Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Grumpy old men

"Getting a handpicked collection of grumpy, world-weary blokes to gripe on given subjects may not sound like a very promising premise for a TV show..." So reads a promo for the British series "Grumpy Old Men". Maybe not, but it's been a hit for the BBC. Then again: getting a handpicked collection of grumpy, world-weary blokes to gripe on given subjects may not sound like a very promising premise for a blog either. But lo and behold, the ACD site seems to revel in it.

The crotchety old fellows fume, rant and jerk their rheumatic knees in the best Ann Coulter style. Indeed, they seem determined to carve out a niche somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun. Excerpts:

"The UN is Not Our Friend!... most of the people who determine and implement the UN agenda are from the Third World. Many represent thug nations who have no love for the United States... UNESCO is using US taxpayer dollars to foster an end to US sovereignty... The US should get out of the UN, and out of all of its member organizations. The UN is a Trojan horse within our borders for globalists, Third World thugs and international bureaucratic fat cats who wish to live high on US dues..."

[That's Brian Knowles who, in his lucid moments, manages to sound reasonably sane. But get him started on stuff like this and - WHOOSH!]

"There is an ongoing debate whether we should spend more on social programs or spend more on military strength. The American appeaser party says we can't afford to project our power, we should rely on diplomacy and the UN, and spend our national treasure on ourselves. They are the British politicians of the 1930s. Jesus gave us a principle that might apply to power politics in the real world in which we live. "How can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house" (Mt 12:29)."

["American appeaser party"? That's Ken Westby, the "One God" man. That "One God" must definitely be a Republican, and his "power politics" Jesus seems a completely different chap from the one most Christians have encountered in the New Testament.]

"Sooner or later, everything in American life becomes politicized. In our time, we are increasingly witnessing the politicization of the Christian religion. This trend has dangerous potential."

[Brian again. Hang on, has the old boy actually seen the light? Is Brian about to repent and withdraw his inflammatory rhetoric? Read on.]

"Evangelical Christians are viewed by the Left as a troublesome voting bloc -- one that can sway the course of elections. Consequently, wherever possible, the Leftist Press and Media make it a point to mock, demonize, and generally marginalize Evangelical [Conservative] Christianity. The idea seems to be to "divide & conquer" the Republican Party. If Evangelical Christians can become characterized in the American mind as fanatics, religious "fundamentalists" (ala "Muslim Fundamentalists") and "right wing militia types," then it will be increasingly difficult for "mainstreamers" to take them seriously."

"At the moment, the Democrats are seeking to block President Bush's conservative, Constitutionalist, judicial nominees."

End of quotes. Measured, balanced prose eh? These guys have evidently abandoned any pretence of political impartiality.

It's not that these gentlemen don't have a right to a political opinion. They obviously do. But promoting these views in this jaundiced, jingoistic, one-eyed manner on an ostensibly Christian website? It seems a dour, gloomy, narrow, bile-sodden world view. Even recycled Plain Truth editors should be able to distinguish genuine Christianity from Bible-belt politics.

The interesting thing is that the grumps at ACD seem to have gotten away with this stuff without a word of protest so far. Try and present a cautious, reasoned argument from a "liberal" viewpoint and the reaction among True Believers is to go ballistic. Go figure.

1 comment:

Felix Taylor, Jr. said...

It is amazing that those on the religious right attack the evolutionary theory but have so much in common with social Darwinism. It would be nice if Brian Knowles saw that instead of seeing the religious right as infallible