Easter seems like the perfect time to evaluate the Christian right's convictions and morality. Read on for helpful advice (cross posted at
http://hairytruth.blogspot.com/... and
http://www.myleftwing.com/...)
Sometime in May of 2004, Nicholas Berg, a 26 year-old American civilian and independent contractor, was abducted in Iraq and beheaded. The horrific event was videotaped, and amidst swirling controversy concerning the circumstances of his kidnapping and death, the decapitation was widely posted and remains a popular internet destination. Just one month earlier, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan was shot when his unit came under fire in Bahgdad. He died April 4, 2004, at 24.
The particulars of these tragic losses share little in common, aside from the overarching context of war, and the response of those closest to the deceased was equally varied. Nick Berg's father Michael, a retired teacher and long-time peace activist, continued his anti-war efforts with increased zeal and commitment, forged and strengthened by the profound loss he suffered. A popular and articulate spokesman, Michael Berg recently announced his intention to run for a U.S. Congress seat on the Green Party ticket in the state of Delaware, campaigning largely on a platform of withdrawing American troops from Iraq.
Not camera shy, and gifted with a talent for sincere stridency that the media can capture in short sound bites, Casey's mother Cindy Sheehan has drawn more attention. Probably most famous for her impromptu, grassroots vigil outside the Bush ranch during the President's extended summer vacation last year, Sheehan's anti-war, anti-administration advocacy is extensive, continuing to the present. Gripped by the tragedy of loss and moral outrage, Berg and Sheehan share the perspective that the policies and actions of the Bush administration fuel Islamic hatred and, in that way, directly contributed to the death of their sons. In other respects, these parents have dealt with their personal agony in very different ways, each according to their own predilections, beliefs and circumstances.
Not so the response from religious conservatives. The Swiftboating of Cindy Sheehan was fast and furious, as widely noted in the mainstream press. The administration's reliable satellite outlets for all manner of rightwing buttnuttery, like David Horowitz's popular hate site, were giddy with excitement at the opportunity, claiming Sheehan's words and actions conclusively demonstrate her hatred for her son, America, and everything good in the world. Plus she's ugly, a whore - essentially a Charlie Manson in drag, or words to that effect.
But in the case of both Sheehan and Berg, it's the cries of religious conservatives that are most disturbing. The issues are contentious, of course, and reasonable people obviously hold widely divergent, heartfelt views on the substance of the matter, on the legality, morality and effectiveness of our efforts to "spread democracy" throughout the Middle East. Being a person of faith certainly is not incompatible with expressing your views on these issues, and in fact, some would argue that certain flavors of religious conviction command precisely that course of action. What is not particularly useful, logical or decent, however, is to use the veil of Christian faith as amnesty for advancing a distinctly unChristian ideology of prejudice and hatred.
And so, as a public service, listed below are a few warning signs of hypocritical Christian assholery. If you recognize yourself, take immediate corrective action and shut the fuck up, for the love of Christ. And if you detect these telltale indications in others - friends, family, neighbors, strangers - tell them too, for everyone's sake, "Shut the fuck up - for the love of Christ!".
Warning Signs You Might be a Hypocritical Christian Asshole:
If you're Editor-in-Chief for a publication that bills itself as the conservative Christian voice of North Carolina, and you publish an article titled, "Michael Berg is Insane!", simply because he's elected to run for Congress, then you most definitely might be a hypocritical Christian asshole. Of course having the name Judson Cox, and looking like the author (see renewamerica.us) pretty much proves you're an asshole, but not necessarily the hypocritical Christian kind.
If you're a geriatric, born-again Pat Boone, who has gleefully taken on the role of "...blasting the peace message of Cindy Sheehan...", in between preaching the gospel and doing bad heavy metal covers, you may very well be a hypocritical Christian asshole.
If you feature a misty picture of hands holding the scripture, and refer readers to Ephesians 6:11 on the header of your blog, but then discount the actions of a grieving mother of a lost soldier as "communist antics", and causing pain and suffering to POW's, you're most probably a hypocritical Christian asshole. Actually, if you post Cindy's picture juxtaposed with images of bloody heads from people who suffered the same fate as Nick Berg, you are most definitely a major hypocritical Christian asshole.
If you're a Texas blogger who dismisses the sincerity of Cindy Sheehan's views and actions with a running series of cheap, lame jokes, chances are good that you're a hypocritical Christian asshole. Actually, we're making an assumption regarding the Christian affiliation in this particular example of assholery, on the basis that that's pretty much the only kind they let in the state of Texas, right?
And if you're a super scary looking freak of an Evangelical General, who sees Nick Berg as a call to arms for "warriors of faith", you're beyond, WAY beyond, your standard, run-of-the-mill hypocritical Christian asshole.
And so, as we suggested, please, for the love of Christ, shut the fuck up.
