Howard Fineman described a Democratic plan that would
characterize the religious right as "the American
Taliban."
In the Jan. 7 edition of Newsweek, Fineman stated:
"Our enemy in Afghanistan is religious extremism and
intolerance. It's therefore more important than ever to honor
the ideals of tolerance -religious, sexual, racial,
reproductive -at home. The GOP is out of the mainstream, some
Democrats will argue ... because it's too dependent upon an
intolerant 'religious right.'?"
Conservatives and some liberals have denounced this
strategy, although The New York Times appears to be following
the script already - referring to Islamic radicals as
"the religious right," according to Washington Times
columnist Gregory Pierce.
The mischaracterization of Christians is as old as the book
on which our faith is based. John the Baptist and even Jesus
Christ himself was accused by the Pharisees of being possessed
by demons (Luke 7:33 and John 8:48-49).
So what are the differences between the Taliban and
America's Christian conservatives?
The Taliban are Islamic extremists who use the Koran to
justify repressive and reprehensible practices on members of
their own faith while declaring jihad against all who oppose
them. They have been rightly characterized as
"misanthropic, misogynist, triumphalist, millennarian,
anti-modern, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, terroristic,
jihadistic, and suicidal," in a column written by Daniel
Pipes that appeared in The Record on Jan. 10.
In an article appearing Jan. 4 on World Net Daily's Web
site, liberal columnist Ellen Ratner wrote: "The Taliban
didn't just oppose civil rights, they opposed every right, and
invoked a reign of murder, pillage, and rapine across
Afghanistan that made the French Reign of Terror look like
child's play."
When the United States defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan,
Muslims celebrated in the streets. Secular music - banned by
the Taliban - could be heard. Men flew kites. Televisions
suddenly reappeared. Movie theaters reopened. Many women shed
their burqas and showed their faces in public for the first
time in many years.
While the Taliban feigned righteousness, they allowed their
fellow Muslims to starve rather than permit aid from the
outside world to flow in. Education under their regime was
stifled, an irony when you consider the word "taliban"
means "religious students."
The people of Afghanistan had been enslaved under this
oppressive regime since 1996. It took the will of America, her
allies, and Afghan rebels to deliver them from the Taliban's
bondage.
Christian conservatives, on the other hand, have the Bible
as their guidebook. The Bible does not authorize war against
those who hate Christians or who refuse to embrace our faith.
The only war we are to fight in is against unseen, spiritual
enemies: Satan and his hordes of demons.
The apostle Paul writes: "For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against
the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms"
(Ephesians 6:12).
Christians are commanded to love and care for all people,
no matter what faith they embrace. Jesus even commanded
believers to "love your enemies, do good to those who
hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who
mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28).
In the December issue of Focus on the Family magazine, the
Rev. Dr. D. James Kennedy wrote: "Much of what we take
for granted finds its roots in Christ and his teachings. And
yet Christianity is ridiculed as an impediment to progress, a
bane, and remains today the one safe target of contempt and
prejudice."
"Because of Jesus' care for the poor and the infirm,
Christians have cherished life as sacred, even the life of the
unborn. Women too have immensely benefited from Christ's
influence. In ancient cultures, the woman was the property of
her husband.
"Education for the masses had its origin in
Christianity ... go[ing] back to the Reformation. The
Reformers believed that the only way the Protestant
Reformation would hold would be if lay people could read the
Bible for themselves. The greatest universities were started
by Christians for Christian purposes."
Kennedy did not gloss over the great evils committed in the
name of Christianity. He denounced the Crusades, the
Inquisition, and the scourge of anti-Semitism as
"blights" on our faith. Yet these events were not
the result of following the teachings of Jesus and the Bible.
They occurred because people are fallen and sinful beings who
failed to obey the clear commands of Scripture. Kennedy
concludes "the overwhelming impact of Christ on earth has
been for good."
Ratner, although disagreeing with the religious right on
political issues, says that she respects Christian
conservatives as decent people and fellow Americans. "Any
campaign to compare them to the Taliban is as reprehensible as
Joe McCarthy comparing liberals to Joseph Stalin. It's wrong
and I'm not afraid to say so."
If the Democrats wish to employ this strategy, it wouldn't
be the first time Christians were slandered. Jesus told his
followers: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it
hated me first" (John 15:18).
Gregory Rummo is a business executive who belongs to
Madison Avenue Baptist Church in Paterson. You may e-mail him
at TheRecord Religion@northjersey.com.
You may e-mail him directly at GregoryJRummo@aol.com
His editor, Lisa Haddock may be contacted at Haddock@northjersey.com
RELIGION