August 08, 2005

Fight hypocrisy with hypocrisy?

Is it possible to counter supposed hypocrisy with hypocrisy of your own? Apparently so.

More: Last week Glen Dean also pointed out the hypocrisy in these anti-Justice Sunday rallies. He seems to have gotten a lot of spirited responses.

Comments:

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"Cathedral of Praise"

Have those words lost ALL meaning?

Posted by: Katherine Coble at August 8, 2005 04:16 PM

Got to hurry up and get my VIP seats.

Posted by: S-townMike at August 8, 2005 05:23 PM

BTW, you failed to identify the specific hypocrisy, unless of course you are wrongfully assuming that all liberals are motivated to participate or not participate (believe it or not, there are liberals opposed to this!) for exactly the same reasons.

Posted by: S-townMike at August 8, 2005 05:28 PM

I was bound and determined to stay away from this website. But when you link me, I just can't resist replying. So, stop linking me, please.

Posted by: S-townMike at August 8, 2005 05:29 PM

Having an anti-Justice Sunday rally *at a church* while pointing out that mixing politics and religion is bad is not hypocrisy? Having a rally from a church calling themselves "Americans United for Separation of Church and State" *at a church* is not hypocrisy? I think the readers can see it...I don't think you can.

By the way...you should read my earlier comments and see where I stand on Justice Sunday...I'm not too fond of it either.

Thanks for visiting, Mike. :) I'll be sure to provide plenty of linkage to you in the future as well.

Posted by: Blake at August 8, 2005 06:34 PM

Your charge of hypocrisy is based on misunderstanding, in my opinion. Americans United opposes mixing the state and religion, not politics and religion; they would not be very effective if they could not politically organize their mainline and liberally religious base. Here's their verbatim description of the event:

"Several Nashville and national organizations will gather to let Americans know that there are many people of faith who understand the importance of the separation of church and state, who believe that all faith traditions should respect one another, and who oppose the use of government to impose the beliefs of one doctrine upon our diverse country. The gathering is intended to give Americans a spirited and inclusive message."

In order to oppose government's imposition of a specific religion on everyone in a Republic, Americans United would have to organize politically.

I myself don't disagree with mixing religion and politics; I don't particularly care for the partisanization of faith, but that's a risk of political participation. I don't oppose the right of conservative Christians to organize; I do object to them claiming Christian values for themselves without reference to the rest of us Christians. Some organizers of Just-Us Sunday I basically called conservative Christianity the only Christianity. My faith considers that a sinful expression of pride and presumption. I also object to conservative Christians who talk the language of Zion but flex the political muscle of Zeus. Exercising power is not any better if you cloth it in religious garb. It's still power.

If you read my criticisms of Just-Us Sunday I & II, they have nothing to do with separating politics and religion, because I believe that even when religions avoid politics, it has political affects. I just think that the conservative Christians attending those events are plain wrong and not as moral as they claim to be. Hosting Tom Delay is a case in point. I also think that moderate and liberal Christians should organize to counter the tremendous influence conservatives have gained over the past couple of decades.

Trouble is, liberals and especially moderates don't subscribe to blind, uncritical allegiance and call it loyalty like conservatives have. They debate and divide until they absolutely have to come together. I don't know if this is the event where that convergence needs to happen, but it sure better happen soon if somebody's going to check the conservative agenda to turn this Republic into one huge Protestant evangelical church.

Posted by: S-townMike at August 8, 2005 09:19 PM

"Americans United opposes mixing the state and religion, not politics and religion."

That is one of the most unbelievable statements I have ever heard.

Posted by: at August 9, 2005 07:44 PM

That is my comment up there. I was surprised it took it with no name or email address. Anyway, that is truly an amazing statement.

Posted by: Glen Dean at August 9, 2005 07:46 PM

You mean you bothered to read what he said? It's pretty much the same thing every time. Get carpet bombed with four to ten paragraphs of cookie-cutter leftist BS finally landing on some inconsequential tangent where he wants to parse one phrase to death and then condemn anyone for daring to assume that they knew what he said. Usually right before he makes a sweeping generalization about everyone he disagrees with. Thus the irony.

There's your wash "hands, rinse, repeat." I can't ever recall someone who writes so much with so little to actually say.

Posted by: smantix at August 9, 2005 09:45 PM