Robert Parham has a good column at Ethics Daily today entitled "Is Rush Limbaugh the De-Facto Leader of Conservative Christians?" Over the past few weeks, many people have been calling Limbaugh the de-facto leader of the Republican Party and debating whether he is a good influence or not. Parham provides an even more focused question. After describing blasphemous remarks made by Limbaugh during the recent Conservative Political Action Conference, Parham notes the silence of conservative Christian groups that were part of the gathering. Where is the criticism from the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, Alliance Defense Fund, and Focus on the Family? Here are a couple of highlights from Parham's piece:
When Lennon said, "We're more popular than Jesus," Bible-belt Christians roared with anger. They burned Beatles records, banned Beatles songs on the radio and boycotted Beatles concerts. They tolerated no rival claims to the messiah.Some good questions, but the groups in question seem unlikely to provide an answer.
When Limbaugh uttered a parallel claim, those who see Christianity under attack offered no response. No cry of cultural hostility toward religion was heard. No demand for an apology boomed from pulpits. No boycott was launched.
Why is that?
Why is it that the Christian Right reacted with such reverence to a man who, through thinly disguised humor, disclosed his prideful self-perception and espoused a worldview that counters the biblical witness?
Are they afraid of Limbaugh? Are they afraid of his followers who pack their pews?
What explains the fact that Limbaugh can speak untruthfully, and yet he goes unchallenged by conservative Christians?
I used to listen to Rush. But my faith now prevents me. I agree with some of what he says but he doesn't show the Jesus I know in how he lives.
ReplyDeleteIt may speak to the entire substance of the GOP if he is, indeed, the "defacto" leader of the Republican party. I think there is probably some evidence around to suggest that he very likely isn't, but if that were true, to think that one of our major political parties gets the substance of its core beliefs from a radio announcer is absolutely incredible.
ReplyDeleteParham says that Christians should have raised a furor when an entertainer/speaker "espoused a worldview that counters the biblical witness."
ReplyDeleteLet's apply Parham's point across the board:
According to Parham, Christian
Democrats should raise a furor whenever they hear, in a secular political setting, a pundit calling for funding of abortion or homosexual marriage. And whenever a non-believer says anything inaccurate about Christianity.
Where is that furor? And that missing furor is over real policy and real objectives, not over a pompous joke by an entertainer.
Parham despises the Christian Right, including the organizations he calls out. That's what he communicates most clearly in this article.