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Why it's Fashionable to Bash Christians |
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RUSH: Yes.
CALLER: You earlier said today on the show that you hadn't had anybody
in a while to say something, you hadn't talked about. Well, I think I
have something, in light of what you're talking about yesterday about
The Passion, the movie The Passion.
RUSH: Yes.
CALLER: Can you explain, especially in the political realm, why people
don't like the Christian viewpoint or Christians in general. I just
don't understand, you know, they accept Buddhists, they accept Muslims
but they don't accept Christians. And I don't get it.
RUSH: Have you thought about
it?
CALLER: Yes, I have.
RUSH: What have you come up
with as your own answer? Because it's right out there in front of your
nose.
CALLER: I think it's spiritual.
RUSH: Well, it eventually gets to
spiritual, but there are two things, just for the sake of your call, I
will accept the premise. Some people, what do you mean, hate
Christians? I think in terms of Catholicism, Christianity, it's the one
religion and it's perfectly fashionable to bash, personally fashionable
to criticize, and to even discriminate against, laugh at, to impugn and
make fun of. There's no question about it.
I think there are two reasons, and the first one is abortion. Actually
abortion is just the biggest symptom. I guess the big reason, the
umbrella under which all of the other things like abortion would come
under, is moral absolutes. These are people who have a definite idea of
what's right and wrong, what is sinful and virtuous and they're not
afraid of saying so, and at the same time they are viewed to be people
who condemn others for their moral failures and others do not wish to
be judged in that way, and they don't think some people have a right to
judge them morally or whatever. They look at them as unbending,
unyielding, and snobbish even to a certain extent, while at the same
time trying to portray Christians as a bunch of hayseed southerner
hicks. The real reason is that they're afraid of them. The real reason
is that people are afraid of Christians, just as people are afraid of
anybody who is firm in their belief on anything.
You can look around the world and around the country, and the people that are considered the elites, the people who are considered to have the greatest minds, are those who don't really stand for anything - at least publicly. Privately they have all kinds of beliefs but they wouldn't dare announce them. They see a lot of gray; they have the intellectual capability to see the nuances of every situation and, as such, they are just too wise and too smart to fall into the trap of assuming that something so simply said to be right or so simply and obviously said to be wrong. Many of these people are engaging in the kind of behavior that others say is wrong and they just don't want to be though of as doing that so they condemn the people saying it. I think it really is no more complicated than that.
 Now, the spirituality side, sure you're going to have people that have theological differences who are going to have, you know, some animus from the different religions, but that's not what you're really talking about. The criticism of Christians and the effort to get rid of all Christian symbols such as the nativity scene and Christmas trees or these sorts of things, anything associated with the tradition and traditions of the religion is brought about because of a fear, I think, of Christians culturally. This is why it's perfectly okay for certain religious people to run for office and to get elected and to even utilize their religious beliefs, but it is not okay to, say, Pat Robertson or anybody else who happens to be Christian, to want to serve in public office because it is feared they will take their religious beliefs and then here comes this misnomer of separation of church and state as a reason to disqualify them which is also something that's been bastardized and undefined as well as mis-defined over the years. I think it's really no more complicated than that, and it, by the way, doesn't just extend to Christians. It will extend to anybody who is firm in their beliefs.
One of the things I've found just over the course of my little life interacting with people is that it's said that I am controversial, it's said that I am ridged and intolerant and so forth, that people who don't even know me issue these blanket accusations, and I have discovered it's simply because I'm confident of what I believe, and a lot of people aren't, and a lot of people are intimidated by somebody or other people who are confident, is confident what he or she believes. That's just foreign to them.
You have to understand, in our culture today, the emphasis is on not taking a stand. I mean there is genuine fear in this country over taking a stand on things, there's a genuine fear of offending somebody, there's a genuine fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, at the wrong place, somebody might hear it, and you might get criticized or you might offend somebody or you might get into some sort of trouble, so that the societal pressure is all about neutering people's decisiveness, neutering people's firm stand on things, issues and ideas, and this is now considered enlightened; it is considered educated; it's considered almost intellectual to have an open mind and not have firm ideas on things. The way you rationalize it, well, I wait to hear all of the information, all three sides or both sides of the issue, before I make up my mind. I do not have a closed mind.
So, you see, someone with definite opinions on things is also said to be closed-minded. And a lot of people just don't want to go through life being accused of that, so they don't tell people what they really think. Well, Christians do. Christians are very blunt and very open about what they believe, and what they think is right and wrong. And I'm telling you, people just don't want to be confronted with it, and so the people who engage in that sort of belief system and behavior are always going to be the ones who have rocks thrown at them. It's always been that way, and it always will be.
Can't Get Into the Pop Culture Club Without Offending Christians |
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| February 24, 2004 |
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Listen to Rush Limbaugh...
(...use Andy Rooney's Christian bashing to demonstrate the pop culture trend)
(...suggest liberals read Ebert's column, and fight the real anti-Semites)
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT 1:10 PM EST
Sunday night on CBS 60 minutes, Andy Looney in his commentary at the end of the program called Pat Robertson and Mel Gibson "wackos." He said God was speaking through him. He was taking a swipe at Pat Robertson who said that God had told him George Bush was going to win the election this fall in pretty big numbers. So Andy Rooney was offended by that. Why, how can God talk to people?
So he decided to have God talk to him. He said God told him, Andy, that Pat Robertson and Mel Gibson are wackos. He said that God had spoken to him, saying, "I wish you'd tell your viewers that both Pat Robertson and Mel Gibson strike me as wackos. They're crazy as bed bugs. It's another earthly expression," Rooney said quoting God, "I created bed bugs and I tell you they're no crazier than people." |
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Rooney then showed clips of Gibson talking to Diane Sawyer about Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ. You know what we ought to do today? We'll post this on the website or we'll link to it. Roger Ebert of "Ebert & Roeper at the Movies" has reviewed this movie brilliantly. Roger Ebert has reviewed this movie favorably and brilliantly. I read the review earlier this morning. I don't have it. I didn't print it out. I just read it on the computer because I, frankly, didn't know this was going to be coming up today, and I've got enough in my stacks of stuff to keep me occupied till tomorrow so I didn't print it out.
But now, ladies and gentlemen, in the media -- in the media -- to make, just to buttress my point last hour. Christians, you can make fun of them. Not only can you, you should! It's the fashionable thing to do. Why, they're nothing but a bunch of NASCAR-loving, pickup-truck-driving, gun-totin' hicks who have about a 200-word vocabulary. That is the impression that has been left of Christians today by others in the dominant media culture. When I say "dominate media culture," I'm not talking about other religions. That's the point. It is religion. It is people's devotion to a set of principles that teach right and wrong that so offend those who are not religious.
I'm not talking about competition between religions. I'm talking "the religious left," if you will, is a group that abhors religion. They'll come up with their own, and they'll worship a tree or a rat or some other inanimate object and call it "god" if they dare use the word. [In studio: "We got some trouble again? We got some audio problems? Is that why you're looking?"] So the bottom line here is it's been fashionable to make fun of and impugn and criticize Christians for many, many moons, and Andy Rooney just did it. And are you seeing any outrage in the mainstream press? |
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YET, last September, when I said that the mainstream media, that the media often credited Donovan McNabb for play he didn't deserve because they have a social conscience and they're hoping that black quarterbacks do well in the NFL, you heard about it for four months throughout the media -- mainstream, sports and everywhere! Andy Looney happens to call Mel Gibson and Pat Robertson and Christians by extension "wackos," and not a word. Which all I'm saying is, "Proves my point." There are certain sensitivities that one does not offend, certain sensibilities that one descend defend in this country -- among them are race and sexual orientation, just to name a couple.
But you can -- in fact, you can not only offend Christians, you're supposed to try! You're supposed to have your jollies offending Christians. You haven't succeeded as a mainstream pop culturalist until you have offended a significant number of Christians. You can't get in the club until you've offended enough Christians. You can't get in the mainstream culture club unless you have a track record of condemning and ridiculing anybody who happens to have what they would consider a wholesome view of culture and interpersonal relationships.
You have to stand opposed to that. You have to laugh at it and make fun of it, and the people believe in it to be admitted in the pop culture. And if you don't, you're not going to get into the pop culture. If you don't get in the pop culture you're not getting into Hollywood and you're not getting in the music business and you're not going to get on MTV and you're not going to get invited to the biggest clubs or wherever these people hang out in New York. You're not going to get books. You're not going to get any of these things unless you behave according to the rules of the people who make them in the pop culture. |
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 Now, we have the Andy Looney commentary, ladies and gentlemen, from CBS 60 Minutes. It runs 2:16. Would you like to hear it, then? Would you like to hear this? Fine. Here's Andy Looney on 60 Minutes Sunday night.
ROONEY AUDIO: "It doesn't seem right, but religion has been in the news a lot recently. Pat Robertson says that God has spoken to him and told him that George W. Bush will be reelected because he deserves to be. Here's Pat Robertson's exact quote: 'I think George Bush is going to win in a walk. I'm hearing from the Lord that it's going to be a blowout.' The movie by Mel Gibson called 'The Passion of the Christ' is the other religious issue in the news. Everyone's talking about that. The question is whether the Jews killed Jesus Christ who was Jewish, of course. I hadn't wanted to say --"
RUSH: That's not -- stop the tape! That's not true. That's not the question, Andy. You shouldn't say that till you've seen the movie, you big buffoon! That is the mainstream press's take on this movie. But go read Ebert if you don't want to believe me. It's not about that! It's not about who killed him. When you see this movie, that thought doesn't even occur to you, Andy. That's not what the movie is about. I think Andy is a Catholic but, God, you'd never know it.
ROONEY AUDIO: "-- anything about this because it seemed like a personal matter, but Pat Robertson isn't the only one who has heard from God. I heard from God just the other night. God always seems to call at night. 'Andrew,' God said to me. He always calls me 'Andrew.' I like that. 'Andrew, you have the eyes and ears of a lot of people. I wish you'd tell your viewers that both Pat Robertson and Mel Gibson strike me as WAC-kos. I believe that's one of your current words. They're crazy as bed bugs, another earthly expression. I created bed bugs, and I'll tell you they're no crazier than people. Let me just say,' God said to me, 'that I think I'd remember if I'd ever talked to Pat Robertson and I'd remember if I said Bush would get reelected in a blowout. |
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"'As far as Mel Gibson goes, I haven't seen his movie 'The Passion of the Christ' because it hasn't opened up up here yet, but I did catch Gibson being interviewed by Diane Sawyer. Did something right when I came up with her, didn't I? Anyway, as I was saying. Mel is a real nut case. What in the world was I thinking when I created him? Listen, we all make mistakes,' God said to me. That's about all he did say, because I'm sure God has a lot more important things to do than talk to someone on television. My own question to Pat Robertson is this: 'The election looks as though it could be close, certainly not a blowout. If George W. Bush loses the election to a Democrat, will you become an atheist?' My question to Mel Gibson is: 'How many million dollars does it look as if you are going to make off the crucifixion of Christ?'"
RUSH: Well, well, well! How many millions of dollars does it look...? How many millions of dollars have other filmmakers made on other religious acts, Andy? I seem to remember a movie called "The Ten Commandments." I wonder if you could even make "The Ten Commandments" today. I wonder if anyone in Hollywood would stand for it. At any rate, we don't need to individually subdivide this piece and talk about it. It speaks for itself. And, by the way, folks, I must tell you: I'm a perfect admirer of satire. Don't misunderstand. The point is, this is satire, and he's making fun of some people. And my point is you can make fun of Christians all day long and nobody's going to condemn you for it because it's politically correct to do so.
But don't say something critical of the media and the way they report about minorities in this country, or it will be reported for four months and you will be tarred and feathered for four months about what you've said. So this is just to illustrate. It's perfectly fashionable. In facti t's the order of the day, to rip Christianity, and this is why this movie has these people so up in arms, because the Andy Rooneys of the world -- let me leave him out. I don't even know. I think he's just off on a tear here, but the mainstream pop culturalists have actually gotten it in their heads that they have dispatched with the Christian-believing community and rendered it a minority. A minority that they have relegated to kook status. Here comes Mel's movie, and it threatens them all over again, and so they fight back with any number of things that seek to attack what makes them feel uncomfortable.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK 1:18)
So they're trying to destroy the Gibson movie just like they're trying to destroy marriage. They're trying to destroy all these things that cast a negative light on them. Just ignore the Gibson movie if you don't like it. You know, he financed this with his own money. He didn't go borrow money. There's no blooooood moooooney in this movie. He didn't go compromise it. This is all his own money, and the best they can say about this is it's anti-Semitic. You want to see anti-Semitism, go see some of the things that the militant Islamists produce. Go talk about, the whatever the, I forget the title of these...Zion, Protocols of Zion or some such thing.
You want to see anti-Semitism, go take a look at what the militant Islamists are producing these days. Don't talk to me about Mel Gibson and anti-Semitism. I mean, even (National director of Anti-Defamation League) Abraham Foxman has had to admit now or had to correct himself that it's not anti-Semitic this movie. In fact there's a Jewish person in this movie that emerges as a hero: Simon. This is just... There's an hysteria, an hysteria that comes from the left, any time decency is involved in anything. Here you've got Andy Rooney basically saying, under the guise of satire, that God goofed up creating Mel Gibson. He said it on prime time television on one of the most watched news magazines of the week, Sunday night.
 And you didn't hear about it. There's no outrage anywhere about this -- other than at CBS with all the e-mails and phone calls they're getting from viewers who were offended. But you don't see anybody in the media talking about it, and yet I'll just use myself as an example again: ESPN. Compared to 60 Minutes nobody watches ESPN. On a Sunday morning, one little blurb about the media's treatment of Donovan McNabb lasted for four months.
So you can see what's accepted and who's accepted and what is accepted and who isn't. You can see the kind of things that are permissible. You can see the kind of things that aren't. I'll tell you, you can call it whatever you want, "political correctness" or what have you, but, boy, if you didn't say the right thing... And the thing that continues to gall me about these people is that during all of this, they claim -- the left, these pop culturalist -- they claim they are the ones that have all the tolerance. They're the ones that are saying we're intolerant, that we don't...
We're tolerating lawlessness. We're tolerating rogue courts. We're tolerating activist judges. We're tolerating it so much we're not even stopping what they're doing. We're going to take four years to try to amend the Constitution to stop it. Yippee! Don't talk to me about tolerance. The people who don't have tolerance are the people who are trying to force thought police on everybody else, trying to force proper thought, proper expression, proper way of life on everybody else, and if you don't abide by them, you are the enemy. They are the people that claim to be tolerant. Those people don't have a thimble's full of tolerance because intolerance? They know exactly what it is. Intolerance of them is simply people standing up for decency.
END TRANSCRIPT
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