Gee, what a surprise. The far-right preacher who attacked Microsoft last year, and is attacking them again this year, because Microsoft supports equal rights for every American, has his own little Jewish problem. Here he is doing an interview about Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of Christ":
LEIGH SALES: Pastor Ken Hutcherson, who runs the Antioch Bible Church in Washington State, has seen an advance screening of the film. In order to generate favourable publicity, Gibson's company has invited select, mostly Christian audiences, to showings to ensure good word-of-mouth.Maybe Cliff (of Cliff's Corner) will explain to us this coming Friday why he killed Christ.
KEN HUTCHERSON: I think it's going to be controversial to those believers who don't want to admit the suffering that Christ had to go through to pay for our sins. I think it's going to be controversial to the whole view of the Jewish nation. The truth is that they did push to have Christ crucified. That's just plain truth... that's Biblical truth.
Seriously though, putting aside the personal glee I feel whenever one of these radical right leaders shows their true colors, I think Hutcherson's comments are important for a number of reasons. They show just how nutty the opposition really is. These are not reasonable Christians who happen to disagree with us (and many of us are reasonable Christians as well, thank you very much). These are far-right religious zealots who have a rather extreme view of their own religion - which is certainly their right - but it's not their right to jam THEIR unique view of God down OUR throats.
That's why Hutcherson's admission about the Jews killing Christ is so important. Hutcherson is entitled to think that "the Jewish nation" killed Christ and that the world needs to keep being reminded of that fact. But that doesn't mean that Hutcherson gets to impose his personal (and rather extreme) view on every company in America, and every law in America.
Just like the American Family Association's troubling record of intolerance to Jews and Muslims (and gays), Hutcherson's personal views on Jews are indicative of who the religious right really is. The people leading these battles against corporate America, against the TV networks - these friends of the Bush White House - are not nice people. And any company, or politician, who cozies up to these people is aligning themself with prejudice and bigotry of the worst kind.
That's why Hutcherson's words are such a gift.
(Hat tip to Horses Ass blog (man, these names))
