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"Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville lived down to that title over the weekend, when he accused Speaker of the House Mike Johnson of being a 'Christian nationalist' who poses 'a bigger threat than al-Qaeda.' But Carville’s calumniations served a deeper purpose: They point out the profound spiritual void that causes liberal politicos to dehumanize faithful Christians for believing in eternal, pre-political morals."
Ben Johnson writes, "The English Bible translates the Greek word for “slanderer” (δι?βολος) as “the devil.” In Cajun, “slanderer” translates to “Carville.”
Be informed, not misled.
“Mike Johnson and what he believes is one of the greatest threats we have today to the United States. I promise you, I know these people,” Carville raged on the “Overtime” segment of Bill Maher’s HBO show, which (confusingly) airs on CNN.
Does anyone give Carville a Breathalyzer before he suggests a well-mannered Christian Republican is worse than al-Qaeda? https://t.co/5lxvnTHIFO
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) December 2, 2023
“You’re talking about Christian nationalism,” said Maher.
“This is a bigger threat than al-Qaeda to this country,” asserted Carville.
To hear the former Clinton strategist tell it, America stands one election away from becoming the United States of Gilead. Christian nationalists, he says, control “the Speaker of the House; they got probably at least two Supreme Court justices, maybe more. Don’t kid yourself.”
Ben Johnson says, "Democrats worrying over Christian congregants while their left-wing base recently made the words of Osama bin Laden go viral seems misplaced. Physician, heal thyself."
He's referring to a "Letter To America" written by the late Osama bin Laden and recently published by a British news organization---then on the social media platform TikTok. As far as I know, the "letter" has been taken down by the media.
Carville continues:
“This is a fundamental threat to the United States,” he insisted, because Christian nationalists “don’t believe in the Constitution.”
Ken Klukowski, a former Justice Department official under President Trump, explains:
But his only proof is the fact that Speaker Johnson rejects pure, Athenian democracy — a concept explicitly rejected by the U.S. Constitution. Pure democracies with no guardrails allow a majority to trample the rights of a minority, while a constitutional republic safeguards citizens’ unalienable rights, including the freedom of religion. “Mike Johnson himself says, ‘What is democracy but two wolves and a lamb having lunch?’” Carville pointed out, apparently oblivious to the fact that the phrase hardly originated with Johnson. The Founders believed in a “Christian moral philosophy [but] also put a provision in the Constitution to guarantee that the political leaders would never be able to establish an official national” church."
Host Bill Maher described the Bible as “a book that subscribes to conspiracy theories and homophobic insults.” Panelist Dave Rubin, who identifies as gay and conservative, smirked and nodded during the conversation.
So, in the view of at least two members of the panel, anyone who believes the Scriptures is indistinguishable from Osama bin Laden.
Former Rep. Liz Cheney insists that Trump intends to make 2024 “the last election that you ever get to vote in” before smearing Speaker Johnson as a Trump “collaborator” — a term applied to Nazi sympathizers. Cheney is a master at belittling the Holocaust by applying terms such as “The Big Lie” to her and her father’s political enemies.
Remember when President Joe Biden’s handlers had Independence Hall transformed into a dark black and crimson red backdrop as the president — flanked by military personnel — charged the 70% of “MAGA Republicans” who support President Donald Trump with having “fanned the flames of political violence.” Their mere existence, Biden claimed, represents a “threat to American democracy.”
In a phrase with chilling biblical echoes, Biden claimed that his political opponents, like Satan, “live not in the light of truth but in the darkness of lies.”
There's more in Ben Johnson's excellent article. I encourage you to read it.
Are there consequences to this kind of rhetoric?
Schmidt, who had recently moved to Arizona, was promoting a nearby church service when the shooting took place. The injuries were initially thought to be the result of an assault, but medical staff later realized it was a gunshot wound. As of now, Schmidt is hospitalized in critical condition.
The authorities are still investigating the shooting and are seeking tips to identify who was responsible for the attack.
Channel 3 TV/CBS 5 reported that one witness who works nearby, Paul Sanchez, reportedly saw a vehicle drive by Schmidt with people inside who screamed and cursed at him.
"There was a lot of everything, really, hateful comments, people yelling at him, 'get off the street,' all sorts of mean things," Sanchez told Channel 3.
Sanchez said he never imagined things would escalate, especially since he says Schmidt never confronted anyone or responded to the mean comments.
Takeaway
Fox said, "When it comes to religious persecution, it’s easy to think that it’s an issue far away from home. As Americans, we take for granted many freedoms that are still contested in other areas of the world."
"Our Founding Fathers," they said, "thought that the right to believe freely was so integral to a free society, that they codified it in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. This right serves as the cornerstone and bedrock of our Republic. By protecting one’s right to believe, this right establishes the autonomous individual as the most fundamental embodiment of freedom."
Now, the threat of religious persecution is rearing its head in the United States. Fox recalled Sens. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and then Senator Kamala Harris, now Vice President Kamala Harris, D-Calif., posed snaring questions to Brian Buescher, an Omaha-based lawyer nominated by President Trump to sit on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. As a Catholic, Buescher adheres to traditional religious values. Yet, he was subjected to scrutiny and specifically targeted for his faith in order to cast doubt on his ability to serve in public office.
At campuses throughout the country, outspoken Christians are regularly demeaned, debased, and targeted for their beliefs. Academics, social groups, and college organizations regularly ridicule Christians by calling them hateful, bigoted, and privileged, among other labels.
The writer of the op-ed concluded, "Incidents like these demonstrate how Christians are being targeted in the United States for adhering to their values. When will we realize that the threat of religious persecution isn’t as “far away from home” as we may think? We need to take a stand and be vocal proponents of our rights, starting today."
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Bold. Be Faithful. Be Prayerful.