Coulter: We want 'Jews to be perfected'

[MALiberal]

Source: CNN

commentator and best-selling author Ann Coulter may find herself in the midst of a controversy for comments Monday suggesting America would be better if everyone was Christian.

Asked by CNBC host Donny Deutsch what the U.S. looks like in her dreams, Coulter said it would look like the Republican National Convention in 2004

"People were happy,” she said, according to a transcript provided to CNN by CNBC. “They're Christian. They're tolerant. They defend America." (Video: Watch Coulter's comments on CNBC)

When Deutsch responded, "It would be better if we were all Christian?" Coulter said "Yeah."

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

[begin_within]

1. Batshit crazy person

[radfringe]

31. no - creating controversy

by making batshit crazy comments so she can sell her book

her books have no value on their own unless she creates controversy to promote them - it's the only way she can sell them

she can't sell them just based on the merits - only through her reputation to say batshit crazy things. There's no investigative reporting, no facts, no logic, just sensationalism akin to a rag publication which splashes a photoshopped picture of batboy marrying bigfoot

[begin_within]

44. Crazy like a fox...

[radfringe]

48. :) lol moonbat crazy like FAUX? n/t

[Mike Daniels]

56. Spot on - I picked up one of her books and it was unreadable

Quite simply, Ann has a base audience that's large enough to support her and that audience will stick by her regardless of what she says.

Comments like this are designed to get the media in a frenzy which then produces more publicity for her work. I wouldn't be suprised if Ann doesn't plan the shit she intends to say during an appearance days in advance. It sure as hell isn't spontaneously popping out of her mouth.

That said, I think Ann would be well served to remember that Christ considered deeds and words to be equally important. Ann may talk Christianity (and that's debatable) but she as hell doesn't live it unless it's totally outside of public view.

[LeFleur1]

52. Stop!

Stop insulting batshit.

[Joanne98]

2. BWHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!! K&R!!!!!!!!!!

[SyntaxError]

3. lol...

They really ought to shut her up... Maybe she's just in it for "lulz".

[wtmusic]

4. If I absolutely must defend that ignorant cow

I will. Please change your made-up title. It's not her quote.

[...of J.Temperance]

5. That's what Coulter basically said though

Isn't it?

She's a hateful, nasty creature....who needs a MASSIVE public slapping for uttering this bigoted and vicious crap.

[Bicoastal]

6. Actually, it looks like that's EXACTLY what she said...

...according to CNN.com.

[PittPoliSci]

7. i don't know...

Coulter responded, "No, we think — we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say."

[...of J.Temperance]

8. That's exactly what she said

IF she's not taken to the woodshed and CONDEMNED and SHUNNED for her latest perverted and offensive comments....then there's really no hope.

[wtmusic]

26. My bad. Musta missed that part.

I can't believe in 2007 anyone could say that. She makes Ahmadinejad look like MLK.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

40. for one, he is a lot smarter, for another,

he has a smaller adams' apple.

[formercia]

41. Perfected:

Convert or burn in Hell.

[Tarc]

13. have you read the transcript?

COULTER: No, we think -- we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003657196&imw=Y

[heliarc]

18. You should always make sure to read the article...

before defending an ignorant cow.

[Catch22Dem]

25. Not a made up title...it's a direct quote

Read the article, not just the snippet. It's actually the title of the article itself.

[MALiberal]

9. The Quote is correct

Media Matters, the liberal media watchdog group which is publicizing the encounter, provided this transcript:

DEUTSCH: ... we should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians, then, or ...

COULTER: Yeah.

DEUTSCH: Really?

COULTER: Well, it's a lot easier. It's kind of a fast track.

DEUTSCH: Really?

COULTER: Yeah. You have to obey.

DEUTSCH: You can't possibly believe that.

COULTER: Yes.

"We just want Jews to be perfected, as they say," Coulter said later in the show. "That is what Christianity is. We believe the Old Testament, but ours is more like Federal Express."

[Zhade]

14. "You have to obey." Spoken like a true fascist.

She probably fantasizes about three-ways with Hitler and Mussolini.

In. Fucking. Sane.

[Trajan]

28. I would think the 'Fed'Ex' comment kinda cheapens the New Canon's authority ....

Likening the supercession of the old canon to a sometimes negligent delivery service is hardly ennobling ...

Surely THAT has to have her friends kinda scratching their heads ...

Even if the 'perfected jews' comment didnt offend them ....

[Nomad559]

10. Christians just want Jews to be perfected

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x313510

:)

[aaronbees]

11. "They're tolerant"

Anything but that at the RNC. Incredible disconnect from reality.

[Arugula Latte]

90. As my kids say, it's "Opposite Day."

Every day is Opposite Day in Rightwingland. Clear Skies, Family Values, Fighting for Freedom -- all opposites of what they really mean.

[Occulus]

12. Oh, honey, you are FAR from perfect.

Stated in the "queeniest" lispy limp-wrist stereotypical fag voice I possibly can.

Yes, I'm gay. I'd martyr myself and go straight if she would permanently shut the fuck up to see it happen.

[bluestateguy]

15. Just watch: She'll worm her bony little ass out of this one too

I don't have the energy to go through another Coulter brouhaha where she just ends up not being held accountable again.

[Joe Bacon]

16. When will the whore press finally say she's gone over the line?

I just wonder if there is anything she cannot get away with. :puke:

[AnneD]

53. I thought...

advocating for the killing of some folks as she has would have done it. Someone needs to haul her ass into court and win a judgment against her to the extent that it takes money out of her pocket. She's a shill, out peddling her wares. Her time will be up soon enough. She'll end up a bitter bigoted old fool reviled by all.

[MidwestTransplant]

17. Many were probably happy when they thought she was only a bigot against Muslims.

[IndianaGreen]

70. Fundie Christians are all anti-Semites, without exception!

They all believe literally in the Book of Revelation, a book in which the Jews are given a choice to convert to Christianity or be slain by Jesus.

Anyone that sees nothing wrong in exterminating Jews or erradicating Judaism, is an anti-Semite!

[truthisfreedom]

19. I think it's quite remarkable that the bitch finally put herself in the doghouse for good.

[MidwestTransplant]

20. Here's the Freeper response

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1910125/posts

About 75% support her with a few claiming this is a conspiracy...like this poor demented should who blames Hillary http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1910125/posts?page=36#36

[kimmylavin]

21. These people actually exist.

From your link:

"Ann’s a big girl. She can handle it, and she will. As they say, truth hurts and in this case the Jews are hurting."

I'm just baffled.

[KayLaw]

34. The truth hurts.

I guess the writer means Jewish people need to look in the mirror and face the evil truth: They are not Christian.

[kimmylavin]

65. What arrogance.

These people are just OUT OF THEIR MINDS.

[Hardrada]

24. And she'll be the Queen of Stormfront!

[WCGreen]

22. Why is she even allowed on the air...

I think the media folks dream of this type of controversy that's why they keep having her on...

She's all about the money and could care less what comes out of her mouth...

The more controvery the better he books sell...

It's a sad commentary on the modern media that she is even given a voice...

[silverojo]

23. She ought to be a little careful with remarks like this

There are many Jewish people in high media positions, who just might decide they've had their fill of her sh*t. If enough orders come from upstairs, to the tune of, "Don't ever invite this manbitch on any of our news shows again," she'd have a much harder time promoting her bile-spewing books.



What's even more sickening...I knew that if I kept my sig file long enough, it would be topical again. :mad:

[colorado_ufo]

88. Does anyone find her hands a little - er - strange?

They look like they belong to a 7 foot tall pro basketball player.

[SKKY]

27. What the fuck does Mann Coulter know about being "tolerant"???

:eyes:

[noamnety]

38. The irony astounds me

What does that (insert misogynistic transphobic slur) know about being tolerant?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

39. dude you gotta stop insulting transgendered people because you dont like ann coulter

say you suspected her of having some black genes, would you call he black coulter? no, because you know its racist.

similarly just because you suspect she may/maynot be transgendered, its not ok to call her mann coulter.

[SKKY]

58. You're absolutely right Lioness...

...and I would like to apologize to all transgendered people for putting Ann Coulter in the same group as them- or for even mentioning her in the same breath as them. It clearly is not fair to the transgendered community.

[tabasco]

42. That's what cracked me up. All those tolerant republicans.

Here's a tolerant republican having fun at the convention:

[SKKY]

59. AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

That was way fucked up of you to post that picture without warning me!!!! You're wrong. Just plain wrong!

[colorado_ufo]

87. But really,

it is sort of irresistable to occasionally post a pix of one of W's old girl friends.

[allisonthegreat]

54. This is not the first time, actually

many times this woman has offended me. Why the MSM keeps courting her is beyond my comprehension.

[whistle]

29. This clearly shows that the right wing has crossed over to Nazi dogma

[TomClash]

30. "No, we think — we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say."

As who says? The Bat in the Belfry?

It's just like when she worked at the firm, she says these stupid things intentionally, to get attention. Is there another book coming out soon?

[mitchum]

32. I wonder what her PNAC overlords think of that comment?

[City Lights]

33. There's a padded cell reserved for her.

After all the absurd statements she's already made, I'll never understand why people continue to take her seriously enough to give her air time. Enough already. Let her appear on Fox Noise. In fact, maybe they could give her her own show. She fits right in over there.

[stellanoir]

35. They just aired the segment on the Today Show.

The fact that they play crap like that is why I rarely watch more than the first 15 minutes of it if I watch it at all.

Here is an e-mail I got the other day from one of my favorite friends. Mods I'm posting it in it's entirety because I think his words are heartfelt and I feel that this heinous bigotry desperately warrants counteracting.

Subject: Mel Brooks on being Jewish

"I may be angry at God or at the world, and I'm sure that a lot of my
comedy is based on anger and hostility...It comes from a feeling that as
a Jew and as a person, I don't fit into the mainstream of American
society.

Feeling different, feeling alienated, feeling persecuted, feeling that
the only way you can deal with the world is to laugh -- because if you
don't laugh you're going to cry and never stop crying -- that's probably
what's responsible for the Jews having developed such a great sense of
humor. The people who had the greatest reason to weep, learned more than
anyone else how to laugh.

Based on the accomplishments of individual Jews, Nobel Prize winners and
heroes of modern culture, as well as the amount of attention Jews get in
the media, you'd never believe the correct answers: There are little
more than
13 million Jews in the world, comprising less than 1/4 of 1% of the
world's population !!!!

Do you think it's just a coincidence? Twenty-one percent of Nobel Prize
winners have been Jews, even though Jews comprise less than one-quarter
of one percent of the world's population. Choose any field, and you will
find that Jews have excelled in it.

Think of the names of many modern-day figures most responsible for the
intellectual turning points in history - MARX, FREUD, EINSTEIN - and you
will find proof of the Biblical verdict: "Surely this is...a wise and
understanding people." There simply is no way to deny it.

Jews really are smart. There must be a reason - and I can give you
three:

HEREDITY, ENVIRONMENT and A UNIQUE VALUE SYSTEM:

HEREDITY - Historians have pointed out a fascinating difference between
Jews and Christians. In Christianity, as well as in many other
religions, holiness was identified with asceticism, great spirituality
with the practice of celibacy. For centuries the finest minds among
Christians were urged to join the church and become priests That
effectively condemned their genetic pool of intelligence to an untimely
end.

Jews, on the other hand, took quite seriously the first commandment to
mankind - to be fruitful and multiply. Sex was never seen as sinful, but
rather as one of those things created by God that he surely must have
had in mind when he declared, in reviewing his work, that "Behold
everything was very good."

Among Jews, the most intelligent were encouraged to become religious
leaders. As rabbis, they had to serve as role models for their
congregates as procreators and "fathers! of their countries." Brains got
passed on from generation to generation, and Jews today are still
reaping the benefits of the frequent sexual activities of their
ancestors.

ENVIRONMENT - If challenge and response are the keys to creativity and
achievement, it's no surprise that Jews are smart; they've been
challenged more than anyone else on earth. The school of hard knocks is
a wonderful teacher. Jews had no choice but to learn to be better than
anyone else since the odds were always so very much stacked against
them.

When you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you tend to get fat
and lazy. When you're born with the lash of a whip on your back, you
quickly learn to become crafty, street smart, and knowledgeable in
everything that will help you make it through life.

A UNIQUE VALUE SYSTEM - We still haven't touched on the most important
reason of all. Jews are smart because they have been raised in a
tradition that treasures education above everything else, that considers
study the highest obligation of mankind, and that identifies the
intellect as part of us created in "the image of God." To be illiterate
was unheard of in the Jewish world, not only because it was a sign of
stupidity, but, more significantly, because it was a sin.

Jews are obligated by law to review the Bible in its entirety every
year, dividing it into manageable weekly sections. The widespread custom
when a child turned three years old was to write the letters of the
Hebrew alphabet on a board in honey and have the child learn them as he
licked them off, equating their meaning with the taste of sweetness.

Jews studied the Midrash, and it taught them: The Sword and the Book
came from Heaven together, and the Holy One said: "Keep what is written
in this Book or be destroyed by the other." Jews studied the Mishna and
it taught them, "Say not when I have leisure."

Philosophical Tevye , that delightful creation of the Yiddish writer
Shalom Aleichem and the star of Fiddler On The Roof, explained that Jews
always wear hats because they never know when they will be forced to
travel. What he didn't say, which is probably more important, is that
they always made sure to have something under their hats and inside of
their heads - because physical possessions could be taken from them, but
what they accumulated in their minds would always remain the greatest"
merchandise" a Jew possesses.

And you thought Mel Brooks was only a funny man."

[mogster]

36. If 'perfect' means RNC 2004, I'd rather stay imperfect

Not that I'm Jewish, but hey :P

Let's see, that's Muslims, Jews, gays, liberals, communists and many more. All gotta go. Not many get a room in Coulter's perfect society, it appears.

[DrDan]

37. "tolerant" - did she really say "tolerant"??????

[deutsey]

43. If she's an example of "perfection", I'll remain imperfect, thank you n/t

[Cass]

45. It speaks volumes about the agenda of shows that continue to book her.

Its incredible anyone in the MSM still gives her air-time to spew her viciousness, but it speaks volumes about the agenda of the shows that continue to book her. Any host that wants to be taken seriously forfeits his or her credibility by inviting her to appear. She adds no substance to a serious discussion and just slings juvenile schoolyard barbs.

When she attacked the 9/11 widows for making money off their husband's deaths, not one interviewer asked her why she thought it was appropriate for her to make money on the backs of the 9/11 families while criticizing them for doing it. Her appearances wouldn't be quite so bad if some of these interviewers actually challenged her but they sit there like deer caught in the headlights while she spews her verbal vomit. It shines a very bright light on the agenda of those hosts and shows.


Maybe this latest outrage will bring her down. It should, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[live love laugh]

46. They're Christian. They're tolerant. They defend America."--AND THEY ARE MOSTLY WHITE.

The RNC Convention is NOT representative of America. Amurika maybe.

[Solly Mack]

47. ...

British journalist William Norman Ewer wrote this couplet
How odd of God
To choose the Jews



and this retort is attributed to Cecil Browne:
But not so odd
As those who choose
A Jewish God,
But spurn the Jews


And this retort is attributed to Leo Rosten
Not odd
Of God
The goyim
Annoyim.

Perfected!

lolololol

[bdamomma]

49. oh boy, I hope the Jews flame her for that remark.

[salinen]

50. She's done it now

She'll be condemned on the flool of the house and senate. Oh, wait, she's a pub. Nevermind.

[PATRICK]

51. A stain on

every so-called public medium that puts her on. At least when the interview mass murders and such everyone knows the score. Pretending she is a legitimate voice degrades each network and interviewer 100%. A major reason simply to tune out those networks in total, popular programming, ads and all. She herself is no longer the issue. It is the people who grant her a podium following her into the realm of universal disgust.

[rocktivity]

55. Physician, heal thyself.

If Ann thinks so highly of Christianity, she ought to give it a try.

:eyes:
rocknation

[tom_paine]

57. Coulter is truly a person capable of monstrous evil. One of many Bushie "Julius Streichers".

Yes, if only they could get rid of the OTHER, then everybody would be happy, just like NaziLiteCon 2004 in NYC.

Some things just never change, do they? The obvious psychotic nature of the leading spokespeople for both the Nazi and Bushie movements.

Click on my link below in my sigline to understand more fully why the Bushies and Nazis are the result of the same Lethal Union of personality types that goes back to the Inquisition and further into the dark of prehistory, undoubtedly.

[hyphenate]

60. Funny.....

Many Xtians, especially those of the fundie garden variety, love the Jews: they know they can't get raptured until Israel gets to take over Jerusalem again, forever.....

Well, "forever" technically--as soon as it happens, the faithful get raptured, and the world will descend into horror for another thousand years--and then the Apocalyspe comes!!

:crazy:

[SKKY]

61. And we would like for you to be perfected Ann...

...and you can start by kicking the oxygen habit.

[puffymuffins]

62. She's an asshole deluxe.

[eagler]

63. This woman and others like her have defamed Christianity

by their words and actions and there is nothing "Christian" about them.
James 1:26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

[ckimmy57]

64. I absolutely hate it when

that bitch's face comes across my TV screen because she ruins my whole damn day. I have never in my life wanted to bitch slap, drop kick, sucker punch, gouge her eyes out, head slam anybody as much as I want to her. She is a pathetic piece of shit that is breathing good air that a respectable human being could be breathing. Go straight to hell you nasty bitch and mate with the only thing that will touch you......satan himself(disquised as George W. Bush). :rant: Ahhh, thanks for letting me get that out!!!!

[eagler]

68. If she ruins your whole day then she's doing what she's paid to do

Don't play that game anymore.

[ozone_man]

66. All religions divide.

Isn't this the problem with religion? That each one has a god that is the one true god or the one way to worship that god?

[UncleSepp]

71. Except for the ones that do not, the ones that honor distinction.

At my place of worship, the emphasis on the way taught there as one of many valid ways is written into the prayers. People who follow other religions come there, not just to attend, but by invitation - not to sit and listen, but to teach. Interfaith relations and how different traditions wrestle with life and meaning is fundamental to the approach. Not only are different religions with different ideas about the divine honored, so are philosophical paths that do not include any deities at all.

I wonder. Is it possible to criticize the destructiveness of religious division and exclusivity without generalizing that destructiveness to all religions? .

[ozone_man]

72. Yes it's possible.

I wonder. Is it possible to criticize the destructiveness of religious division and exclusivity without generalizing that destructiveness to all religions?

Perhaps I should have said most religions, especially Abrahamic religions. But most have their degrees of intolerance for other religions. I think the negative aspects of religion stem from the unquestioning acceptance of dogmatism. Spirituality should have reason as an integral part of it to be healthy.

The religious divisions as is suggested by the OP are formed from dogmatic acceptance of intolerant ancient religions developed before the age of reason. Applying reason to them generally eliminates the supernatural, leaving only some of the better philosophies and morals like Thomas Jefferson did in his secular Bible. And then there's not so much to fight about anymore. That we should do something because it is the right thing to do, not because a god says it is. That's where we get into trouble, basing our morality on a deity, because deities tend not to agree with one another.

Moderation of religion is a necessity, especially in the modern era to avoid bloodshed. But at the same time, moderate practice of ancient religions gives cover to those more extreme or literal practitioners. It's a slow process, but we'll get there eventually by applying reason to our spirituality instead of following by blind faith.

[UncleSepp]

73. Especially Abrahamic religions? Why's that?

Perhaps I should have said most religions, especially Abrahamic religions. But most have their degrees of intolerance for other religions. I think the negative aspects of religion stem from the unquestioning acceptance of dogmatism. Spirituality should have reason as an integral part of it to be healthy.

Spirituality with reason as an integral part of it essentially describes Judaism. Questioning is a critical part of Judaism as well. Are you sure about the Abrahamic religions?

The religious divisions as is suggested by the OP are formed from dogmatic acceptance of intolerant ancient religions developed before the age of reason. Applying reason to them generally eliminates the supernatural, leaving only some of the better philosophies and morals like Thomas Jefferson did in his secular Bible.

By eliminate the supernatural, do you mean eliminate the concept of the divine or eternal, or do you mean eliminating the idea that observable phenomena in the physical world have causes that originate outside the physical realm? Applying reason does tend to reduce the latter. Reason applied in Roman Catholicism, for example, leads to the modern Church building observatories and teaching the evolution of species in its schools. Applying reason does not at all need to eliminate the belief in the divine. Rather, the application of reason assists a person in experiencing the eternal and the infinite more fully.

And then there's not so much to fight about anymore. That we should do something because it is the right thing to do, not because a god says it is.

I doubt there are many practicioners of any religion who would offer kindness to a stranger only because their religion told them the Supreme Being said so. There might be some who would not have thought to do something good, but who do it because it is written and then find out that it is good. After that, they may just continue doing whatever the good thing is because it is good, and say to the appropriate deity "Thanks for the suggestion!"

Unfortunately, there do seem to be some very loud adherents to certain religions who say that people would not do the right thing if no Supreme Being told them to, which makes even less sense.

Moderation of religion is a necessity, especially in the modern era to avoid bloodshed. But at the same time, moderate practice of ancient religions gives cover to those more extreme or literal practitioners. It's a slow process, but we'll get there eventually by applying reason to our spirituality instead of following by blind faith.

Where is it we're going, again? ;-)

[ozone_man]

76. The Abrahamic god is angry, intolerant and patriarchal.

A god of war perhaps. ;)

By eliminate the supernatural, do you mean eliminate the concept of the divine or eternal, or do you mean eliminating the idea that observable phenomena in the physical world have causes that originate outside the physical realm? Applying reason does tend to reduce the latter. Reason applied in Roman Catholicism, for example, leads to the modern Church building observatories and teaching the evolution of species in its schools. Applying reason does not at all need to eliminate the belief in the divine. Rather, the application of reason assists a person in experiencing the eternal and the infinite more fully.

I only meant eliminate the absurd concepts of the divine that are a few thousand years old and are a bit absurd in this day. For example the divinity of Jesus and the trilogy. As Jefferson said:

And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his Father, in the womb of a virgin will be classified with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.

The supernatural aspects of the Bible are mythology as Jefferson suggests, so we need to eventually treat it as such. The way we get there is by opening religion up to criticism, to the light of reason. But Jefferson valued many of the good morals and philosophy therein, hence Jefferson's Bible.

I doubt there are many practicioners of any religion who would offer kindness to a stranger only because their religion told them the Supreme Being said so. There might be some who would not have thought to do something good, but who do it because it is written and then find out that it is good. After that, they may just continue doing whatever the good thing is because it is good, and say to the appropriate deity "Thanks for the suggestion!"

Unfortunately, there do seem to be some very loud adherents to certain religions who say that people would not do the right thing if no Supreme Being told them to, which makes even less sense.

Moderation is the key. Sort the wheat from the chaff with religion. We'll get there eventually.

Where is it we're going, again? ;-)

Some place good I hope.

[UncleSepp]

78. Hm, perhaps it is the people who listened

People tend to hear only what they are capable of hearing. That's as true in any time.

I'm not being argumentative out of nastiness :-) A good discussion back and forth about What It All Is or about the picky details is part of how the particular religion I'm currently traveling with goes about its religious practice. Agreement's not expected - that wouldn't get anyone anywhere. You'd get a very different opinion from my rabbi about what the Eternal of Abraham than the one you have yourself, and I'd have another opinion from either of you - but that doesn't mean any of us is wrong or right or more wrong or more right, it means that each of us has a working mind and a unique self, and we're all having our own experiences using that mind and that self.

I hope it's going someplace good, too :-)

[ozone_man]

79. As long as the listener has a good filter.

The trouble is that the ancient creeds have many intolerant sections that to read them 2,000 years later requires a liberal interpretation. Bigots like Ann Coulter have plenty to work with. For example, if it says to stone apostates or gays in the Bible, is that being a good Christian? How do we know which parts to live by to make ourselves good Christians, or Jews, or Muslims as the case may be. I think the sooner we treat it as mythology, the safer we'll all be. Sort the wheat from the chaff. Trouble is Coulter's wheat is our chaff. :)

[UncleSepp]

81. The day has arrived!

:-) At least, in some places. I agree totally that treating any religious text as myth is a good thing - but I also would say that there are many, many myths that need to be treated as myths, too. Myth is important! I think we get sloppy with language and equate myth, fiction, and lies. We get sloppy, too, when we set up myth and history as opposites.

A myth is a story that is intended to be interpreted for deeper meaning. History is an account of events first. It will ultimately be interpreted for meaning, but that's not why the history is told. The factual truth of history is essential to its nature, as is its objectivity. The factual truth of a myth is interesting but doesn't have much bearing on what can be learned from the story. Factual truth isn't what myths teach well.

Think of they myth of Narcissus. Does it actually matter whether Narcissus was real and actually turned into a flower? No, that part's not the essential truth of the myth. The essential truth of the myth is that there are people who are so self-absorbed that they become stuck, no longer able to function as complete human beings, no longer able to move away from their own shaky reflections. They lose their ability to change. Whether anything in the story is factually accurate does not change the essential truth.

Think of a historical event, like the moon landing. Does it actually matter whether Neil Armstrong walked on the moon? Of course! A real moon landing tells one story, and a fake one tells an entirely different kind of story. The greater truth to be extracted from this history changes with the facts. Does national competition lead to greater heights, or depths? Does it lead to exploration and discovery, or depraved deception?

The complication of this is that history becomes myth over time. The interpretations of historical events influence their telling, until the telling is set and the factual accuracy gives way in importance to the agreed meaning. A person telling the story of a faked moon landing is telling a myth already, not because it isn't true, but because the story they tell is intended to be a caution against believing everything that is presented as fact. A person telling the story of how the Americans went to the moon and left their flag may still be telling a myth, even if all the facts are correct, if the story they tell is intended to support the uniqueness of the American pioneer spirit.

Myth has more power than history. For this reason, I also think that treating religious texts as mythology is necessary, not just as a way to open minds to other mythologies, but to deepen religious texts from a brittle list of literal facts to a resilient, living set of teaching stories.

:-) This is great fun!

[ozone_man]

82. I agree.

I didn't mean to imply that mythology wasn't powerful or important, simply that literal interpretations shouldn't be made of 2,000 year old creeds.

This line summarizes pretty well.

The factual truth of a myth is interesting but doesn't have much bearing on what can be learned from the story. Factual truth isn't what myths teach well.

Ann Coulter needs to learn some of that. :)

[UncleSepp]

83. She and others should be sentenced...

... to a game of "Telephone" to be followed by a mandatory reading of all of the series of Amelia Bedelia!

Too harsh? Well, at least it's not the laughter of the immortals and a temporary ban from the magic theater :-P

[harun]

67. Fascists like this should not be employed by so many different

news outlets.

[Name removed]

69. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rocktivity]

74. If Ms. Coulter has such a high opinion of Christianity

she ought to try actually ENGAGING in it.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Supersedeas]

84. exactly

[alfredo]

75. Over many centuries Christians had their ways of "Perfecting" Jews.

I wonder what her final solution will be.

[wordpix]

77. what is this woman's problem? Did her mother not love her as a child?

:shrug:

[allisonthegreat]

85. must have been a severe trauma n/t

[ohio2007]

80. She sounds like an Arab or Persian head of state

maybe she is ready to wipe them off the map.

...unless she has been misquoted ;)

[mvd]

86. Oh geez

I don't to even want to think about what the U.S. would look like in her vision. Talk about intolerance.

[colorado_ufo]

89. If Coulter would like us all to be Christian,

I suggest that she start with herself.

BTW, to what denomination and/or church does she belong?

[WindRavenX]

91. man, the more I read of this particular fiasco...

...I wonder just how bad everything sucks. How can this brain-dead harpy be nationally syndocated in American newspapers?

Oy vey.

[KamaAina]

92. Guess what the U.S. looks like in my dreams?

Hint: Coulter and her ilk are trudging toward the border with satchels slung over their backs.

[BelaBlack]

93. stupid bitch awards

Ann Coulter is a stupid bitch and has been awarded for being so.

http://www.stupidbitchawards.com