Intolerance

[CO Liberal]

A recent article from one of my favorite columnists, William Edelen. The entire article can be viewed by using the provided link. - Wayne

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INTOLERANCE
William Edelen
November 28, 2004

In a recent newspaper interview in another state the reporter said this to me: "the fundamentalists say that you are intolerant. Do you think that you are?" I said to her..."you bet....I am totally intolerant of intolerance." "People that use God and the bible as a big 2X4 plank to hit all the rest of us over the head are beneath contempt and need to be resisted."

In a speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Salman Rushdie presented one of the great truths of our time. He said this: "Special interest groups, claiming the moral high ground, now demand the protection of the censor.

The fundamentalist Christian Right say we must "respect" their beliefs and agenda. Criticism, they say, is off limits as being disrespectful. Citizens of free societies, democracies, do not preserve their freedom by pussyfooting around their fellow citizens' opinions. Skepticism and freedom are indissolubly linked...And it is the skepticism of journalists, their unwillingness to be impressed, that is their most important contribution to the freedom of the free world. It is the disrespect of journalists for power, for orthodoxy, for party lines, for ideologies, for vanity, for arrogance, for folly, for pretension, for corruption and for stupidity that I would like to celebrate, and that I urge you all, in the name of freedom, to preserve."

I have never read a finer, cleaner estimate of the price of freedom. It is the latitude and longitude of a treasure, a treasure more valuable than all of the religious dogmas of this age. The treasure is human freedom.

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http://www.williamedelen.com/nov282004.html

[Maraya1969]

1. GREAT article! n/t

[CO Liberal]

2. Thanks

My local paper, The Pueblo Chieftain, used to run William Edelen's columns every Saturday in their "Religion" section. They finally bowed to pressure from the so-called Christians who didn't like what Edelen wrote and dropped his column. That's when I canceled my subscription to the Chieftain.

[amazona]

3. we do need to be intolerant of hate

I no longer think we should tolerate -- cater to -- religious cults of any stripe, but especially of the fundamentalist Christian stripe -- that exist to promote war, hate, and profit for a select few at the expense of the many. When you look at unholy alliances such as Pat Robertson and Charles Taylor (the former dictator of Liberia) then you can see that such fundamentalist cults are killing and maiming for profit. Anyone who gives money to Pat Robertson is funding the murder and torture of Africans. And, to me, this is intolerable. I don't think I should be expected to "respect" what is beneath contempt. Your right to religious expression should end when your church funds murder. We invoke such law against extremist Muslim groups, and we should invoke such law against extremist Christian groups. Murder is murder, no matter how whited the sepulcher that funds the killing.

I think it is very important for people to jeer at, satirize, mock, and ridicule fundamentalist hate-mongers. Too bad if the hate-mongers don't like it. I just wish I was witty. But even if I can't create cartoons, comedy shows, or even a blog like Bartcop...at least I can share the laughter and know that not everyone in this world is a crazed religious hysteric ready to fight to the death in the name of Gawd.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[CO Liberal]

6. As Edmund Burke Once Said...

..."The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

So we can't ignore the fundamentalist hate-mongers - we need to confront them, and show them for the useless asholes that they are.

Meanwhile, we need to acknowledge the good Christians like Jimmy Carter, who use their faith as a means of serving their fellow man.

[Bridget Burke]

4. Yes--if I hear someone espousing intolerant ideas.....

I'll definitely raise my objections. Loudly.

However, it's important not to assume that somebody is intolerant. Some Fundamentalists just want to practice their faith; others are part of the Dominionist gang & want to force their faith down all our throats. Some Southerners are racist pigs; others are not. (I've heard that racism even occurs outside the South; can this be true?)

[CO Liberal]

5. Yes - You Have to Avoid the Broad Brush

It's important to realize that there are differences in people.

For example, take celebrity Christians. Reggie White used his religion to spread hate, so it's appropriate to condemn his remarks. on the other hand, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans practiced their Christianity quietly and humbly, never waving their faith in your face, simply living their lives in accordance with their faith. That's why I have respect for them, and no respect for people like Reggie White.

It's important not to condemn an entire group - just condemn the bad apples.

[TWiley]

7. I believe that religion should be

about an individuals relationship with their God/dess, and not about coercing more people to tithe and vote in particular ways. The truest religion would then be where the effect of that relationship would be evident in the individuals character. The outward expression of an inward power of change. Others would naturally be attracted to it. The "seed" as it were, would be within the very "fruit" that each individual bore.

Unfortunately, modern American Christian Fundamentalists tend to convert through fear, and not by any evidence of a working power in their lives. Just chant this magic prayer with me, and all your sins, past present and future, will be forgiven. The tendency is to then create a God in their own image who will justify their anger and prejudice to avoid the hardship of a meaningful spiritual change.

We get many "professors" but few who exhibit a meaningful change coupled with a natural desire for its continuance. In other words, damn few "Christ-Like" people. I feel the problem is with the process of evangelism.

Racism, bigotry, and religious hatred is evident throughout this nation. Both north and south of the mason-dixon line.

However, it is true that the greatest numbers of organized racist hate groups appears within the "bible belt" Also, the highest per capita. Check out this link, and click on your state.

http://www.tolerance.org/maps/hate/index.html

Furthermore, the most common religion practiced by the organized racist is a form of Christian Fundamentalism. Click these links for more information about those.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/cr_ident.htm
http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/identity.html

Google "Christian Identity Movement" if you are interested in more data.

[Bridget Burke]

8. So--I should click on your map so I'll know the BAD states.

Anybody coming from those states is thereby automatically suspected of intolerance. I'm from Houston, Texas; I remember when the Houston Police Department was an auxiliary of the KKK. But things have changed. We've had a black police chief who went on to become mayor; my representative is Sheila Jackson Lee.

Yes, I know about the Christian Identity Movement; it's related to the Dominionists, Theonomists & Christian Reconstructionists. (I've also known about Google for quite a while.) There are Fundamentalists & Evangelicals who will have nothing to do with this gang; others have been recruited by stealth.

Oppose Intolerance when it is expressed. But don't assume someone is intolerant because of their religion or their home state.

And--what's your home state?

[TWiley]

9. I am from Michigan.

Home of the Michigan Militia. We have the militia and two other nationally organized radical conservative groups in our area.

They have been pretty active the past 4 years, lots of confederate flags flying, several incidents of distributing racist literature from the National Alliance door to door in the neighborhoods, and organized anti-homosexual protests (including a visit from fred phelps) along with an attempt to put discriminatory language into our city charter.

It is safe to assume that most fundamentalists in our area are extremely conservative, strongly anti-homosexual, and strongly pro-life. They have increased in strength and numbers over the past 4 years. Call this statistical fact what you will.

I understand the logical rules which govern groups, that an individual trait found in a group does not necessarily mean that everyone in that group shares it.

I also understand that the greater number of occurrences of politically active groups in a state can be an indication of their social and political influence. Click on South Carolina for instance. You will notice that there is a group about every 50 miles or so.

In certain areas of our Nation, aggressive prejudice as evidenced by slavery, or by various laws which govern opportunity or social interaction, have been within the common belief systems of those communities for generations. There could be a greater likelihood of acceptance of discriminatory laws due to this "heritage". An example of this can be drawn from the civil rights movement of the 60's when the nation watched the horrific acts of racist violence committed in the bible belt. It was rare to unheard of to convict a white for any crime committed against a black person. No matter how obvious the truth was.

These facts are not my fault. They are only my observations. It is true that things have changed. It is also true that radical conservatism is on the rise again. The horrible truth is that these groups have infiltrating others with the intent of altering their policy. Take the recent battle the Sierra Club had with a racist group that almost gained control of their funds.

You should listen to our local "Christian" radio station. They were a 24-7 campaign tool for the Republicans. Their programming is far from what I would believe that you would call "Christ like"

They have waged war on us. I wonder daily what the best response is.

[CO Liberal]

10. Thursday Kick

I posted this article yesterday morning, and it sunk fast. I'm kicking it for the benefit of those who missed it yesterday.

:kick:

[Flying Dream Blues]

11. Thanks...

What if we created our own religion, and then claimed all the intolerance and hate speech was disrespectful of OUR religion? Why does the religious right act as though they alone have the right to feel offended? I'm offended daily by the hateful crap they spew...

[TWiley]

12. It will be difficult to reclaim "Christianity" from the clutches of the

evil fundamentalists.

I think the book of Revelations refers to this. It is in the part where God is bitching at the 7 churches. It says something like "my church with a new name" or something to that effect.