With Respect: Damian Penny Has It Wrong About Coulter
Over at Damian Penny’s blog he has a link to something Ann Coulter said in an interview the other day, and he’s apparently bought into the Media Matters (READ: George Soro’s propaganda arm) spin on it.
Essentially, she starts by saying that if her dreams came through, the democrats would look like Sen. Lieberman (who is Jewish by the way, and whom Coulter has expressed respect for in her recent writings), and the whole nation would look more like republicans. The interviewer, who is obviously hostile, goes after her description of republicans as being mostly ‘christian’, and asks her if it would be better if everyone is a Christian. Well, obviously to a Christian there is only one answer to that question, yes. The same would be true if one asked a muslim if it would be better if the whole world converted to islam. Every religion believes their path is the best way, and if you ask them, then the only honest question is ‘yes, it would be better if everyone was part of my faith’.
Then Coulter asks the interviewer jokingly “do you want to come to church with me?” and the interviewer, not Coulter, makes it about judaism, saying: “So I should not be a jew?” and then goes off on a rant while Coulter tries to interject about liberals talking about diversity. She points out that most churches are heavily diverse and integrated and the discussion gets side tracked with a discussion of interracial marriage (which she supports, and she points out is less controversial in churches than in the wider society). Her point is simple, that Christians are remarkably tolerant. Then the interviewer turns back to the matter of judaism and again questions whether she believes Jewish people should convert, which she again confirms. In response, the interviewer compares here to the President of Iran, who has repeatedly called for Israel to be ‘wiped off the map’. If you know Coulter, you know she’s a supporter of Israel, so the comparison is ludicrous. Then they get on the question of jews and christians, and the ‘perfection’ of jews through Jesus (in her terms). Then they go to break. When they get back, its clear Coulter has gotten angry with the interviewer for interrupting her, and not letting her explain what she’s saying, so he says he’ll let her clarify her remarks. She gets about 10 seconds into explaining her complex theological position, and he starts interrupting again, calling her hateful and anti-semitic. She even says: “we think Jews go to heaven”.
Coulter is a wiseacre, and a pretty good one. I enjoy her books, they are my guilty pleasure. I like them because she says outrageously funny things that no one else is willing to say. The John Edwards one is another example. So, at least a part of her schtick is that she’s a wiseacre.
This is a tempest in a teapot. She’s essentially asked to confirm a central tenet of Christian doctrine, namely, that people are better off as followers of Jesus than followers of anything or anyone else. This is not even a moderately controversial statement, except for the fact that she is saying it, and that the interviewer decides to try and spin it as anti-semite. She, in actuality is moderate in her statement: she confirms Lieberman (who is jewish) as the ideal democrat, which is a high compliment. She says that there will be jews in heaven (a statement which is arguably more controversial than the one she’s being skewered over – although I agree with her). In fact, her position seems to be that all religions have some level of truth, and that the practicioners of other religions are in need simply of being ‘perfected’ in faith to the one true God. That position is more generous theologically than many religious people (of all religions) would argue. They would say that other religions have things completely wrong and are completely devoid of value or even evil.
The Premise for the umbrage being expressed is that she is being ‘offensive’ or ‘threatening’. Well, tough it up. There is no law against hurting someone’s feelings, at least not until Hillary Clinton wins the Whitehouse. As for being threatening, doesn’t that require a threat? A threat looks like “if you do/don’t do x, then I will do y”. The closest thing to a threat would be “if you don’t convert to christianity, you’re going to hell”, and she doesn’t even say anything remotely like that, and such a threat is not in any way actually enforceable. She’s certainly not advocating harm to jews, and she isn’t saying anyone should be forced out of judaism to become christians. This whole idea of her statements being threatening is ridiculous pablum by overly sensitive people. Sorry, but being sensitive doesn’t mean people cannot exercise their fundamental freedoms.
Media Matters is intentionally trying to spin this as Coulter advocating forced conversion of jewish people, which she clearly isn’t. Other sites are spinning this as equal with the idea of sharia. This is ridiculous. As one anonymous commenter at another blog wrote: “Is Ann Coulter threatening to force Donny Deutsch to pay a Jirza if he doesn’t convert? Is she not going to let him rent an apartment? So she thinks Christianity is the best, and specifically, better than Judaism. I happen to hold the opposite view, but in either case, is that really Sharia?” No, of course it is not, the comparison is for the weak minded. And as another smart commenter pointed out, she should have asked what the interviewer, as a self-professed ‘practicing jew’ believes about Christians. “Most religions do not exactly take sympathetic views of most other religions, and Judaism with its talk about “the chosen people” is certainly no different.” I couldn’t agree more. This whole thing is a contrived media offensive by the american political left. One more example in a long line of left-wing organizations trying to drum up contrived offenses by republicans so that they can force their voices off the stage and leave their shills unopposed in the media. It is a small skirmish in a larger war to silence the right and give themselves a chance at a successful political campaign.
I absolutely agree with you. As Christians we know that Jesus said that there is no way to the father except through the Son.
—Roy EappenI would have been disappointed if Ann Coulter had said anything else.
I wish everyone I know to know the joy I feel through Jesus Christ.
Will I try and forcibly convert them?Will I discriminate against them or insult them no. I wil pray for them.
Call conservatives anti semitic these days is pretty laughable. Israel’s strongEst friends are Evangelicals.
Well said. For the record, the things she said are no more controversial than what the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said…
“You MUST be born again”
—Christian ConservativeYour title offers every courtesy that Coulter herself never would. She is as abrasive as a piece of sandpaper spiked with nails, and offers no apologies for her anti-everyone-who-isn’t-like-me garbage. She is the poster child for xenophobic megalomaniacs.
—Raphael AlexanderRaphael, the irony is delicious. You accuse her of not being courteous, but then you follow it by being rather rude in how you find her.
—adminAs a Christian I find apologies, like this one, for Ann Coulter’s latest provocative statement rather unsettling. Too often people forget the importance of humility. Christians fall prey to self-righteous overconfidence, which can easily prove self-destructive. As the Bible instructs, we must perpetually engage in critical thought, especially of ourselves. In other words, we must prune our tree in order that it may bear fruit. Coulter’s suggestion of perfection shows not only a deep ignorance of judaism, but of her own so-called religion.
Aside from the religious angle, watering down Coulter’s provocative style completely ignores the very brand that she has created for herself. She purposely engages in shocking rhetoric and over-the-top claims. Why dismiss this?
—Canadian Tar Heel>Coulter’s suggestion of perfection shows not only a
>deep ignorance of judaism, but of her own so-called
>religion.
This is the problem with discussing deep issues on TV. The average person isn’t smart enough to understand what you’re on about.
She isn’t suggesting Christians are perfect, or even ‘better’ than jewish people, she’s talking about from a santicifacation perspective. It wouldn’t be the word I would use.
As for her schtick, as she says “you cannot deliver the truth with novocaine’. It has to be painful sometimes. Her acerbic wit is what drives the moonbats crazy, and frankly I enjoy watching them stammer in indignation. Its a guilty pleasure, but a pleasure nonetheless.
Also, I got my copy of her new book yesterday, and I like it a lot.
—adminWhile Christianity does teach that Jews are to move on to Jesus’s new law or order for humanity (let’s not get stuck on words like ‘law’, etc), her manner of delivering these things is, as usual, provoking and tends to belittle the Jews.
I’m not Christian nor Jewish, but I’ve heard a lot of things from Madame Coulter that are downright offensive.
Now she shoves a condescending idea into Jews faces and tells them to accept it.
You may say Judaism teaches about the chosen people, but I would say in return that many Jews have abandoned that sort of talk (and thought….) and are much more tolerant and opened to the idea of plurality than Mrs Coulter is.
And in a much more distinguished way.
Sorry but she is a disgrace. Not someone I’d listen to seriously.
—O.FanWhy so-called “Christians” continue to defend this vile, hateful woman and her asinine remarks is beyond me. Let’s not forget this is the same person who famously said of the Middle East: “We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.” And yet, there you are, still cheering on her divisive, inflammatory rhetoric at every turn and excusing her arrogant religious chauvinism. Amazing.
By the way, Deutch wasn’t “hostile” at all. That may be your impression, but there’s very little evidence of it on the video or in the transcript. If anything, I think he was more astounded by Coulter’s remarks and gave her ample opportunity to ensure they weren’t being misconstrued. Of course, Ann simply used that to amplify what she’d initially said and make them even more egregiously offensive than they were initially.
—Red Tory“Every religion believes their path is the best way, and if you ask them, then the only honest question is ‘yes, it would be better if everyone was part of my faith’.”
That’s incorrect. We Jews are explicitly against proselytizing. Someone who wants to convert has to be turned away three times, which should tell you that we aren’t begging for converts. And as Ann illustrates, a lot of people just aren’t worthy of it (kidding!).
Moreover, lots of religious people and many faiths, in fact, respect and value religious diversity (horrors!).
To say that a Christian saying this is just like anyone else saying it also misses the mark. The 2000+ history of Christians trying to “perfect” non-Christians, especially us Jews, makes it especially charged. I hope I don’t need to recount the less than “perfect” atrocities Christians have committed in service of this goal.
And far be it from me to tell you whether to proselytize or not, but I hope it’s always done with politeness and humility. I would certainly think Christians would be more circumspect these days, when so many Christian political leaders who wear their religion on their sleeve have been shown to be such amoral hypocrites. And where a Christian president has killed a countless number of people, mostly Muslims, insisting all the while that God told him to do it. That’s the kind of PR that will make your proselytizing rather difficult.
—clb72JESUS WAS A LIBERAL WHO ATE WITH PROSTITUTES AND TAX COLLECTOR’S WHILE TRYING TO TEACH THEM THE THRUTH BY WORD AND EXAMPLE – WHY WOULD ANYONE LISTEN TO ANN COULTER ABOUT ANYTHING AND WHY WOULD YOU WANT HER AS YOUR SPOKES PERSON – THEY ARE NO CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE NOT SINNED!
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23
—Robert Bruce