Comments on: Update on the Dateline NBC Special

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 21:33:00 +0000

Amy, thanks for the update. Glad this coverage was balanced. Sorry it's taken me so long to read and comment, but work has been too busy of late. About the whole issue, I think people do react to evangelicals with a hot-button ferocity at times. I also think that we Christian liberals need to speak up more, make our presence felt. Am trying to do that more and more, myself. It's not easy because some people froth at the mouth against Christianity. Still, a witness is needed…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 00:05:00 +0000

I did notice that the special made it a point that the pastor told his congregation not to be “too weird” in front of the cameras.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 20:55:00 +0000

Yes, I was saying exactly the same thing to the TV myself. I was wishing Haggard would be a bit more combative, but I appreciated his strong position that evangelicals have a right to fully participate in the arena of political ideas.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 20:10:00 +0000

Excellent points, all, Charlie. At the monent when Brokaw made the "checklist" comment, I wish the pastor had been very blunt and responded, "Isn't that what you do?" Haggard tried to get the point across, but I think he needed to be blunt and confront Brokaw's silly statement!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 20:03:00 +0000

“I also thought that anytime we vote we are, to a certain extent, telling people what to do with their lives.”
Tyler, that's exactly right. And everyone understands that some things must be made illegal because they cause too great a harm to society and/or violate people's rights (e.g., murder). The people in democratic societies always decide which activities must be made illegal (hopefully, based on true moral principles). There are many, many laws that tell people what they can and can't do with their lives. You're right that people don't see that.
Instead, they see certain possible laws like one making abortion illegal (which–if abortion is killing a human being–makes perfect sense and would be consistent with our other laws) as a completely different kind of law that doesn't belong in a democratic, free society.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 19:51:00 +0000

Glenn, I'm glad you're in a position to help people understand this. Those students may never hear this from anyone else. Thanks!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 19:31:00 +0000

I agree with your amazement, Face, and GL's comments that somehow people see political activism by the left as “normal” and political activism on the right as “chilling.” At least twice Brokaw referred to Christians who vote for candidates whose views conform to a checklist, and my thought was, “Well, duh! Isn't that what everyone does?”
As a pro-life, evangelical Democrat, I will not forget that Gov. Casey of PA was disinvited as a speaker to the Dem Convention in '92 or '96 because he was solidly pro-life, and NOW pulled strings to silence him. But somehow, a lockstep position in favor of abortion is seen as “rational,” where a lockstep position against is seen as anti-women.
Brokaw's final comment was telling. He suggested that if evanglicals gained control of the Congress and the White House, they would have in fact obtained their theocracy. That idea strikes so much fear in the hearts of the left, that I can only assume they believe the rhetoric of the extremists, that Christians are not much different from the Taliban, and if they gain control, women will be wearing veils and homosexuals will be stoned.
It would be interesting to hear some on the left talk honestly about why they think evangelicals are so frightening.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 17:49:00 +0000

I'm very glad the special wasn't as negative as I feared it would be. I wasn't home last night, and couldn't find the show in the TV guide (it listed some other program on NBC at that time), so I'm not sure it even aired in this area. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 15:51:00 +0000

I have to agree with people here. I remember having a conversation with a friend who said they were against a certain issue, but also against illegalizing (actually a word) that issue because they didn't believe they should tell people what to do with their lives. I can respect that but I also thought that anytime we vote we are, to a certain extent, telling people what to do with their lives — unless perhaps we take an absolute libertarian approach to voting.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 13:53:00 +0000

I'm glad this didnt' have the negative spin you were concerned with. It sounds like documentaries I've seen in the past.