At the ever-entertaining “War on Christians” conference in Washington this week, [tag]Tom DeLay[/tag] was not only presented as a martyr, he was also compared to Jesus and designated God’s official lawmaker from Texas. At least according to [tag]Rick Scarborough[/tag].
“I believe the most damaging thing that Tom DeLay has done in his life is take his faith seriously into public office, which made him a target for all those who despise the cause of Christ,” Scarborough said, introducing DeLay yesterday. When DeLay finished, the host reminded the politician: “God always does his best work right after a crucifixion.”
Scarborough added, while introducing DeLay, “Here is a man that I believe God has appointed.”
So, as far as some of the religious right is concerned, God appointed DeLay to Congress; his corruption is actually godly work; and it was DeLay’s Christianity, not his multiple criminal indictments, that led to his fall from congressional power.
Seriously, is there something in the water that I’m not aware of?
As it turns out, of course, the point of the “War on Christians” conference was not to offer inexplicable defenses for DeLay’s criminal misdeeds; it was to convince a largely-white, largely-wealthy, evangelical Christian audience that they’re all persecuted victims who should never forget to feel sorry for themselves.
This would seem to be an odd time to declare Christianity under siege. A Christian conservative president has just nominated two Supreme Court justices who take an expansive view of religious rights, and religious conservatives are ascendant in a Republican Party that controls both chambers of Congress.
But, as Scarborough knows, believers will be more motivated to go to the polls in November (and to contribute money to his group) if they feel threatened. And so his forum offered all sorts of books and pamphlets proclaiming dire warnings: “The Criminalization of Christianity,” “Liberalism Kills Kids” and “Same-Sex Marriage: Putting Every Household at Risk.”
Gary Bauer, a Christian activist and former presidential candidate, argued in a speech that the “War on Christians” in America was even emboldening al-Qaeda. “They believe they can win, because they believe you and I are decadent; they think our civilization is fat and lazy,” he said. “I believe they’re wrong, but I understand why they’re confused.”
And why are they confused? Because American Christians are attacked by “elites” who think America is “a country of unbridled liberty, different strokes for different folks.”
Why, you’re probably emboldening terrorists right now by failing to rush out and castigate some gay liberal. Shame on you.
But as Dana Milbank noted, the evidence of the “[tag]war on Christians[/tag]” was pretty thin. For example, to bolster her case that society persecutes Christians, particularly in the media, Faith2Action’s [tag]Janet Folger[/tag], a prominent religious right activist, “cited a 13-year-old Washington Post article and a 17-year-old remark by [Ted] Turner, and she tearfully recounted a bad experience she had on ABC’s ‘Nightline’ — eight years ago.”
In the meantime, Christian converts in “liberated” Afghanistan face the death penalty and Christians trying to celebrate Christmas at an underground church in China faced armed guards who broke the mass, arrested the priest, and demolished a makeshift pulpit.
On the other hand, Folger didn’t enjoy her Nightline exposure in 1998. It’s quite a “war.”