Posted on 11/15/2002 12:01:45 PM PST by nickcarraway
Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, condemned America's Christian right yesterday for propagating hatred against Muslims, in what appeared to be a coordinated White House campaign to confront anti-Islamic rhetoric from a constituency that includes some of the Bush administration's staunchest supporters. Days after the televangelist Pat Robertson said on his Christian Broadcasting Network that "what the Muslims want to do to the Jews is worse" than the Holocaust, Mr Powell told a gathering in Washington: "This kind of hatred must be rejected."
The escalation in anti-Muslim comments from conservative Christians includes a recent claim by Jerry Falwell, the country's leading rightwing Baptist, that the prophet Mohammed was "a terrorist".
Veteran evangelist Jimmy Swaggart followed that this week by calling Mohammed a "sex deviant" and a pervert and demanding that Muslim students in the US be expelled. "We ought to tell every other Muslim living in this nation that if you say one word, you're gone," he said.
As the likelihood grows of a war in Iraq there are strategic benefits for the White House in convincing Muslims that it would not be a war against their religion.
The administration's increased willingness to confront the Christian right reflects the Republicans' sweeping victories in last week's mid-term elections, reducing Mr Bush's reliance on the extreme fringes of his supporter base.
"The pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way - all of them who have tried to secularize America," Falwell continued, "I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"
"You helped this happen".
He is a fool and blamed the wrong people. The terrorists were entirely responsible.
This over simplistic characterization doesn't even come close what this debate is about.
Nobody thought Falwell/Robertson didn't ultimately blame the Islamic extremist terrorists for the act of flying airplanes full of men women and children into those buildings.
It was their disgustingly pious pronouncements that this was also God exacting judgement against groups they personally don't like.
Their comments against Islam in general are not necessarily aimed at terrorists alone and have been criticized for entirely different reasons.
Your claim that these two positions are mutually exclusive and that one can criticize them for one and not the other doesn't even make sense.
By the way, Falwell apologized in BOTH instances.
The theologically confused continue to defend Falwell's statements even though Falwell does not defend them himself, but apologized for them, said he was wrong.
ouch! LOL
Now there is a scathing come back.
Nobody has to listen, but you are fee to make a Wiseman/fool of yourself.
I find it highly entertaining when so call freedom lovers call for the silence of certain individuals. The best part is when it mutes any valid point they wanted to make.
You know, I understand the concerns of non-Christians with Falwells remarks. It would be difficult for them to understand or except, the fact is they do not accept the Bible as the truth, so it is expected. But for self-described Christians to deny Biblical truths such as God lifting of protection to encourage revival or the call to preach from the mountain tops the Kingdoms Gospel is ludicrous. How disheartening that the Church has moved into such a passive and self loathing position. The reasoning is as old as mankind, just different faces. The consequences are always the same, just different mediums.
No true Christian or Jew can ignore the possibility that God has started to raise the umbrella of protection from our Nation. Is it fact? How can I know? Is it possible? Yes, and we should guard against enhancing the reasoning behind the move.
BTW- I have no desire to legislate morality, it would change nothing. If God lifts His hands it will be for the lack of obedience of His Children, not for the actions of the Lost and un-saved.
"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"
But in a phone call to CNN, Falwell said that only the hijackers and terrorists were responsible for the deadly attacks.
"I do believe, as a theologian, based upon many Scriptures and particularly Proverbs 14:23, which says 'living by God's principles promotes a nation to greatness, violating those principles brings a nation to shame,'" he said.
Falwell said he believes the ACLU and other organizations "which have attempted to secularize America, have removed our nation from its relationship with Christ on which it was founded."
"I therefore believe that that created an environment which possibly has caused God to lift the veil of protection which has allowed no one to attack America on our soil since 1812," he said.
...
Falwell told CNN: "I would never blame any human being except the terrorists, and if I left that impression with gays or lesbians or anyone else, I apologize."
The bias of this article can be summed up by that last sentence. The author's categorizing of Christian spokesmen as the "extreme fringes" says all that needs be said about where the author's thoughts dwell. As for Colin Powell's comments, he has a right to speak his mind, but I think he is wrong in attacking a voter bloc that helped GW get elected. One can only hope that GW knows the real score. I understand why the Administration distances itself from anti-Islamic comments and appreciate the level-headed approach that this Administration has taken in dealing with terrorism.
Jesus was crucified by the religious leaders because He claimed to the the Son of God, NOT because He ran around inciting one group against another causing violence.
And yes Jesus spoke out against Pagans, Homosexuals and the establishment religions.
Jesus spoke out mostly against the established Jewish religious leaders..the Pharisees...He said very little about pagan religions and never even mentioned homosexuality directly anywhere in the Bible.
"Clarification"?
Falwell apologized for his statements and said they were wrong. Perhaps you missed that, since I don't see it included in your post.
_________ "Falwell said his comments were ill-timed, insensitive and divisive at a time of national mourning. President Bush had called the minister's statement inappropriate.
``In the midst of the shock and mourning of a dark week for America, I made a statement that I should not have made and which I sincerely regret,'' Falwell said.
He added: ``I want to apologize to every American, including those I named.''
(Rev. Falwell Apologizes for Remarks By KEVIN HALL The Associated Press AP-NY-09-17-01 2148EDT)
So which do you agree with?
His original statements or his apology saying those statement were wrong?
Well the fact is Falwell himself apologized for making statements you claim are "Biblical truths";
"When I talked about God lifting the curtain of protection on our nation, I should have made it very clear that no one on this earth knows whether or not that occurred or did not occur,'' he said.
The fact is exploiting such a horrible crime as 9-11 by claiming it is really God avenging your pet-peeves against others is abuse of the Bible.
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