Liberals, Logic and Tolerance
This is a guest post from Rebecca.
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Recently Delawareliberals have been attacked for intolerance when we refused to mourn the death The Reverend Falwell. Historically, we’ve been attacked for being overly tolerant and flip-floppers who can’t define what we believe, so we must not believe in anything. As usual, this whole load of bunkum stems from specious logic as applied by the right-wing noise machine.
Liberals believe in tolerance. So it logically follows that intolerance is unacceptable to us. The Reverend Falwell was the poster-boy for intolerance. Even Tinky-Winky fell prey to his attacks. Blaming the 9/11 disaster on homosexuals, instead of say the folks who were warned of the impending attack but preferred to spend vacation in Crawford, was pure bigotry. Carefully crafted bigotry designed to distract fellow bigots from those who really were indirectly responsible.
Liberals also abhor hypocrisy. So logically it follows that we would not mourn for The Reverend Falwell. One of the things that makes us crazy is the hypocrisy of people who claim to be Christians but daily violate the teachings of Christ. Playing on people’s fears to wring money from them in order to build up personal earthly treasures certainly wasn’t part of the Christian message.
Now the right-wingers will say you’ve told us what you are against but what are you for? Okay, liberals are for Christ’s teachings. Like, look after each other. Like, take care of the poor. Like, respect women. Like, get the money out of the church. Like tolerance and truthfulness. The Sermon on the Mount could almost be the Liberal Creed. And yes, even those of us who haven’t been born again, or accepted Christ as our personal savior, can read those words and adopt them as a compass for our lives. They are great words, whether they are from God or just from a wonderful, thoughtful man. Too bad The Reverend Falwell didn’t adopt them as his personal compass.
We, in fact, do have standards, values and beliefs. And we are not hypocritical enough to pretend sorrow when somebody who has stood against those beliefs has died. We certainly feel pity for those who loved him and are hurting now, but we aren’t part of that group.
Onward!
There is a marked difference between the absence of sorrow and joy. I have no real feeling on the passing of the Reverend – I was not a follower of his preachings, but I join the voices who are disgusted by those who figuratively dance in the streets because of his passing.
Oh boo hoo. All of the sudden the right has found an issue to that allows them to demonstrate the famous, “compassionate conservatism”
If Cheney or Bush passed I can tell you it would not be figurative dancing.
Brud – you better get next to your fainting couch befor you click on this link.
There are bad people in this world and it’s okay to feel relieved when one of them dies.
Here is what Jesus Christ says:
http://jesuschristscoolblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/jerrys-dead.html
Rebecca, very nice post. If the Christian Right would be more concerned about the poor as Jesus was than abortion and gays, things would be better in the world.
I find it telling that liberals rejoiced more with the death of Fallwell than Saddam Hussein.
Liberals also abhor hypocrisy.
and conservatives apply it.
Duffy,
If Falwell was hanged, had his head pop off, and was prosecuted in a kangaroo court, I may be reacting differently.
Only in America can a bigot start a college named Liberty, Blame 9/11 on homosexuals and have a “straight shooter” beg for his money?
but go ahead castigate those of us that revel in the glory of death to people as polarizing as him.
Duffy, are you saying Saddam and Falwell are alike? Is this really an apples to apples comparison?
The issue is one of behavior. Falwell quoted the bible, but didn’t understand, or pretended not to understand, the message. Twisting the words of a major faith in order to promote a political party having little to do with that faith is, was, and will always be an abomination.
The behavior of the Falwells, DeLays, Bakkers, et al did not promote the teachings of Jesus. Harassing a minority, extorting money from the helpless, or jerking off in front of a prostitute leads me farther away from the Bible quotations they used to increase their own wealth and power.
Mother Theresa I listened to. Because her behavior matched her words. Those whose words are in direct conflict with their actions deserve ignoring. Those whose words are in direct conflict with their actions and create more misery in the world should not be surprised when people feel that their deaths make the world a better place.
On the Death-O-Citement meter, I’m registering around a 7, maybe a 7.5
It would’ve been at least an 8, but then I remembered that this will never happen now…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=um-LyCtyzhs
VC
I’m gonna hate that rock!
No! I’m gonna hate that rock
oh, how priceless.
And the hatred continues….
“Mother Theresa I listened to. Because her behavior matched her words..”
Then check out these words…
“Your opinion stated that you did not need to “resolve the difficult question of when life begins.” That question is inescapable. If the right to life in an inherent and inalienable right, it must surely exist wherever life exists. No one can deny that the unborn child is a distinct being, that it is human, and that it is alive. It is unjust, therefore, to deprive the unborn child of its fundamental right to life on the basis of its age, size, or condition of dependency.”
So I guess you really didn’t listen to Mother Theresa. This is taken from her letter to the U.S. in 1984 supporting the effort to overturn “Roe v. Wade”.
http://www.tldm.org/News7/AbortionMotherTeresa.htm
“Liberals believe in tolerance. So it logically follows that intolerance is unacceptable to us. ”
Again, hipocracy. Liberals are VERY intolerant of those who do not share their views. For instance, if I disagree with their opinions on homosexuality or abortion, I am closed-minded. Regardless of whether I considered both points and came to what I consider the right one. Does that sound tolerant?
If someone suggests they would like their family protected from the worst pornography the Internet can throw at them, we are “moralistic bastards”. Tolerant?
A businesswoman decides she would rather run her company with non-unionized labor. She then finds a giant inflatable rat in front of her establishment, and has epitaths shouted at her. Tolerant?
A christian pro-life organization opens an information center across from a Planned Parenthood center to offer women choices (after all this is what the left wants right?) No. Planned parent hood takes legal action to get them removed because apparently abortion IS the only choice.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, frustrated because House Republicans have an opinion counter to hers, and are making her look so ineffective, is attempting to change House rules that have been in place since 1822, to prevent Repulicans from having a say on a motion. Now THAT is tolerant.
Well..if it all in the name of liberalism…that makes it ok.
“Liberals also abhor hypocrisy”
See above. And read it carefully.
No one is fooled by the tactic of making stuff up to support an argument you can’t honestly support.
Christianity is supposed to be about the teachings of Christ and the folks here are pointing out how the Rev Falwell gave fabulous theater about his religion without ever engaging on the substance of it. Rebecca’s post is really quite clear on that. Your examples do nothing to counteract that.
Rev Fallwell was skilled at playing to and manipulating the fears and prejudices and pocketbooks of a bunch of people all in the name of his own ambition and aggrandizement. This is a man who actively supported the apartheid regime in South Africa; who conducted fund-raising campaigns around demonizing gay people; who blamed 9/11 on gays and PFAW; who called Archbishop Desmond Tutu a phoney (please); who was a strict segregationist (and found biblical rationales to support it) until it was no longer fashionable to be a segregationist.
None of this stuff qualifies as especially Christian — certainly does nothing to serve the mandate of feeding the hungry and comforting the sick and otherwise exercising the compassion and service to the community that the New Testament calls for. And certainly (for all you Catholics out there) does nothing to exercise the Cardinal Acts of Mercy required of believers.
You are here asking for grace on behalf of a man who demonstrated none and I am certain that you never called for him to back off of his own bigotry. I am certain that you never noted how the Rev Falwell’s easily made and totally outrageous judgments of folks not like him contributed to the poisonous atmosphere of political and religious discourse.
I do not mourn the man’s passing, but do extend my condolences to those who cared for him. If the Reverend is lucky, he’ll be meeting a God that is way more forgiving than Falwell ever was.
Jerry Falwell and Osama Bin Laden were cut from the exact same cloth. Both are religious bigots who wouldn’t hesitate to kill those whose lifestyle they don’t like. So, yeah, we can rejoice that Falwell is dead. That is one less bigoted republican theocratic asshole wasting perfectly good food, air, and water.
I heard that Mother Theresa’s first time was when she was drinking Campari in an outhouse with her father. Imagine that!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Falwellhustler.jpg
“Jerry Falwell and Osama Bin Laden were cut from the exact same cloth. Both are religious bigots who wouldn’t hesitate to kill those whose lifestyle they don’t like”
Wow! How FRIGGIN libelous can you get? Give me one reason to believe Falwell would have KILLED those whose lifestyle he doesn’t approve of? However, there is quite a bit of proof that liberals are in favor of KILLING those (unborn babies) who will interfere with THEIR lifestyle.
Hey. Grab type, I think your reality is slipping.
“I heard that Mother Theresa’s first time was when she was drinking Campari in an outhouse with her father. Imagine that!”
The sad thing is there are so many messed up liberals willing to believe this, that they will treat it as truth. But then again, common sense is not something you libs are often guilty of.
there is quite a bit of proof that liberals are in favor of KILLING those (unborn babies) who will interfere with THEIR lifestyle.
I’de reply to this but I’m way behind on my baby killing quota. I have to kill thirty more babies tonight or I’m gonna have my liberal credentials revoked.
I’de reply to this but I’m way behind on my baby killing quota. I have to kill thirty more babies tonight or I’m gonna have my liberal credentials revoked.
(in an Elmer Fudd voice): Shh . . . I’m hunting unborn fetuses.
If we could figure out which fetus’ were destined to become Republicans it would make the whole process much easier.
“If we could figure out which fetus’ were destined to become Republicans it would make the whole process much easier.”
In your humor…lies your belief.
Chris Says: “In your humor…lies your belief.”
Whaddayou? Fuckin’ Grasshopper? Snatch the pebbles out of my crotch, asswipe.
If you fall short on the babies try turning people onto homosexuality.
That counts double through Memorial Day.
Mr. Chris,
Question – Are you one of those who say they believe in the “sanctity of life” but disregard that tenet once a baby is born to poor, under-educated, drug-addict parent(s)? You know, voting for those “compassionate conservatives” that deny free health care, proper educational opportunities, and good pay to the parents for a hard day’s work. Now remember, most of the Rs voted against all of these mentioned above at one time or another. So why don’t you put your vote where your mouth is, or STFU.
“Life begins at conception and ends at birth.” – I’ve heard those words somewhere before… Wait! I know now! It was from observing the actions of the anti-choice crowd!
But you’re right about liberals not being tolerant all the time. I, for one, am not tolerant of people who suffer from self-imposed retardation, liars, cheats, murderers, Mets fans, people who think their god kicks other gods’ ass (Come on now, we all know Odin is the shiznitz!), and squirrels.
But unlike most of your ilk, I am open to reason. If you can prove your point, or at least provide overwhelming circumstantial evidence, then you got me. But if you keep coming back with “Because I or the bible, koran, or aesop’s fables say so” argument, then don’t waste my time.
Anyway, I believe in the parasite-host dynamic when it comes to abortion. If the fetus cannot survive outside the womb and breathe on its own, then it’s perfectly moral to terminate and sell to France to make skin products.
VC