Isn't it funny how America's Taliban can pick and choose which religions it can call illegitimate (e.g., Islam), but then you can't criticize America's Taliban because all religions are per se sacrosanct. Hmmm....
...A high-profile Democratic senator from Vermont has used a Senate hearing on terrorism to attack American Christians. Senate Judiciary Committee member Patrick Leahy called remarks by Christian leaders offensive as terrorist jihad propaganda. As an example, Leahy quoted Franklin Graham's post-9/11 remarks that "'We're not attacking Islam, but Islam has attacked us" and the religious leader's comment that he believes "Islam is a very evil and wicked religion." Of Graham's statements, Leahy remarked, "Now that is extremely offensive." And the senator did not stop with Graham but also noted that "The Reverend Jerry Falwell called the prophet Muhammad a terrorist" and "The Reverend Pat Robertson has likened those who practice Islam, including a very large number of very loyal Americans, as our enemy." Leahy equated these Christian leaders' comments with those of terrorists, saying, "Just as a majority of Christians or Jews reject these statements, a majority of Muslims reject the publications [and] broadcasts we have discussed here." [Bill Fancher]A few responses:
1. The religious right is not "America's Christians." They're bigoted Americans who happen to claim they're Christian, and then use their own warped view of Christianity to defend their prejudice. And God bless 'em, because in America you're still allowed to be an extremist bigot, last time I checked. But to suggest they are America's Christians is to suggest that anyone who criticizes Jesse Jackson hates "America's blacks," or anyone who criticizes Ted Kennedy hates America's Catholics or America's Irishmen.
It's certainly cute of America's Taliban to claim they speak for all Christians, but I'm a Christian and they certainly don't speak for me. Though now that I think about it, every time they criticize gay people, they criticize me, and since I'm a Christian, they must hate America's Christians. Cool.
2. Their comments about Islam are bigoted and are just as bad as the kind of hatred radical Islamists spew about Americans, and many of the comments are similar to what the Nazis said about the Jews (last year, a top religious right group spread the word that Muslims were like rats taking over Europe because they copulated so much - now who does that sound like? Hint: Rhymes with schmitler).
3. Funny how America's Taliban can call other religions illegitimate, but then if you call their warped interpretation of religion illegitimate you must hate God.
4. Oh yeah, they also killed Matthew Shepard.
