Ann Coulter: It's the winter solstice, Charlie Brown!

TownHall.com ^ | Thursday, September 25, 2003 | by Ann Coulter

[Mr. Silverback]

Correction to above:

For example, for the first six months or so, the Communists pretended to allow religious freedom in Romania, then they started with little restrictions on where and when you could practice your faith, then they started requiring endorsements of the current government from pastors, then they started putting pastors in jail.

[Consort]

Ann is on Drudges right now.

[Yaelle]

I am not even a Christian and I personally am offended by the constant insult to Christianity in our society and media. It seems that EVERYTHING is acceptable but the expression of Christianity.

How can anyone of any faith stand for this? Our golden rule is to treat others as we would be treated. No faith should be besmirched like Christianity is in today's secular America.

Here is an egregious example from a "popular" artistic film from a few years ago, "Chocolat." The heroine of the story, the main character, comes to an austere French village in the middle of Lent and opens up a chocolate shop. Her delicious chocolate is pure seduction to the good Catholic townsfolk during this time of austerity and temperance. An estranged Grandma (who didn't follow the town's customs) accidentally runs into her little grandson at the shop, I forget why.

He wants to go home like his mother told him, but the "heroine" proprietor and the Grandma try to get him to stay in the shop. The proprietor makes him a big cup of her delicious hot chocolate. He has been told by his mother to avoid such things during Lent. The scene that SO INFURIATES me is when the proprietor pushes the cup closer to him (while he is trying so hard as a little boy to obey his mom) and says "Go ahead. Live a little." And he drinks, and supposedly all is then RIGHT with the world (in that hideous weak liberal scheme of things).

I nearly walked out of the theater.

Just imagine if it were Hollywood's protected religion, Judaism (I am Jewish, so I can admit that). What would the ADL be saying if it were non-Jews pushing a plate of bacon toward a little Jewish boy in a yarmulke (skullcap) and tzit-tzit (prayer threads)?? "Live a little, Jewish boy!" And he eats the forbidden meat and suddenly things start to turn for the "better" in the desired plotline? Hmmm?

[opus86]

Was Cassie Bernall persecuted for her faith? I've heard disputing claims about that. Just wondering.

I agree that this sort of incrementalism leads to greater evils. I'm not suggesting that we sit idly by and allow these sorts of things to be forced on us (though that may happen whether we fight it or not.) Of course we ought to fight for our rights. I'm simply saying, put it in perspective. Is this bad? Absolutely, but it's much, much worse - and has been for some time - in other countries. Persecution in the U.S. is still a different thing than persecution in China.