All right, folks, I need your help. I have got to be missing something. Sojourners contributor Lisa Sharon Harper has written about the House Homeland Security Committee hearing on radical Islam, and in the process seems to be doing exactly the same thing she is so enraged about Rep. Peter King allegedly doing. Is it really possible for a person to be so unreflective, so incapable of self-examination, that they could do what Harper seems to be doing in this article?
Today, another kind of “King” is ascending to make his mark on the annals of history. But his mark will only merit a few ballistic blogs and a few twittering tweets. My tweet read: “Peter King’s anti-Muslim hearing unites Long Islanders, Republicans, Christians to Dennis Kearney and Joseph McCarthy legacy. #kinghearings”
Dennis Kearney’s political posturing and racist rhetoric led to the 1877 Chinese Exclusion Act and Joseph McCarthy’s 1954 guilt-by-association anti-commie campaign led Americans through their own political version of the Spanish inquisition. Kearney and McCarthy fashioned some of the darkest days in American history. They led us away from our values — away from our ideals. Kearney and McCarthy stoked the embers of fear until they became a bonfire that consumed the soul of America, leaving only destruction, alienation, and crushed images of God in their wake. Now it seems Peter King is hell-bent on leading us into darkness again.
The most shameful part of this anti-Muslim-American melodrama is King’s Long Island constituents, his party, and those who share his Roman Catholic Christian faith are being forced to partake in the legacy of King’s like-minded historical players. History will look back on this moment with a “tsk-tsk” and a waving finger, and with all the flying blogs and tweets, King won’t be the only one implicated. People from Long Island will be reminded — they elected him. Republicans will be reminded — they did not censure him. And Christians will be reminded — they sat silent and let their spiritual brother lead the country away from God and into darkness.
I read the rest of the piece thinking, “surely she’s going to say that this was nothing more than an example of the kind of thinking she’s attacking.” But no. She says nothing to indicate that her statements that Long Islanders, Republicans, and Christians will be “implicated” with King is anything but heartfelt.
This is a person who doesn’t want all Muslims tarred with the brush of radicalism, but she turns around and uses the non-violent, balanced, legislative action of a single congressman to claim that three large groups are somehow responsible for what he is doing. Or does she? Am I missing some kind of subtle sarcasm or irony here? Or is she really incapable of seeing herself doing exactly the same thing she accuses King of?
March 11, 2011 at 12:12 am
Lisa Sharon Harper said Kings’ actions will reflect poorly on his constituents and Catholics. She did not say his constituents or Catholics are complicit in King’s actions, which included statements that are not factual about Muslims in America. In addition, Kings past strong support for the IRA makes many consider him to be just as radical as radical Muslims.
Religious Right Attacking Islam Religion
Franklin Graham’s statements that Islam is a wicked and evil religion reflected substantially more negatively on Evangelicals than Kings’ statements reflect on Catholics. Graham is a pastor that knows what Jesus taught about how to treat people. Rev. Richard Land, chief executive of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; Rev. Jack Graham, president of the Southern Baptist Convention defended Franklin Graham’s attacks on Islam. Whether Graham was right or wrong is not the issue. The potential of Muslims deciding to be a Christian is extremely reduced when they are attacked by Christian leaders and other Americans.
“Love Your Neighbor As Yourself” Matthew 19 & 22, Mark 12, Luke 10.
How many times did Jesus need to say it in the Bible for Christians to get it? Loving everyone as yourself was Jesus’ number one message. I have encountered other “Reformed” Christians that have said they are the “Elected” and nothing they do or say will result in them becoming unelected.o
Mark 12:30-32 – The Greatest Commandment
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Love Fulfills the Law Romans 13:8-1
“Love for Enemies” Matthew 5 & Luke 6
Luke 6 – Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
David Fischler, your constant attack on liberals and members of mainline churches is not loving your neighbor or enemies. Your blogs reflect poorly on Reformed Christians and all Christians because most people do not know the difference between different Christian affiliations. As stated below in Luke 6, your words indicate your heart is full of hate not love. It makes me angry because attacking others, including other Christians, turns people away from Christianity. The unchurched say “hypocrites” and want nothing to do with organized religion that does not practice what Jesus taught us.
Luke 6
A Tree and Its Fruit
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.
45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Try reading some of the research on Pew Forum. While you make many comments that mainline churches are no longer relevant, research shows all Christian religions have lower attendance. In addition, I think the answer to poll questions are likely to result in mainline church members saying they are evangelical because it is a confusing word and can be confused with evangelism. Several denominations that are considered to be mainline churches call themselves Evangelicals.
Interesting Pew Research results:
“American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us” Check out the charts:
“Americans Feel Warmest Toward Jews, Mainline Protestants, and Catholics” and “Evangelicals and “Nones” Among American Youth 1973-2008.”
http://tinyurl.com/389wpc6)
There has been numerous reports of planned Muslim terrorism by American and non-American Muslims. There has been significantly more non-Muslim planned terrorism. They research is on the Internet. In addition, Muslim have reported several of the planned Muslim violence.
Muslim Americans have been extremely active in combating terrorism
In his testimony, Sheriff Baca contradicted Mr. King’s premise that Muslim Americans do not cooperate with terrorism investigations, saying that was not his experience. He cited a study finding more violent extremist plots in the United States since 2001 by non-Muslims than by Muslims and that seven of the last 10 terrorist plots were foiled with the help of tips from Muslims.
http://tinyurl.com/4mfz3nn
March 11, 2011 at 11:34 am
Ms. Wilson: You make me tired with your long, off-topic rants that proceed to do what you accuse me of doing. Stick to the subject, or find yourself banned in the future. As to Harper, thank you for clarifying: she does in fact do with King exactly what she accuses King of doing with Muslims. If there is no reason why the acts of radical Islamists should reflect on Islam as a whole, there is no reason why King’s actions should reflect on Christians as a whole, yet she (and you) says they will. I appreciate the confirmation of my reading.