Glass houses |
by Gina Dalfonzo |
As Frank Schaeffer continues his quest to distance himself from conservatism and evangelicalism, his tone grows ever shriller:
What are the Republicans in Congress and the other "respectable"
leaders on the far right -- from Focus on the Family's James Dobson to
Rush Limbaugh, from Laura Ingraham to the leaders of the NRA -- doing
to stop the right-wing domestic wave of terrorism exploding in the
aftermath of President Barack Obama's election? I ask this as a former
evangelical right-wing and "pro-life" leader who quit the right and the
Republicans in disgust over their extremism. . . .
There's a biblical story about the stoning to death of St. Stephen, where the yet-to-be-converted-apostle Paul didn't throw the deadly stones himself but stood holding the coats of the people doing the killing. Similarly, the right-wing leadership, are "holding the coats" of present and future violent actors. These coat-holders sow the seeds of hate with their words, then pretend horror when those words are taken seriously.
There's a biblical story about the stoning to death of St. Stephen, where the yet-to-be-converted-apostle Paul didn't throw the deadly stones himself but stood holding the coats of the people doing the killing. Similarly, the right-wing leadership, are "holding the coats" of present and future violent actors. These coat-holders sow the seeds of hate with their words, then pretend horror when those words are taken seriously.
Here's what I don't get: If Schaeffer truly believes that the language of conservative leaders is inflammatory, and that inflammatory language leads to violence, then why is he using inflammatory language himself?
What right-wing domestic wave of terrorism? I must have missed that . . .
Posted by: Dan Gill | July 06, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Er, whence did this wave of domestic terrorism come from? The only terrorism acts I remember were the abortion guy and the recruiter one of which was theoretically(for all we know either or both could have been false flags and while the suggestion leads to paranoia such things are not unknown)for causes associated with liberals and one with conservatives.
Posted by: jason taylor | July 06, 2009 at 11:04 AM
For that matter, what "seeds of hate" from the right? Schaeffer is living in a dream world.
Posted by: Dan Gill | July 06, 2009 at 01:07 PM
Dan Gill:
For that matter, what "seeds of hate" from the right? Schaeffer is living in a dream world.
Just what I was wondering. When did these conservatives advocate killing people? Maybe nothing should be said at all? I wonder what methods he recommends?
Posted by: Jim D. | July 06, 2009 at 05:21 PM