CNN correspondent Tom Foreman's examination of the role of faith in the 2008 presidential race on Thursday night's "Anderson Cooper 360" featured the standard left-wing labeling of Christian conservatives. The segment, an examination of the so-called "separation of church and state," featured extensive soundbites from Pastor Rod Parsley of the World Harvest Church in Ohio, characterized Parsley as "no agent of tolerance," due to his stance against homosexuality and criticism of Islam.
Foreman opened his segment with a line that is eerily reminiscent of the creation account in the biblical Book of Genesis, and reflects the Left's view of the First Amendment.
TOM FOREMAN: In the beginning, there was a wall, a mighty barrier built by the Founding Fathers to separate church and state, block one from meddling in the affairs of the other. In school, we are taught that's what makes our country special. But what if that wall never existed? What if it's a myth conjured up in our lifetime to mask a greater truth, that America was conceived as a Christian nation?
The segment then covered the "Spiritual Heritage Tour" in Washington, DC, where Christian tourists "see proof of God's hand at work in American history," and ran a feature on Pastor Parsley. According to Foreman, Parsley "believes American history has been twisted to advance a secular agenda. He calls that fabled wall an urban legend." Also, "Parsley is one of an increasingly vocal and influential group of Christian conservatives who claim America was built on biblical principles by devout men of faith."
Foreman then cited critics of Parsley who "denounce the pastor's views as dangerous revisionist history, designed to create an intolerant Christian government." None of these actually appear on-air, but to Foreman's credit, he reported Parsley's view that "a secular left is trying to demonize and demoralize an increasingly powerful Christian right."
Whether the "Christian right" is "increasingly powerful" is a reality or a figment of the mainstream media's stereotypes of social conservatives is a matter of argument, but the same stereotypes emerge in the closing of Foreman's piece.
PARSLEY: If you sing "Onward Christian Soldier" in your Sunday school class, all of a sudden, folks want to label you as a jihadist, and say that you're fighting for a theocracy. Nothing could be further from the truth.
FOREMAN: Maybe not, but Parsley is no agent of tolerance. He's railed against homosexuals, denounced Islam as a faith that fully intends to conquer the world. His activist Christianity is hardly one-size-fits-all.
In Washington, after a full day of touring, a new sense of purpose.
DIANE EVANS, TOURIST: I would like to see God be the very foundation of everything we do in public and civic life.
FOREMAN: Another soldier in Rod Parsley's army of the righteous.
(Special thanks to MRC intern Joe Steigerwald for pointing out this segment.)
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Intolerance of intolerance
July 20, 2007 - 17:26 ET by mattmIntolerance of intolerance is intolerance.
Condemning someone as "intolerant" for holding a particular belief is in itself intolerant.
The "narrow" "intolerant" argument is nothing more than a rhetorical trick designed to shut out a large area of opinion from the debate (especially regarding social issues).
Yeah mattm, they don't even see their own judgemental ways
July 20, 2007 - 18:15 ET by exLib"Foreman then cited critics of Parsley who "denounce the pastor's views as dangerous revisionist history, designed to create an intolerant Christian government."
Switch Foreman and parsley's names above and then put in non- in front of Christian and you've got it about right.
The only truly tolerant government created in the entire history of the world was created by those who believed we were "created equal" and the Truths are self-evident.
You've got to hand it to leftists in the media who keep repeating things like "seperation of church and state" in declarative statements. I am sure that more and more people are believing it every day.
What do the Historical documents say?
July 20, 2007 - 18:38 ET by c5thenThe Declaration of Independance says:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that
among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
The Constitution says:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of
the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances."
So historically I'd say that Forman is refuted. There is no wall. That was a construct of an earlier Supreme Court decision which could be overturned or clarified as many others have been.
Why is it that most of those who use the phrase "seperation of church and state" usually intellectually leave out the part about the free exercise thereof?
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic
It's not just Pastor Parsley
July 20, 2007 - 20:36 ET by americaneagleThe historical record shows that the church/state separation is a fiction, culled from ONE private letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote and a decisions by an activist SCOTUS bent on excluding Christianity---not religion---from the public square. There is no belief on the left of this so called separation of church and state, it is a separation of Christianity and the state. All other religions are tolerated, even celebrated, in the public square---but Christianity is persona non grata. The left fears Christianity because it has moral absolutes,and they want to divorce America from it Judeo-Christian roots so as to destroy cultural morality. That is their goal and we need to recognize it---this is just their propoganda vehicle.
The Left Wants the Eradication of God from Government
July 21, 2007 - 10:06 ET by gideonmjamesAmerica is a CHRISTIAN nation founded by CHRISTIAN men who sought freedom for CHRISTIAN worship. Every government in history (since the first century) has sought to silence, suppress, and limit expression of Christian thought and Christian ideals. The United States is the first government set up to allow that to FLOURISH. We cannot allow the Left to seperate America from its Judeo-Christian roots ... to seperate Americans from their faith in, reliance upon, and adherence to God and His Word.
The wall was to protect the church from the state
July 20, 2007 - 21:41 ET by nkviking75A couple of thoughts....
1) Nothing in the First Amendment says "religious institutions shall" or "shall not...". The whole point of the Bill of Rights is to protect individuals and the separate states from federal power.
2) Tolerance does not require approval. Tolerance respects the right of others to hold opposing views. It does not require silence about the flaws, shortcomings, and errors of opposing views.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised if a circus breaks out.
As a soldier
July 21, 2007 - 08:14 ET by Bobby JerseyAs a soldier, if the "Chrisian right" needs more foot soldiers, sign me up!!! I am proud to serve in our Army and our country that was founded on Christian values. There is no dispute about this, we were founded by a large number of Christian's, wanting to find a place to serve their faith as they saw fit. If you are a true Christian, you don't care if someone serve's a faith different than yours or you do not hold it against someone if they are homosexual. They have that right. But THEY are not allowed to try and silence me if I disagree. One last point, which religion NOW is more tolerant, Christianity or Islam.....
Islam hates gays more than Christians
July 21, 2007 - 10:54 ET by Pragmatic-ManI find it astounding that moonbats like Foreman do not realize islam hates gays in an absolute manner. They are summarily beheaded in islamic states. No mention of that in Foreman's story (an inconvenient truth). Just a jab in the eye of a Christian that does not believe gays are saved in the eyes of God. A belief, Mr. Foreman, is a bit different than a death sentence.
For that matter, Foreman, you yourself would be silenced, or forced to parrot the dictator's lies if you were reporting in an islamic state. Maybe you should start cheering for THIS team, and support the Christians. They will be the last line of defense after your sectarian leaders have led you into dhimmitude.
Oh, and by the way, the constitution that you are leaning on... it provides that the state shall force no religion onto the citizens. It does not state that the citizens cannot be wholly involved in religious practice. Indeed, almost all of the founding fathers were Christians. So re-read the parchment you love to rustle in the air (when it suits you). It's kinda important to get it straight.
Try again.