Bill O'Reilly, illiberal paranoid conspiracy theorist
Media Matters is reporting that folk-leader Bill O'Reilly has taken to attacking what he calls "a very secret plan" by secular progressives to "diminish Christian philosophy in the U.S.A."
Now, this is misguided on so many levels, but let me mention three.
1) There is no such thing as Christian philosophy. Theology yes, philosophy no. This may be a somewhat controversial assertion on my part, but religion is very much the antithesis of philosophy properly understood (that is, as Socrates understood it). Just as George W. Bush was wrong to call Jesus a political philosopher, so is O'Reilly wrong to speak of Christian philosophy.
2) America is still a deeply Christian nation. Even George Soros's billions won't change that. If anything, there's a not-so-secret plan by conservative fundamentalists to enhance Christian theology in the U.S.A.
3) American secularism is rooted in Lockean political philosophy, in the modern project initiated by Machiavelli and liberalized by Hobbes and Locke. The modern project sought to liberate humanity from the shackles of superstition and the domination of politics by religion. Lockean political philosophy is the philosophy of American constitutionalism, the philosophy that deeply animated the Founders as they sought to forge a new nation in a new world. To be sure, there are theological strains guiding much of American life, but American is a fundamentally liberal nation.
You got it wrong, Bill.
Again.
Now, this is misguided on so many levels, but let me mention three.
1) There is no such thing as Christian philosophy. Theology yes, philosophy no. This may be a somewhat controversial assertion on my part, but religion is very much the antithesis of philosophy properly understood (that is, as Socrates understood it). Just as George W. Bush was wrong to call Jesus a political philosopher, so is O'Reilly wrong to speak of Christian philosophy.
2) America is still a deeply Christian nation. Even George Soros's billions won't change that. If anything, there's a not-so-secret plan by conservative fundamentalists to enhance Christian theology in the U.S.A.
3) American secularism is rooted in Lockean political philosophy, in the modern project initiated by Machiavelli and liberalized by Hobbes and Locke. The modern project sought to liberate humanity from the shackles of superstition and the domination of politics by religion. Lockean political philosophy is the philosophy of American constitutionalism, the philosophy that deeply animated the Founders as they sought to forge a new nation in a new world. To be sure, there are theological strains guiding much of American life, but American is a fundamentally liberal nation.
You got it wrong, Bill.
Again.
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
1:41 AM
2 Comments:
Did you see the Bill O'Reilly "holiday tree" ornament? It was quickly changed to "christmas tree" by Fox, but Media Matters has a screenshot.
I don't know if you could call it hypocracy, because it was probably a corporate decision and not O'Reilly's. But it definitely ironic. We'll call it, hypocronic.
By
Anonymous, at 12:59 PM
Under the Bush administration, fundamentalism and conservative Christians have never had the kind of access or influence over the government than they do now. In fact, some of the most powerful figures in congress and the White House are Conservative Christians! (Ako Rick Santorium, Bill Frist, and until recently, Tom Delay)
The Federal government is spending billions on “abstinence only” sex education. Many abstinence only educators are religious fundamentalist who subtly put their extreme beliefs into the curriculum. According to the Washington Post, some examples of this includes:
# "43-day-old fetus is a 'thinking person.'
# HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can be spread via sweat and tears.
# Condoms fail to prevent HIV transmission as often as 31 percent of the time in heterosexual intercourse."
# Half of gay male teenagers in the U.S. are HIV-positive.
# Touching a person's genitals "can result in pregnancy."
# Another program says that women who get abortions "are more prone to suicide" and that 1 in 10 become sterile.
According to mainstream health professionals, these claims are false.
And school districts who refuse to embrace this questionable program lose funding. (So much for local control).
Bush’s faith based programs is headed by a staunch evangavical and only seems to give money primarily for like minded religious groups.
If there is indeed a “secular” conspiracy, it’s a dismal failure.
By
curiousgemini, at 4:41 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home