Posted on 04/06/2010 12:58:59 PM PDT by Woodland
“Progressives” are like pig farmers. In an effort to bury opposing viewpoints they sling pejorative slop, labeling as “bigot,” “hater,” “wingnut” or “racist” those with whom they disagree. It’s the height of intellectual sloth.
The ad hominem approach – chief among logical fallacies – undergirds an effort to both marginalize conservative viewpoints and avoid arguing on the merits the controversies of the day. For liberals, to set sail in fair debate is to navigate treacherous waters.
We’ve seen this tired tactic abused ad nauseum in recent days by the mainstream media and Democrats. Aided by hard-left outfits such as the Southern Poverty Law Center – all too eager to provide “expert analysis” tailor-made for jaundiced journalism – liberal elites have been desperate to throw poison on bourgeoning grassroots opposition to Obama’s careening Marxist agenda. It’s straight out of the “progressive” playbook: Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals.”
Hence, in the face of zero supporting evidence, “Tea Party” conservatives, Constitutionalists, pro-life and pro-family Americans, and generally any patriot who disagrees with the Obama administration are smeared with “hate’s” broad brush.
Grandma and Grandpa; your fireman neighbor; school teachers; pastors; butchers; bakers; and candlestick makers are now “potentially violent right-wing extremists.” They are, as Mark Potok, Huffington Post columnist and SPLC director puts it: “…shot through with rich veins of radical ideas, conspiracy theories and racism,” and are widely linked to “hate” and “vigilante groups.” (Knock it off, Mark. With the exception of your fellow moveon.org-types, the vast majority of Americans aren’t biting.)
Nonetheless, every once in a while, as it goes, “even a blind squirrel finds a nut.” While I rarely agree with the Mark Potoks of the world, today, on at least one issue, I find myself doing so. Cult leader Fred Phelps and his Westboro brood of “God hates F-gs” fame are infused to the marrow with pure, unadulterated hate.
Phelps hates homosexuals. He hates the military. He hates America. He apparently hates everyone. But he also hurts people. Intentionally, I believe.
Phelps contends that every time a U.S. soldier dies in combat its God’s judgment for our nation’s affirmation of homosexual sin. Best known for disrupting military funerals, Phelps is – and was – a lot of things: He’s a former Kansas Democratic gubernatorial candidate; he was an Al Gore fundraiser for the ex-Veep’s 1988 presidential run; he’s a self-styled “Baptist minister;” and he’s a buffoon. But one man decided to fight back. As reported by the AP: “Albert Snyder of York, Pa., is suing [Phelps’] church that picketed the funeral of his son, who died in a vehicle accident in Iraq. The Westboro Baptist Church contends U.S. military deaths are God’s punishment for tolerance of homosexuality. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. “The appeals court ordered Snyder to pay $16,510 in court costs to Westboro and its pastor, Fred Phelps. Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly has pledged to donate that amount. An American Legion spokesman says the veterans’ group has collected more than $12,000 in donations. People can also donate directly to Snyder on a Web site in his son's name.” (To donate go to www.mathewsnyder.org). Indeed, Phelps and his incestuous band of Dale Carnegie rejects represent hate personified. Rather than taking the biblical “love the sinner, hate the sin” approach to sexual immorality, these false prophets preach counterfeit Christianity, devoid of the faith’s core tenet: redemption.
They labor under the misconception that, somehow, they are exempt from the Gospel’s central “judge not lest ye be judged” provision. “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one.’” Romans 3:10.
I pray that Phelps and Co. will both repent and seek Christ’s redemption for the harm they’ve caused people like the Snyders. I also pray that liberals will repent. By lumping together with Phelps those who recognize traditional, biblical sexual morality, homosexual activists and the left-wing media trivialize true hate.
Indeed, many Americans – perhaps most – adhere to the biblical notion that all sexual conduct outside the bonds of marriage between one man and one woman is sexually immoral. (Sorry liberals, that’s just the way it is; nothing personal. Despite disingenuous bleatings to the contrary, such beliefs are typically as far removed from hate as Phelps is from cuddly. Every major world religion, thousands of years of history and uncompromising human biology hold this to be true. And as with all absolute truth, it just is.)
So, Fred Phelps aside, every time you hear some lefty like Anderson Cooper or Keith Olbermann despicably refer to Bible-believing Christians as “homophobes,” or who call grandma a “teabagger” (slang for a vile homosexual act), consider who the real haters are.
Whenever Mark Potok, Rachel Maddow or some liberal politico in Congress attempts to equate conservative Joe to a “right wing extremists” or a “domestic terrorist,” contemplate who the true bigots are.
The palpable irony is that leftists – with their slanderous name-calling, harsh judgments and ad hominem attacks – are, in truth, more like Phelps than those they falsely accuse.
Progress demands a vigorous, open and honest debate. “Progressives” should quit the empty name calling and stop running-scared from true progress.
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Matt Barber is an attorney concentrating in constitutional law. He is author of the book “The Right Hook – From the Ring to the Culture War” and serves as Director of Cultural Affairs with Liberty Counsel. Send comments to Matt at jmattbarber@comcast.net. (This information is provided for identification purposes only.)
I hate haters...
That’s an unfair aspersion against pig farmers who engage in honest work and produce a useful product.
Al Sharpton said that America intentionally and knowingly voted for “socialism” when they elected 0bama.
I find myself in odd agreement with Al Sharpton.
He was correct.............
Be careful not to dismiss such statements too cavalierly. The prophets of Israel were similarly offensive and controversial at times -- Isaiah preached naked for three years -- yet they were proved right. Remember the fate of Sodom, and tremble.
Here's a mind bender for ya. American's black population, aside from a few recent immigrants, is descended from about 600,000 slaves originally imported. How many people died in the Civil War? Ummmm.... about 600,000. One war death for every slave imported. Hmmmm. Who says God doesn't keep score and hand out judgements today, as he did of old? (Read Lincoln's 2nd inaugural address for more on that topic.)
Now, suppose... just suppose... that God is keeping score on abortion. We're close to the 50 million mark (and consider the Civil War math above). Outcry after outcry has been raised to almost no avail... until someone got idea of displaying lurid photos of aborted unborn babies and bloody parts thereof, in front of clinics and on trucks. (See Judges 19:29) Offensive? You bet! Do you think God cares? NO! Far from it, sometimes being offensive is the only way to get people to listen.
I'm told that in Catholic theology, there are 4 sins that are understood to particularly cry out to Heaven for vengeance. Shedding innocent blood (= abortion) is one. Sodomy is another. So just suppose that He has taken note of our culture's total rejection of His counsel on the matter of homosexuality, just as we have on abortion? Is it not possible that God would raise up a fallen, broken, messed up man like Phelps to prophetically offend us on the matter of homosexuality -- just as He inspired Operation Rescue types to prophetically offend by showing pics of dead babies outside abortion clinics?
I say again, be careful before you dismiss Phelps. You might just be missing the hour of your visitation. And be very, very careful what words you say about his activities. (Luke 12:10)
ping to previous post. your comments welcome.
I dismiss Phelps outright and would pound his tail if he spewed that crap around me. Your thesis is crap. God has bigger things to do than whack individual AMERICAN soldiers for every time homos bugger each other. If that were the case there would be no soldiers left...
One day you will hear a loud pop and see a bright light. The light will be the sun and the pop will be the correction of your cranio-rectum inversion.
Once upon a time I would have agreed with you. When I first heard of Phelps picketing military funerals, my immediate impluse was to counterprotest... Patriot Guard riders and all that... But something in my gut told me that there's something else going on here.
I'm sure that when ancient Israel came under the judgement of God, and starting losing wars, many of the soldiers were brave and righteous men. And many who died in the Civil War had no hand in slavery at all. But that's what happens when a nation walks away from God -- even the innocent and the heroic suffer.
I fear for this country. I fear that the doom and gloom prophecies of Wilkerson, Ravenhill, and Phelps are right on target. Scripturally I have a hard time refuting them. And most Americans don't get it!
History has shown that good men can get sent on a fool’s errand...
Plausible.
Thx.
They’re insane people. Your statements indicate agreement with their insanity. Tragic.
For the record -- I soooooo hope I'm wrong. Just this once.
You were supposed to refute me from Scripture, enabling me to sleep better at night. If you, of all people, think my reasoning is plausible.... oh, no....
How come we never read about this a$$hole protesting in San Francisco ????
I’ll try and re-read it more carefully.
However, I still think your assertions are quite plausible.
And Biblical.
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