Religion as a bludgeon?

I have nothing to say on Phil Robertson’s personal views. He said what he said, and the results were so predictable he’s got to be pretty naive to not see it coming. And A&E has got to be pretty naive to not know Robertson could say something like that. Isn’t the controversial nature of the cast the reason for the show in the first place? But if he crossed some sort of line, they have the right to fire him. 

But the outcry against Robertson from other sectors is interesting.

Said Bernard Whitman, Democratic pollster, on the Megyn Kelly show:

“It’s time that we stop agreeing that religion can be used as a weapon to spew hate and cause people to feel bad about themselves and who they are and who they love.”

…

“If he wants to go out and have hate speech…if he wants to go out and have hate speech all over America — and hate speech conventions — by God, let him do it, but it shouldn’t have to be in the public square where people have to tune in and see that sort of thing.”

…

“You can have your private beliefs but they don’t have to be aired on public networks.”

…

“I think that he can’t hide behind the veil of Christianity or any religion and use that as a weapon to indict people, to condemn people or make them feel ‘less than.’”

So, what we have here is a man airing his personal beliefs on public networks that people shouldn’t air their personal beliefs on public networks–and he doesn’t see the irony. (By the way, Robertson’s remarks were in a magazine. No one has to tune in and see that sort of thing. Doubly-ironic is that it was Fox giving Whitman his public forum.)

What we have is Whitman using religion as a weapon to indict people and make them feel ‘less than’.

If the people espousing this particular view really believed what they were saying it would cut Facebook activity by at least 10%. There’s hardly a day goes by without someone using Christianity to try and shame people into adopting their point of view. And 80% of these are people on the left who are so quick to adopt Mr. Whitman’s arguments if anyone ever offers an argument counter to their views couched in religious terms. Physician, heal theyself.

Since when do people who evidently revile and renounce religion so vehemently get to be the spokesmen for that same religion? I’m sorry, Mr. Whitman, but I don’t recognize your ecclesiastical authority. Pope Francis I know, and Desmond Tutu I know; but who are ye?

But perhaps Mr. Whitman has a point. Perhaps from now on, any time someone posts on Facebook claiming if I were truly a Christian I would back some political policy, I should use that public forum to denounce them for using religion as a weapon to spew hate and cause people to feel bad about themselves.

It’s only fair, right?

In other news, not everyone is unhinged. Gay anchor Don Lemon takes a more measured stance, which I can agree with. People have a right to their opinion. People also have a right to not support that person for their opinion. But if you’re going to be hypocritical about it, you should expect to get called on it. Don’t judge Robertson for judging others, unless you’re prepared to be judged for doing so.