Quaker Dave requested that we all not do so, and Shakespeare's Sister responded, I think eloquently and without rancor, that since Coulter refers to herself as a Christian, that is the way we should talk about her, even if she doesn't practice my grandmother's faith.
Memo to QD: I don't think this is a battle between the two of you. Trust me, if Shakes (or Blue Gal, for that matter) wants to dismiss you, you'll know it. I don't pretend to be at her level as a blogger, but what we do have in common, at least, is directness. This is an argument sure, but all families have those.
I look at the skinny blond fascist's statement "I am a Christian" the same way I view her statement "the war in Afghanistan is going swimmingly." She can say it, but it's a fucking lie, she knows it's a fucking lie, and she doesn't care. God is Truth, Ann, check your Bible.
The question then becomes whether those bloggers who despise the religious right and have transferred that hatred to all brands of religion (Shakes is decidedly NOT in that "hate all religion" camp, btw) decide that it is convenient to believe and endorse this particular Coulter lie because it gives us just one more reason to hate her. Truth is God, bloggers, check your conscience.
Writing this however reminds me to stay humble. I call myself a Christian, too, and only today I posted a comment about John Gibson in words that would not exactly recommend me to Jesus. Just call me Ann, I guess, except I'm not blond and not skinny and my footnotes are accurate. And I think she's got shitty taste in men.
________________
And just when we think it's safe to fight with one another about the semantics of Ann Coulter's Christianity, Time Magazine's Richard Schickel lets one loose about blogging being a waste of time and for idiots. Oh, that ought to get you some attention, Dick. Really, make a call to David Broder and ask him how criticizing bloggers has worked out for him. [Major league hat tip to Kathy at Birmingham Blues, who witnessed the carnage her own self.]
update: Doctor Zaius thinks Schickel should win an award.
So some hack at Time thinks blogging is for loo-zahs, huh? Why didn't this guy say anything when the magazine was going ga-ga over Powerline, eh?
ReplyDeleteIrony seems lost at everyone's favorite Weekly Standard-wannabe publication.
My beef was never with Shakes, and I sure hope she knows that. I love her, and I love her blog. My beef was twofold, with others: 1) Those who instantly attack ALL religion because some people choose to use "religion" was a weapon with which they attack and oppress people (like the supposedly "religious" folks who made life so miserable for two of our favorite people not long ago); 2) and with those on the Left who attack religion as a "mental illness," again in a knee-jerk, reactionary manner.
ReplyDeleteI have posted about this before, and it continues to frustrate me. We could, for example, go on and on about all the people of faith who have led and informed the progressive movement around the world - Gandhi, King, Alice Paul, the Dalai Lama, et al - so to insensitively attack your allies simply because they say they believe in God seems more than counter-productive. It's destructive. And it helps the bad guys win.
As to the guy from Time: I haven't read that rag since the last time I went to the orthodontist, only because I forgot my book. They stopped being relevant a LONG time ago.
Thanks for the link, BG. I wish I could get video footage, but that might require some B&E work at Birmingham-Southern, or possibly a handsome bribe for one of the conference organizers.
ReplyDeleteIt has never occurred to me to refer to Ann Coulter as "Christian", because she's never given any indication that she understands what it means to embrace the title or that she wants to live up to it.
Issue Number One:
ReplyDeleteI consider myself a Christian. I don't know what God would say to Ann Coulter. I don't know what Jesus of Nazareth would say to Ann Coulter. I'm not going to open that can of worms.
I leave everything between her and God.
Issue Two:
If I said I blogged because I didn't want an audience, I'd be lying. But blogging to me is an artistic, cathartic outlet. I'm an artist and some deep force inside me compels me to write--compels me to create. And that in itself is enough for me.
As I get closer to thirty, I put aside my idealism and move towards gentle pragmatism. I try to work on more micro than macro levels.
To me, life is what you make of it. It can be joyous. It can be depressing. It can be comical.
Foolish is the person who thinks that life is all one thing or all another. Or that it is capable of being understood. Or that it has some sole meaning.
The reason I believe in God is that I know I won't know everything. Reality is in shades of grey so comprehensive my mere mortal mind cannot fathom it.
There are things, no matter how far I travel, live, touch, experience, etc... that I will never comprehend. And I'm learning to be okay with that. I'm learning to be okay with the questions, not demanding the answers so much anymore.
But as Bill Hicks put it---it's all just a ride. It's all a journey. I don't know where I'm headed and recently I really don't care to know. I'm trying to just enjoy being on the path.
When AC gets BC she's gonna be SOL ... IMHO And, thanks for the link about Dick and dailydiatribe.
ReplyDeleteBAC
i could call myself a lotto winner but that wouldn't make me one.
ReplyDeleteme, i wouldn't let that woman confine me, affect me in any way. to blog or not blog about her she still wins because she has made me do something because of her.
so, if i feel like ranting about her i will(perhaps only to myself or not)or if i feel that something she says is just too asinine, i might type something.
she is going to ride the rightwing hate train until it derails wether bloggers mention her or not. she did before she was a hot topic on blogs.
blogging must scare the hell out of the right wing or they wouldn't have turned their attention and smears against it.
bring out the truth on ac and the others every time you can. truth hurts people that have made their fortunes on lies.
truth is different than ranting.
if we totally ignore her, it may be too late at some time in the near future to discredit her.
my 2 cents.
BAC: LMAO! (I mean, what else can I say?)
ReplyDeleteSherry: I think there's a post there for many of us on "Truth is different than ranting."
There's a calm to truth, isn't there? Like when you say "the sky is blue." You're not ranting about that.
So many lies, so little time. So the truth will set us free? I'm not sure I'm that optimistic anymore, but getting out of the way of truth, not REACTING so much as affirming within our own minds, sounds like a good tack. Thanks, Sherry.
Hi there, BG!
ReplyDeleteHere's my two cents, as much to figure out how to work these dang comment-thingies as to share ideas:
Ann Coulter doesn't make money off our criticisms of her, she makes money off her books, speaking appearances and media contracts, and she'll continue to do so whether we criticize her or not. While financial pressure on her employers might reduce her visibility, there are plenty of other buffoons out there spewing the same bile, and I'm categorically opposed to stifling free speech (for obvious reasons.)
I think it serves the moderate and liberal communities better to let her rant ad nauseam and call "bullshit" on her. Then we can publicly demand that our elected officials and religious leaders take a stand, either with Ann and her mini-minded minions or with rational folks like you and me :).
Uh-oh, I think I just set off the hubris alarm, gotta run...
CR
Hey, I finally got this friggin' thing to post and it's the WRONG POST!!! Go figure.
ReplyDeleteWell it's not quite irrelevant; tell your church leaders what she's saying and pressure them to publicly either support or repudiate her. After all, it's their church too which she's defiling by association.
Let our priests and ministers and Bishops make the call on AC.
Yes, organicgeorge, the future is blogging, not just for the catharsis and mental autoerotica that is inherent in the process (okay, maybe just for me?), but for large companies and the necessity of having a human voice behind the steam-cleaned copy of corporate America. Sorry, blah blah, social marketing...
ReplyDeleteAs for AC, the definition of Christians by Christians has focused on the core belief in Jesus, Son of God, and not so much on acting like him. Unfortunately, only Catholics throw around excommunication any more. As for me, I continue my futile evangelical role pleading for us just to ignore her.
No Smoking in the Skull Cave has posted several pictures of the Coultergeist during one of her special GOP weekend retreats. I think that these pictures [ 1, 2 ] sum her statement that the "war in Afghanistan is going swimmingly" fairly well.
ReplyDelete