It is an unpardonable sin in America to opine condescendingly about issues such as race, immigration, homosexuality, feminism, and multiculturalism. However, there remains one group of Americans that is unprotected from derisive comments, public mockery, and censorship. As columnist Pat Buchanan once reminded us, “Christian-bashing is a popular indoor sport.”
Recently, Linda Ronstadt was performing at the Aladdin casino in Las Vegas when she politicized her performance by advocating for Michael Moore and his controversial documentary, Fahrenheit 911. Vociferous protests greeted Ronstadt and she was eventually ejected from the Aladdin. In an interview with the San Diego Union-Tribune, she said: “It’s a real conflict for me when I go to a concert and find out somebody in the audience is a Republican or fundamental Christian. It can cloud my enjoyment.”
In a commentary entitled, “It’s Open Season on Christians Again,” Orthodox Rabbi Daniel Lapin, author of America’s Real War, came to the defense of Christians by putting forth the following considerations: “What do you suppose might be the reaction if an entertainer would say, “It’s a real conflict for me when I find out someone in the audience is Jewish. It can cloud my enjoyment”? Or what if some politician had once announced, “It’s a real conflict for me when I find out that someone in the audience is homosexual. It can cloud my enjoyment”? Such comments by any politician or entertainer would unquestionably constitute hatred and create serious consequences. Unfortunately, the media do not come to the defense of Christians because they are not entitled to the same protection that the aforementioned groups are. Furthermore, Rabbi Lapin acknowledges that “many ! Americans view Christianity as a problem, an execrable obstacle to America’s progress,” yet the rest of us, including “many serious Jews, view Christianity as part of the solution to America’s problems.” I commend Rabbi Lapin for defending Christianity, the foundation of Western civilization.
While recently speaking at a Democratic National Committee (DNC) event in Boston, actor Alec Baldwin affronted religious conservatives with some harsh remarks. According to a CNSNEWS.COM report, Baldwin told the audience that the Republican Party “has been hijacked by these fundamentalist wackos.” Such vitriolic comments are not surprising from Baldwin. Several years ago, on the Conan O”Brien Show, he shouted, “If we were in other countries, we would all right now, all of us together---all of us together would go down to Washington and we would stone Henry Hyde to death!” He continued with, “We would stone Henry Hyde to death and we would go to their homes and we’d kill their wives and their children! We would kill their families!” These threats are outrageous. Why are some Democrats associating with this hateful, irreligious, actor of the Heathen Left? Why is the media silent?
There are innumerable examples of Christian-bashing throughout the media, Hollywood, and the arena of public life and ironically among those who advocate tolerance for every ideology except Christianity. Have we forgotten when billionaire Ted Turner asked a group of CNN staffers if they were a “bunch of Jesus freaks” because they were observing Ash Wednesday? Turner, who labeled Christianity as a religion for “losers” years ago seems to enjoy assailing those who the media will not defend. The Washington Post once described followers of the religious right as “largely uneducated, poor, and easy to command.” To the consternation of many Christians, a retraction was later printed identifying the blatant categorization as “without basis in fact.” I believe that it is time for the hatred and bigotry against fundamentalist Christians (those who adhere to the fundamentals tenets of the faith) to come to an end. Americans should be indebted to the many contributions of Christianity that we often take for granted such as the establishment of hospitals, universities, charities, free enterprise, and countless other benefits.
Copyright 2004 by Matthew Pasalic
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