‘If Anyone Wants to Call Me a Bible-Thumper, Go Ahead’: Blaze Readers Respond to O’Reilly

The Blaze ^ | April 6, 2013 4:50 pm | Madeleine Morgenstern

[Olog-hai]

Bill O’Reilly’s charged gay marriage debate with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham drew a strong reaction from TheBlaze audience, particularly over O’Reilly’s contention that same-sex marriage opponents often “thump the Bible” to make their point. …

ordfan: I AM an opponent of same-sex marriage. If anyone wants to call me a Bible thumper, go ahead. I DO NOT CARE. My Bible IS the basis for my ENTIRE argument against homosexuality…period. Now DO NOT be mistaken, being against homosexuality and against homosexuals are two VERY different things. I am not against homosexuals just because of that. P.S. If two men or two women want to live together, that’s their choice but find some other title to call it. Sorry, the term “marriage” has been taken and the definition was established as between one man and one woman a long long time before ANY ONE OF US ever walked this planet. Quit trying to change it or hijack it. Or maybe I should say give it back. …

[SendShaqtoIraq]

and just as many men, or MORE, clean out the bank accounts and leave their families desititute

[heye2monn]

I have never ever seen anyone strike a Bible. Who thumps a Bible, anyway? Maybe Elmer Gantry in that horrible anti-religious book.

Thumping a Bible is a stereotype created by liberals and idiots like Bill O’Reilly.

[RedMDer]

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[Politicalmom]

So? With no-fault, a man who professed that he didn’t believe in divorce can move his wife and four children across the country away from her family, and then proceed to completely ignore “his” family for years, find a floozy, and dump said family, leaving the mother to raise the children completely alone.

[jyro]

I finally figured Bill is a complete idiot after his
anti-gun rant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXTT3A0B1Vs&feature=player_embedded#!

[Bryanw92]

>>So? With no-fault, a man who professed that he didn’t believe in divorce can move his wife and four children across the country away from her family, and then proceed to completely ignore “his” family for years, find a floozy, and dump said family, leaving the mother to raise the children completely alone.

Not every woman marries a scumbag.

[trubolotta]

That has been my experience. My ex- gave me her ultimatum after 27 years of marriage. No compromise, no reason, and no need to compromise or be reasonable, just the knowledge she knew she would get everything she wanted in court.

I remarried but to a woman with traditional values and deeply religious. We have endured difficulties over 14 years that would rip most marriages to pieces, yet we have come through each with a stronger love for each other. She still has serious health problems that will be with us the rest of our lives but I am far happier with her than I ever was at any time in my life with my ex-.

No-fault divorce enables selfishness and a self-centered view of marriage.

[Politicalmom]

Not every man marries a scumbag.

[so_real]

Let me see ... hobbit, whacko bird, tea bagger, rethuglican, birther, bitter klinger ... I've lost track. In fact, I'm beginning to take pride in the list. If evil doesn't hate you, you aren't doing it right. I'll be pleased to add "Bible thumper" to the list. Thanks, O'Reilly. (I thought he was Catholic?)

[Truth2012]

True- but I just felt a little Yankee Doodle Dandy moment come over me. :)

I do know the Bible very well and choose to accept that it is the truth for my life- if that makes me a “Bible Thumper” so be it.

:)

But yes, I agree with your sentiments.

[melsec]

Bless you and your wife - Should the Lord not come soon then I hope you have another 31 great years together!

Mel

[ozzymandus]

O’Reilly has been trying to bluster and yell his way out of his blunder for a week now. I’m surprised none of the people he’s been yelling at have calmly asked him “Aren’t you a proud Catholic, Bill?”

[Mack the knife]

“O’Reilly’s contention that same-sex marriage opponents often “thump the Bible” to make their point.}

---

This is silly, making the traditional mountain of division from a molehill of a poor choice of words.

I watched both broadcasts where O’Reilly talked about this. The point he was making was simple:

do not thump the bible [i.e., use arguements based on biblically based morality] to convice a secular audience against gay marriage;
or, stated positively;
You must use secular arguements to convince a secular audience.

He did not call anyone a “bible thumper”.

[JaguarXKE]

Better a Bible thumper than a self-righteous chest-thumper like BO.

[luckystarmom]

Yep. That’s what I have seen.

I only know of 1 instance where the woman was the one who had an affair.

In any case, I think the ne having the affair should suffer more than the ones that don’t.

One of my friends husband cheated on her while she was getting over breast cancer.

[Olog-hai]

Yes, he’s another nominal Catholic. I doubt that after all these revelations of his true leanings, though, that he’d ever have Bill Donohue from the Catholic League back on . . .

[ResponseAbility]

****do not thump the bible [i.e., use arguements based on biblically based morality] to convice a secular audience against gay marriage;
or, stated positively;
You must use secular arguements to convince a secular audience.****

Thus implying that Bill OReilly has no secular arguments of his own to make since he has a rather big microphone in front of him.

The whole idea of outreach to secular people is to present the whole gospel truth, not try to cower behind some bogus poll or “scientific study” or what have you that will be countered with another poll or “scientific study”. Things such as that have no authority because they are not grounded in Gods spoken truth. Secular people will only hear Gods spoken truths if Christians speak them.

[trubolotta]

I think you raise a valid point but also a sad implication. I once regarded the Bible as the rules I should follow to make God happy. It was only later in life I came to realize those were God given rules to make me happy and they do. Many Biblical truths can be reached by reason, but not all because we are not God.

I think the Biblical wisdom of marriage can be demonstrated and has, just as the Biblical wisdom against homosexual behavior and temporary unions facilitated by no-fault divorce can also be demonstrated and have. These are secular arguments validating Biblical wisdom. So I see your point but also see a certain sadness and hazard to it.

The hazard lies in the phony debates staged to omit the reasoning that substantiates Biblical wisdom. The media does this routinely and O’Reilly chose not to see the reasoned response but only the Biblical response. That was either sheer laziness or deceit on his part.

The sadness is that we lose a reliable standard of behavior that brought some degree of peace and prosperity to our society. We don't always have to personally know the reason behind the wisdom and can rely on some simple Biblical principles. Secularists can offer no stable and reliable standard of behavior. Each is his own god with his own standards.

[SaraJohnson]

Rather be a bible thumper than liberalism”s coc! sucker, O’Stupid.

[Blue Collar Christian]

The truth is all that those of us who oppose queer marriage can lean on.

I would rather be with the truth and loose in this world, if God allows it, than capitulate to the queers and their sympathizers.