Paul Waldman makes a worthwhile point about how liberals, both secular and religious, shouldn't worry about tiptoeing around direct criticism of some of the more loony and militaristic versions of the Christian religion being pimped by the Christian Right: Bring on the Brimstone 11/24/04.
His inspiration for that particular blog post was a column by Nicolas Kristof, Apocalypse (Almost!) Now New York Times 11/24/04, about the popular series of Left Behind novels, based on a fundamentalist Protestant imagination of what the end of the world will be like. As Kristof points out, it's not exactly what you would call an ecumenical version of things:
The "Left Behind" series, the best-selling novels for adults in the U.S., enthusiastically depict Jesus returning to slaughter everyone who is not a born-again Christian. The world's Hindus, Muslims, Jews and agnostics, along with many Catholics and Unitarians, are heaved into everlasting fire: "Jesus merely raised one hand a few inches and . . . they tumbled in, howling and screeching."
One of the authors, Jenkins, defended their outlook to Kristof by saying, "That's our crucible, an offensive and divisive message in an age of plurality and tolerance."
Waldman says:
Most of the media has either ignored the likes of Left Behind authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, or written about them with a hyper-respectful curiosity, saying, "Look at that - millions of books sold. Wow, there must be a spiritual hunger out there." What they don't do is point out the obvious: These people are nuts.
And by "these people" I don't mean Christians, and this is where liberal secularists need to understand the complexity of religious observance and belief in the United States. LaHaye and Jenkins are nuts because their Apocalypalooza is at the extreme fringes of Christian thinking, a reimagining of Jesus not as a "blessed are the meek" kind of guy, but a vengeful, merciless slaughterer of infidels with blood dripping from his lips. The difference between them and the guy in raggedy clothes on the street corner with a sign reading "The End Is Near" comes down to better marketing.
Many have been pointing out that there are lots of liberal religious people out there who can make a compelling case for progressive policies based in religious teaching. This is absolutely true - and we shouldn't be afraid to simultaneously make the case that the particular Christians who now have the Republican Party in their grasp are the most radical, the most intolerant, the ones whose thinking lies farthest from the religious mainstream.
3 comments:
Definately -- don't ever hesitate to call a lunatic a lunatic. People like that make me sick, and they do no justice whatsoever to the man they claim to live their very lives for. I have no respect for anyone who wants to make America into a theocracy and neither should any other American who loves freedom and tolerance for all people -- Christian or non-Christian.
LaHay isn't playing with a full deck. He's been writing this garbage for years now and the same people buy and read his drivel over and over again. The Bible calls most followers, "sheep." It also warns that the sheep can be led astray. That is soooo true and examples such as the UCC commercial should be played over and over again so people can learn the difference between love and hate.
That Happy Chica,
Marcia Ellen
What we are seeing, with the total cooperation of the media, is the streamlining of religious extremists. Crossfire just had Jerry Fallwell as a guest host, for pete's sake, and no one bats an eye.
Like you've pointed out in a previous entry--which I thought was excellent btw---if the religious right wants to play with the big boys they should take it as good as they dish it out. None of this "we're being persecuted" whining.
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