Following the shooting in Arizona, CNN contributor and RedState.com editor Erick Erickson has repeatedly lashed out on his blog against nonbelievers. Among other things, Erickson suggested that atheists shouldn't be “accomondate[d]” by the government and linked violent behavior to a lack of Christian faith.
Does CNN Condone Erickson's Tirades Against Nonbelievers?
Written by Jocelyn Fong & Ned Resnikoff
Published
In Wake Of AZ Shooting, Erickson Repeatedly Attacks Atheists
Erickson: Liberals Use “Moment of Silence” Rather Than Prayer To “Accommodate Atheists.” From Erickson's January 10 RedState post:
There have been a lot of false statements over the last twenty-four hours about Mr. Obama calling for a “Moment of Silence” instead of a “Moment of Prayer.”
While he did call for a moment of silence instead of prayer, he followed up by saying, “It will be a time for us to come together as a nation in prayer or reflection, keeping the victims and their families closely at heart.”
On September 11, 2001, George W. Bush, before leaving the elementary school in Florida, asked for a “moment of silence.”
We should not be bashing this President for asking for one.
But I feel the need to make a political point here about why this President is getting bashed for his “moment of silence” when other Presidents, from Carter to Reagan to Bush to Clinton to Bush, did not.
He recently made people mad by quoting the Declaration of Independence and leaving out the bit about the Creator. During his inaugural address he mentioned atheists and subsequently proclaimed us not a Christian nation.
In yesterday's “moment of silence” he wanted prayer or reflection. Here's the problem -- when conservatives push for school prayer and advocate for a “National Day of Prayer,” they include “or reflection” to get around namby-pamby atheist objectors.
But the left uses it too. The left uses it to accommodate atheists.
President Obama's statement stands out because it is just another verbal telling that he's ideologically of the left. He already has problems with a public perception of him and his faith. That things like this keep coming up suggests the general public is right in their skepticism of the sincerity of his faith. [RedState, 1/10/11]
Erickson Ties Violence And Extreme Rhetoric To “Reject[ion]” of “Christ.” From Erickson's January 11 RedState post:
We also know Barack Obama's advisors are urging him to seize the moment and join the left in blaming the right for this violence. Not only is that disgusting, but should he, the media wringing their hands about the tone better call him out on it -- but I won't hold my breath.
Through it all though, well meaning people on both sides of the ideological and partisan divide are not talking about the one thing that should be talked about -- a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
I am no saint. And I am no preacher. This is not intended to be a sermon. But it needs to be said and is not being said. Thankfully God is the God of the imperfect and all of us are.
In all the discussions we're having, let's not forget that bad things have happened throughout history, but we are seeing more and more a pattern of violence from those who reject Christ and we are seeing the most extreme rhetoric from those who reject the only real truth while embracing every other historic fad and nonsense as variations of truth. The one true way has been shunned, ridiculed, bastardized, co-opted, and buried over in psycho-babble nonsense, “find your own spirtual self” crap, and haphazard soul damning assorted other garbage.
For a taste of what I'm talking about, look at Timothy McVeigh. Raised a Catholic, McVeigh self-admitted that there was a god of some sorts, but that he was agnostic, had no belief in hell, and had drifted far from anything having to do with Jesus Christ. But the left routinely tries to portray McVeigh as some sort of Christian terrorist. They know not of what they speak.
The topic of faith in Christ makes people cringe. But whether you believe it or not, here is the reality: beyond us is a world we cannot see with our eyes. It impacts us on a daily basis. It is a world of very real angels and very real demons. It is a world of a very real God and a very real Satan, a very real Heaven and a very real Hell.
The back and forth and accusations and lies surrounding Jared Loughner should be a constant reminder to us that there is more at play in our world than what we see. And, frankly, at times like this I am more and more mindful of the great chasm in this world between the saved and damned.
Political rhetoric did not make Jared Loughner do what he did. His embrace of evil led him down a road down which we should be in constant prayer no others dare travel. [RedState, 1/11/11]
Erickson: “God Is Upset” With Atheists. From Erickson's Twitter page:
[Twitter.com, 1/11/11]
Erickson Suggests Offensive Email Is Representative Of “The Godless.” From Erickson's January 12 post:
The atheists and twinkie eaters at Media Matters, also known as the Westboro Baptist D.C. Branch, are enraged that I dared mention Jesus and the absence of discussing him in the debate over Arizona.
For a great taste of it, you should check my twitter feed. But having just received this, it gives you a good taste of the Godless:
From: Karl Schneider
Subject: F**k you
Date: January 12, 2011 6:10:05 PM EST
To: Erick-Woods Erickson
Reply-To: krs@valornet.comand f**k your dead god on a stick.
[RedState.com, 1/12/11]
Erickson Ties Extreme Rhetoric To Atheism, But Erickson Himself Has Made Outrageous Statements
Erickson Called Michelle Obama A “Marxist Harpy Wife.” From a March 13, 2008, blog post headlined, “Is Obama Shagging Hookers Behind the Media's Back?”
I assume not. I assume that Obama's marxist harpy wife would go Lorena Bobbit on him should he even think about it, but I ask the question to make one simple point: Barack Obama, like Elliott Spitzer, is a creation of the liberal media and, as a result, could be a serial killing transvestite and the media would turn a blind eye. [ErickErickson.org, 3/13/08]
Erickson Called Souter A “Goat Fucking Child Molester.” On his Twitter account, Erickson responded to David Souter's retirement from the Supreme Court by saying, “The nation loses the only goat fucking child molester ever to serve on the Supreme Court.” [Twitter, 4/30/09]
Erickson: “Not A Stretch To Say” That Obama Is A “Racist.” From an August 13, 2010, post on Red State:
Barack Obama's brownshirts are after Glenn Beck.
We can't let them win. If they win with Beck, they'll be emboldened to go after even more people.
A while back, Glenn Beck called Barack Obama a “racist.” Given all the terrorists, thugs, and racists Barack Obama has chosen as close personal friends (see e.g. Rev. Wright), it's not a stretch to say it. [Red State, 8/13/10]
Erickson: “At What Point Do The People ... March Down To Their State Legislator's House, Pull Him Outside, And Beat Him To A Bloody Pulp?” From a March 31, 2009, RedState post discussing a Washington county's ban on certain kinds of dishwasher detergent:
Washington State has turned its residents into a group of drug runners -- crossing state lines to buy dish washer detergent with phosphate.
At what point do the people tell the politicians to go to hell? At what point do they get off the couch, march down to their state legislator's house, pull him outside, and beat him to a bloody pulp for being an idiot?
At some point soon, it will happen. It'll be over an innocuous issue. But the rage is building. It's not a partisan issue. There is bipartisan angst at out of control government made worse by dumb bans like this and unintended consequences like AIG's bonus problems.
If the GOP plays its cards right, it will have a winning issue in 2010. But it is going to have to get back to “leave me the hell alone” style federalism where the national government recedes and the people themselves will have to fight to take their states back from special interests out of touch with body politic as a whole.
Were I in Washington State, I'd be cleaning my gun right about now waiting to protect my property from the coming riots or the government apparatchiks coming to enforce nonsensical legislation. [Red State, 3/31/09]
Erickson Outrageously Declared The “Profoundly Sick And Immoral” Jennings “A Proponent Of Statutory Rape” And “A Zealous Advocate Of NAMBLA.” In an anti-gay rant posted on RedState, Erickson wrote:
Kevin Jennings is a profoundly sick and immoral human being - a proponent of statutory rape, an opponent of the Boy Scouts of America, and a zealous advocate of NAMBLA.
He is Barack Obama's Safe Schools Czar.
He is a supporter of men who openly and vocally support pedophilia.
Media Matters threw out a few talking points to defend Van Jones. But Media Matters is giving a full throated, aggressive defense of Kevin Jennings. Why? Well, to paraphrase Wonkette, gay is the new black.
Van Jones was just a black guy. With a black President, resources did not need to be brought to bear to defend him. Kevin Jennings, however, is not just a gay man, but a man who believes in the full gay rights agenda, where men and boys can have sexual relationships free of prudish moral people frowning.
Jennings has championed NAMBLA's causes and lauded a pedophilia advocate.
He even wrote the forward to a book called “Queering Elementary Education.” That's right, Jennings wrote the forward to a book that, in its own description advocates the aggressive homosexual agenda among elementary school students. From the book: “queering education happens when we look at schooling upside down and view childhood from the inside out.” No irony is intended apparently in that description.
Americans of moral decency should be stunned to know the President of the United States would put in charge of “safe schools,” a man who encourages predatory relationships between young boys and grown men. [Red State, 10/8/09]
Erickson: Ted Kennedy wanted to be a “martyr for the cause.” From the January 19, 2010, edition of CNN's Campbell Brown:
ERICKSON: You know the irony here though is that Obama's unicorn of hope and change is dying under Ted Kennedy. That if Ted Kennedy had decided to resign or retire when he found out just how bad his health was instead of wanting to be a martyr for the cause, Democrats wouldn't be in this position. [CNN, 1/19/10]
Erickson: “Dorgan and Dodd are healthcare suicide bombers.” In a Twitter post, Erickson said: "[Sens. Byron] Dorgan and [Chris] Dodd are healthcare suicide bombers. Instead of 72 virgins, they'll get ambassadorships." [Twitter, 1/6/10]