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June 07, 2005

Uh Oh!

I don't think LaShawn took too kindly to my pointing out that Christianity hasn't always been a peaceful religion of hugs and charity and kindness, and that today - in some quarters - some Christians like to knock off Muslims on video.

How do I know she wasn't impressed?

I've been delinked! Tossed off the blogroll! How rude! *

Oh no!

Way to build that "big tent!" Christ, the truth must hurt somethin' mighty.

Now, for your daily moment of irony, she says:

I took a vow not to engage in flame wars with other bloggers. What they think about the world or me specifically doesn’t interest me that much, and the back and forth bickering would be unproductive for me, although entertaining for everybody else.

Why, it disinterested her so much, she wrote another 458 words about the topic of her disinterest. If only I were so disinterested in topics, you might get more than a couple of four line posts every day.

But, now that we're all here, let's see what else she had to say:

I was angry when I wrote that Koran post, but I stand behind every word.

And you're still full of it, as you're still claiming that each and every Muslim is out to kill and conquer.

Although I used “Muslims” as a general term, my focus was and is on Islamofascists, Muslims who believe they’re commanded by their god to conquer and kill unbelievers: Christians, Jews, and whoever else doesn’t believe in Allah.

Errr... so, you're not standing behind every word then? See, in the first you said "Muslims" and now you're qualifying it, but saying you meant everything you said. It takes a special kind of "logic" to make that make sense (but if you believe in magic men in the sky, you might be able to convince yourself of any ol' thing).

This is rather like saying "all Asians have small willies" or "all people of color attend family reunions and like watermelon," but then qualifying it with "hey, c'mon, it was obvious that I only meant those Asians that actually do have small willies and those people of color who actually do dig on some juicy w-melon."

It's called "covering your ass 'cause you f-d up."

If saying so marks me as a religious bigot, then I’ll add the label to my collection, along with “sell out,” “race traitor,” and “House Negro.” And it won’t keep me up at night.

Depends on what you were saying; as it stands, no one really has a clue since you contradicted yourself in the space of two sentences.

What makes me sick enough to vomit are not just their over-the-top tirades; it’s the way Islamofascists get a pass! Our way of life is under attack and terrorist cells exist right here on our own soil! Yet I, mere blogger, am the dangerous one.

You flatter yourself, LaShawn, really you do.

I never gave Islamofascists a pass; I'm all in favor of blowing their heads off. Twice for good measure (but not on Sunday, because the Bible says to rest).

You got taken to task for making a broad generalization and now you're unhappy about it. Don't take this to mean that you're more important than you actually are - you're not some martyr on a cross, for God's sake.

Something similar happened when I blogged about Chris Rock’s buffoonish comedy routine at the Oscars. Black libs were all over me. Rock played to the worst stereotypes. Yet I, mere blogger, was the shameful one.

Whereas you played to no stereotypes painting all Muslims as closet killers? Errr... hmmm... ummm.

I suppose that being harshly and unfairly criticized by the left and the right is some sort of perverse compliment.

No, generally it means you're probably wrong in one or more ways.

I know that rabid Christians like to flip the PersecutionSwitch at the least provocation in order to be more like Jesus, but, really, get over yourself.

They obviously find me dangerous enough or misinformed enough or ignorant enough or evil enough or interesting enough to spend time blogging about my blog. I’m being intentionally vague because, as I said, I refuse to flame. Go to Technorati and look up my URL to find posts if you’re compelled.

I'll stick with misinformed and ignorant. Irrational perhaps as well, given the magical pixie belief.

This is how I work: If a blogger I like writes something I don’t, you won’t find any disparaging remarks about him/her or the post on this site. If it’s something I think is seriously inappropriate, I’d e-mail them. I wouldn’t dream of publicly going off. I don’t even do that to bloggers I don’t like. But that’s my style.

Speaking only as a victim of cruel, cruel delinking, I can honestly say I said nothing about LaShawn Barber. I said plenty about what she said (I believe I called it, in a rare fit of eloquence, "stupid shit") and about her overlooking the violent history of Christianity.

After years of arguing the topic, I'm well aware that many extremely religious Christians are unable to separate an attack on Christianity from an attack on themselves. It goes back to the "Dying to Be A Martyr Syndrome" discussed above. Again, get over yourself.

Tell you what, you go ahead and pick on atheism, materialism, classical liberalism, and my opinion that "The Joshua Tree" is one of the ten best albums of all time, and I promise not to shed a tear. Not a one!

There’s a lesson in everything, and nothing is wasted. No matter what others write about me, they won’t deter me from standing up for what I believe is right. This I know for certain: one day we’ll all know what’s right.

Nope, if we're all wormfood, we won't know much of anything. Once again, we see a typical response from the devout - the veiled threat of "you'll get yours at the end of days!"

So many people are going to be screwed when they die, wake up, and - holy cow - there's Thor. Myself included!

Until then, we blog.

Indeed.

Here's to more disinterest!

Now, if you'll pardon me, I have a Bible to go kick.

Update: I left this comment over at LaShawn's site, as I doubt she gets to these parts until someone points her here, 'cause an evil atheist is saying Jesus isn't number one:

Hi LaShawn

First, allow me to thank you for the silent delinking. I notice that Bill from INDC, who really went after your faith (via the Bible) in his own comments is still on there. I imagine he sends more traffic your way though, so all is forgiven. I'm nothing if not magnanimous!

Second, it'd be swell if you'd not conflate the issue of saying all Muslims want to kill and conquer with the issue of whether or not "abusing" the Koran was wrong.

You made a broad and sweeping generalization about all Muslims which basically undercut the reasoning behind everything we're trying to do in Iraq. I mean, honestly, why should we try to bring democracy and acceptance on the world stage to all those murderous Muslims?

Your attempt at covering yourself by saying you meant "Islamofascists" is half-hearted at best. Rather than say "I should have said Islamofascists," you instead make it our fault for not knowing you didn't really mean all Muslims (even though, uh, that's what you said, quite plainly).

As for kicking the Koran, knock yourself out. It's just a book, no more important to me than the Oxford English Dictionary, the Holy Bible, or On the Origin of Species. However, given the situation in which we find ourselves, perhaps a little diplomacy and lack of outright disrespect for the religion is called for, no? I don't care if it offends a terrorist; I do care if it offends a moderate and turns them into one. In short - just because we can, doesn't mean we should.

Besides, we'll have plenty of time for Koran-kicking once we invade all their countries and turn them into Christians. (a reading from the Book of Ann)

I'm not sure what's more sad: that LaShawn completely misses the point about why people were pissed at her, or that I just spent that many precious electrons trying to educate her.

* Oddly, Bill from INDC Journal, who took LaShawn to task here and who pointed out some of the uglier passages from the Bible in the comments, is still listed. Hmmm. I'd say that sounds like hit whoring, but I'd hate to generalize. 'Cause that just ain't right.