http://www.talk2action.org/

i think it’s important to try to avoid having a hostile tone. if my review came off that way, i apologize. let’s try to keep our disagreements civil.

i’m sorry if you perceived the book, or my review, as an attack on Christianity. the author, Chris Hedges, is actually a Christian, and the book is about the Christian Right, which is that movement trying to deny rights to women, gays and lesbians, trans folks, people of color, immigrants, and other minorities. i think Hedges is justified in worrying about this movement, because it does contain fascist elements, particularly it’s interest in excluding and attacking people who are “different”, and the way it’s organized by a few very wealthy white men who control the movement. the movement also helps propagate dangerous ideas like a belief that the US military is on some kind of holy mission when it kills innocent people in foreign wars. that’s pretty worrisome for me, i hope it is for you too.

does that mean all Christians are part of the Christian Right? no, of course not, and i have no problem with people who merely pray for folks they disagree with. the danger are those elements who take violent and terroristic actions, for example the murder of Dr. George Tiller. this was clearly meant to inspire fear and terror, and i hope you’ll agree that these kinds of criminal actions cannot be tolerated.

plus there are millions of amazing progressive Christians who follow Jesus’ principles of love – for example the Christians who’ve led the peace and nonviolent movements against wars, nuclear weapons, and bigotry. we need to celebrate these Christian heroes. Martin Luther King was another in this wonderful line, as he called out for an end to the terrible and unjust Vietnam War, an end to poverty, and an end to consumerism. almost prophetic, and very appropriate to our times.

one thing you said which i strongly disagree with is that the Nazis were leftists. i think history is very clear that Hitler came to power as a reaction against the left, which is why one of his first actions in power was to outlaw labor unions and arrest labor leaders and socialists by the thousands.

perhaps part of your dilemma is confusion about the word “socialist.” you equate this word with nazism and fascism, but i think the word means many different things to many different people. some people for example think socialist means Soviet Union, which i think you’ll agree with me was a terrible society in many ways, and yea, pretty fascist. on the other hand some folks think socialist has a longer tradition that just means working towards an economy organized around human needs, and not just profits for big business, which is what capitalism is all about. personally i don’t identify as a socialist so i dont know why you said this is “the philosophy you’re promoting on this blog”. i’ve been pretty clear on this website (see the Synopsis) that i’m calling for a reinvigoration of our national values of freedom, justice, democracy, sustainability and love. sorry if that offends you.

we can disagree, but please let’s try to keep things civil and respectful. if i’ve done a poor job of this, i’ll try harder.

thanks again
alex

Condemnations of fundamentalist thinking and similarities to Nazism will only get us so far…

You do understand that the Nazis were Socialists, right? You know… the philosophy you are promoting on this blog. I realize that it is a favorite trick of the Left to label the “Right” as fascists, but it is far from true.

the author rightly argues we must not tolerate a movement which does not tolerate us

This is an interesting statement. Christians have been tolerating gays and leftists for decades now. You are only upset that we do not embrace your practices and beliefs. The kind of people this book focuses on are a serious minority, even among Christians. They have their equivalents in both the gay and Leftist communities, too, I am sure you are aware. How can it be correct to be intolerant of a “movement” whose intolerance of you consists mainly of prayer in your behalf, and voluntary ministries that offer services to the willing?

by attacking them as potentially all-powerful, do we not in fact imbue them with powers they do not actually possess?

Well, by attacking us as “fascists” you are certainly describing us with traits we do not possess.

It is true that there is a very small radical Christian element that should spend more time studying the Bible and less time picketing funerals. However, MOST Christians are not like that, and you do us both a disservice when you make generalizations like the ones put forth by this book’s author.

Christianity is driven by love. But love does not equal acceptance of all things that others desire. Sorry. You are free to reject Christianity, and we are free to reject homosexuality and Leftism. That’s what makes America great. At least, unless Socialism actually becomes the supreme law of the land. THEN we’ll have fascism, just as in every other Socialist country that has ever existed.