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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
Unlike Dr. Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Donohue, Bush, and other talking heads, true Christians are typically more interested in actually living our lives and having a direct, positive impact on those around us than in telling the world how great we are.
Jabbing to the media and anyone who'll listen might make you a good ideologue, but reaching out to the people around you is what makes you a good Christian. The two greatest commandments, according to Christ, are: Love God, and love your neighbors as yourself. True Christians can do that without talking about it on national television.
As a liberal and a feminist, I am very aware that my views are out of fashion in much of the country and that the media is scared as hell of real women who don't fit the media-sanctioned mold. When I heard the quotes being bandied about with horror -- horror! on Chris Matthews et al, I knew Amanda and Melissa were twisting in the wind.
That actual threats were made is also unfortunately predictable. Under the circumstances, to resign makes sense, but I still felt so sad when it occurred. It's so important to take on the right-wing noise machine and win, that no other consideration really mattered to me, which in retrospect was selfish. It was just so refreshing to hear the uncensored voices of real women -- not the fake, media-types we always hear. The violence of the blow-back just shows how far we have to go in this country before women can feel free to speak their minds and achieve something approaching true equality.
For those of us who read the Bible in an enlightened, allegorical, historical-critical fashion, we would only raise our eyebrows at such a degree of shameless literalism.
Everything is fair and reasoned, but I have a few comments.
(1) If you read the Bible in an "enlightened, allegorical, historical-critical fashion," I think you read it differently from the overwhelming majority of other Christians, Jews and Muslims. When people say they are religious, usually they mean a very different kind of religion than what your religion seems to be. People use quotes from the bible to condemn each other and to defend or attack each other's actions, which is the same form of shameless literalism that you seem to abhor. People use the Bible to go to war with fellow human beings. I totally respect what you are doing, but I think that you have to understand that when secular people like myself hear someone say "I believe in God" they presume that they are religious like the majority of religious people, not the liberal minority like yourself.
(2) So, then is God and religion really just an allegory for you? Is God just another name for human goodness and achievement? Because i believe in human goodness and achievement, but i just call it human goodness and achievement. Or do you actually believe in a sentient being with an independent will and that his son actually died for your actual personal sins on the cross? I can see how the parable of Jesus is one that teaches humility and being grateful for what you have, but I still don't believe in Jesus. And i guess the corrollary is, if it is just an allegory, then Marcotte's joke isn't nearly as offensive as if you actually do believe in Jesus and God.
Just curious.
Amanda's experience just pushes me into further despair at how far our nation has fallen from its once-proud heritage.
On the other hand, it's bittersweet because reading Amanda's wonderful essay makes me realize that with people like her, we will certainly succeed in taking back our country and restoring it to its rightful place.
Too bad Edwards' former blogmaster is far more appealing than Edwards himself...
Chloe said:
"The two greatest commandments, according to Christ, are: Love God, and love your neighbors as yourself. True Christians can do that without talking about it on national television."
Yes, they can. And they'll go on being unheard, unseen, marginalized, until everyone forgets they're there. No one to blame but themselves when people equate all Christians with the loud ones.
Sadly, the right-wing Swiftboaters will continue to smear all Democratic candidates with their hate and vitriol because the MSM and Democrats continue to let them get away with it. This modern-era viciousness got its start with Lee Atwater, continued with Roger Ailes, and has been brought to an art form by the soul-less Karl Rove and his wannabes. This is only the beginning and it seems that Amanda and Melissa are now early victims of the 2008 campaign. You would've thought that Edwards would have learned something from the toll that Kerry's lack of a response to the Swiftboaters took in 2004. And you would've thought that Kerry, before him, would have learned from Al Gore's experience in 2000. But you'd be wrong. Edwards, instead of cowering and issuing apologies on behalf of his staff, should've hit Donohue, Malkin, O'Reilly, et al., with both barrels, citing examples of their viciousness and hypocrisy. The only candidate who noticeably seems to have a spine is Obama, who has managed to give thoughtful yet forceful responses to those in the press (or Australian politicians as the case may be) who have unfairly gone after him. We have a long way to go until November 2008, folks...and I'm more than ready to see Democratic candidates stand up to these heinous tactics.
How can you contend that you were the victim of the right-wing "smear machine"? You weren't "smeared"--a term that implies that lies were circulated about you--you had your words publicized and thrown back at you.
Blogs are great, the internet is great, but you seem to suffer from a malady that infects a huge percentage of internet critics, pundits, and bloggers: uncivil diarrhea of the mouth. For some reason, people will type out all sorts of offensive garbage they wouldn't dare to say out loud in polite company. You know it, I know it. Bloggers both left and right have this unfortunate tendency, but it's pretty sad when a prominent blogger steps back with such a pathetic excuse: "Just kidding! I was being sarcastic. Witty. Get it?" Um, no. Sorry, but we can't see the wry smile on your face or your eyes rolling back sarcastically as you type. All we have are your words, so don't act surprised when people point out that the words are offensive on their face.
As for the right-wing attacks, so what? Did you expect any less? You couldn't possibly have been that naive, so spare us the victimization bit. You remind me of Michelle Malkin every time she complains about the sexist, racist, hate-filled mail she gets--Yeah, so what? She writes strong opinions using strong, sometimes vitriolic language (just like you!), and the world is filled with jerks behind keyboards. Get used to it or moderate your language/opinions.
Finally, I wanted to address this bit:
"What I also failed to understand was how much McEwan and I would stick out. I was aware that I didn't exactly fit the image people have of bloggers who join campaigns -- the stereotype being 30-something nerdy young white men who wear khakis and obsess over crafting their Act Blue lists. I wasn't aware that not fitting the image would attract so much negative attention. In fact, I mostly saw this all as a baby step in the direction of diversity, since McEwan and I differed from the stereotype mostly by being female and by being outspoken feminists. "
Huh? How many popular political bloggers are 30-something nerdy white men? That wasn't my impression at all. There are loads of popular female bloggers, as well older, non-white, or non-nerdy bloggers. Actually, I have no idea what half the bloggers I read look like. Again, it's all about the ideas and words--I doubt that most blog readers care what the bloggers look like, because it's a written medium. Seriously, I doubt that most objections to your work have anything to do with your gender, race, or age. It would have read just as offensively coming from an old Asian hipster guy.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
Salon headlines in your mailbox
