have been imprisoned by Islam and its leaders their entire lives.
And yes, she does have a "kiss my *ss if you think otherwise" attitude, but polemics aren't so much about argument as they are about raising the questions, throwing out the solutions from one side, and throwing some provactive language out there to get the fire started. Just think of her as the Al Franken of the right. Loudmouthed, jerky, but intelligent and thoughtful under the rhetoric. And not pussy-footing around the sacred cows and important people to give the guise of "respectability."
Does this encourage more heat than light? More useless namecalling and arguments than reasoned discussion? Does it encourage low-brow, beer-swilling idiots to follow along with one party or the other, motivated by the excitement of a fight and moralistic bravado rather than the compelling vision of a better, truer future? Maybe. But it's more than that.
She may not be entirely correct in her claims, but dammit, it is fun. So stop trying to be a killjoy. Whar's my beer?
A. I think gay marriage is a perfect example of the irrational beliefs of people like Ann Coulter. The issue is that by treating different couples differently, based solely on gender, that the government is in fact inserting itself into marriage. The government has traditionally viewed marriage as being between a man and a woman; the only proposed change is adding that men and women can be married to like genders. Hence, the government is involving itself where it doesn't belong.
As you well know, gay rights activists are not forcing anything on anybody, because their getting married in no way affects you or your family. You can still hate (love!) gays all you want; you can still teach your children to hate (love!) gays all you want. In no way does two men who love each other getting married down the street from you affect you. One of the main weaknesses of your argument is your claims otherwise.
B. (I wasn't talking about her stupid-as-hell proposal for the Middle East; incidentally, what was it that Jesus said about "Bomb your neighbor." I guess I missed that part of the Bible. I was talking about her more recent proposal concerning a wall across the southern United States.) Seeker, surely you must understand that there is no freedom when you are converted to Christianity. Your only freedom is to lockstep follow the teachings of a man who probably wasn't the "Son of God." I don't see how allowing somebody else to tell you how to live your life is any more freeing the somebody is Jesus instead of Allah. Or whatever.
C. Is being a killjoy asking of somebody to be a decent human being? I mean, for Christ's sake Seeker, Ann Coulter brings nothing but inflammatory rhetoric to the table. She insults those who disagree with her, and as always, she plays by different rules than she holds her opposition to. Wait a minute…that sounds vaguely familiar.
surely you must understand that there is no freedom when you are converted to Christianity. I don't see how allowing somebody else to tell you how to live your life is any more freeing the somebody is Jesus instead of Allah.
Clearly, you do not understand xianity. There is no doctrine police. Nobody is telling me what to do – they are teaching wisdom, and I choose what seems to be right – there is no compulsion here, any more than there is for me to bow to the Secular rule makers – well, except the ones that tell me that I have to accept immorality as normative. But you wouldn't want to force that perspective on me – nooooo. Except you would garner my taxes to support it, and teach it to my kids in school.
I called you a killjoy because I knew it would push your humorless button ;) But the beer part, I was serious about.
I agree that she brings inflammatory language, although she is so over the top that I think she is really almost lampooning liberals. Does she expect us to believe that liberals treat abortion as a sacrament?
Not really, but the point is, they hold this "right" (rite?) as something almost holy, to be protected, when in reality, it's a horrid murderous act that beggars belief – it's calling darkness light. You have to use inflammatory language and absurd analogies (like that of a sacrament) to show how sacreligious and unholy such an act really is.
Same with treating RVW as "holy writ."
And again, I believe that the neutral stand of government on this issue is the proper one – neither condoning nor condeming. This is not a black or white issue, and never will be.
Dang! No comments on <a href "http://moviemasterworks.com/blog/wp-content/PostImages/anncoulter.gif" rel="nofollow">Ann Coulter vs. Mr. T.?
No one takes Ann Coulter seriously, she is a joke.
I keep messing up the link, here it is again…
Ann Coulter vs. Mr. T.
Leaving aside the obvious absurdity of Coulter and all her works, I think the most interesting point is that seeker the arch-xian would choose to post on her new diatribe. To me, it is yet another symptom of the confluence of xianity and conservatism (and specifically Replicanism). This is supposed to be a xian discussion blog? No, it's yet another example of the alliance between radical xianity and radical conservatism. I also note Aaron's call for an aggressive fundamentalist xianity and his contempt for any other sort. It's intolerance and lust for power are truly frightening (as is its influence on our gov't). It is a cult and must be confronted and fought at every turn.
To me, it is yet another symptom of the confluence of xianity and conservatism (and specifically Replicanism).
There is an overlap, and it is of concern to many evangelicals. Needless to say, I'm not suprised that liberals don't like Ann Coulter, but I think she is entertaining and fun, and if you don't enjoy poking fun at your opponents, that's your problem. Call her un-Christian, call those who read her "part of the problem."
But don't call yourself right on the issues just because you disagree with her style. Liberals are messing up this country as badly as GWB, and if it weren't for those moral majority types, we'd be in the same toilet as a lot of other "godless" countries. And her points are well taken, even if she does poke at liberalisms sacred cows and "holier than thou while killing babies" attitude.
B. Don’t reply at all? Tsk Tsk Tsk…
Sorry, had a baby on 4/27. Too busy with important stuff. Keep your shirt on.
Yikes! Congratulations!
Seeker, are you going to respond? Is the answer B?
Today is my first day back at work. YOu give some nice stats, but it will take me time to refute them, or partially agree.
Let me say this for now – correlation is not causation. I'm not sure you've proved causation. We need to examine other possible causes and effects. For instance, are the scandanavian countries doing well because they are still profiting from the protestant revivals in the recent past? Are they actually floating on a tax burden that is soon to collapse like the other welfare states of Europe? Are the quality of life indicators in your study really the important ones? Did they prioritize them well, or leave out some that might show faults?
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