From calling democratic opponents “faggots,” to branding the entire Arab race as “rag-heads,” to accusing 9/11 widows of enjoying their husband’s death, to advocating the unwarranted and immediate use of nuclear weapons, Ann Coulter relentlessly spews her brand of caustic venom in the name of republicanism and Christianity (contrary to popular belief, they are not one in the same). One would hope that someone espousing such overtly vicious political sabotage would be regulated to the small corners of the Far -Right blogosphere. Yet, with every twisted, reprehensible remark she pollutes the airwaves and newspapers with, Ann Coulter is endorsed not only by mainstream republicans, but by the Religious Right, as well. (baffling)
Why, oh why does most of the Republican Party still continue to deem Ann Coulter as a competent conservative commentator, legitimizing her position as an appropriate and admirable spokesperson for their party? In light of all the heinous vast generalizations she applies to Muslims, African-Americans, women, the poor, and of course (the prey she takes most delight in), democrats, why is she repeatedly asked to speak at Republican National Conventions? Why is she handed wide-reaching platforms on TV, radio, and internet to pronounce her degrading propaganda to the larger masses? And most disturbingly, why is she invited to judge who is and who is not an “authentic” Christian with the Three Musketeers of the Religious Right (Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and James Dobson)?
I’ve never cared for Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson, but I have always respected James Dobson. I was appalled when I heard the conversation that transpired between Dobson and Ann Coulter during a Focus on the Family interview. Dobson chuckled at Coulter’s various attacks on everyone who doesn’t blindly bow to “The Party of God” (as Coulter put it). Their chat closed with an exchange that blew my mind.
Coulter described the concern over brutally (and illegally) torturing our enemies as an absurd and foolish notion (I’m not accusing the USA of torture, but Coulter isn’t opposed to the use of torture, and anyone who disagrees must be a tree-hugging hippie in her mind). Coulter said to show kindness to one’s enemies “is a liberal idea that just will not die.” And James Dobson said nothing to challenge that! Do I even need to go into the love your enemies spiel?
Has Evangelicalism become so intertwined with Republicanism that we cannot clearly identify the central teachings of Christ because it gets in the way of our politics? Have Christians become the “yes men” for the Republican Party, instead of holding it accountable to what it ought to be? (I’m not saying the Republican Party endorses torture, but when a Christian leader refuses to stand for the obvious biblical principle of loving our enemies just because it will contradict a fellow republican’s political ideology, there is a huge problem).
I believe good and bad qualities exist in both political parties. I can’t pretend that republicanism is 100% conducive with biblical Christianity. I won’t deem everyone who adheres to a moderate democratic position as “Godless liberals” (frankly, the extremists within both political parties freak me out). And I most certainly will not pretend that the ruthless, mean-spirited, and manipulative tactics of someone like Ann Coulter are in any way acceptable, admirable or amusing, just because she is speaking in favor of a political party heavily endorsed by evangelicals. Ann Coulter sells racism, sexism, and fascism cloaked in Christianity, and people are buying! Coulter not only voices the most extreme form of republicanism (if it even still is republicanism), but justifies her hateful statements by spinning the principles of Christianity. Her assertions and accusations are unapologetically arrogant in true “shock-jock” form that conveys anything but the principles and demeanor of Christ. How she justifies her sanctimonious promulgations by evoking the name of Christ is a new low, even in politics.
Here is an Ann Coulter 101 Course, for those of you who have been lucky enough to dodge her vitriolic tirades. The following are just the beginning tip of notorious quotes:
“I think the government should be spying on all Arabs, engaging in torture as a televised spectator sport, dropping daisy cutters wantonly throughout the Middle East and sending liberals to Guantanamo.”—Her column; December 21, 2005
“These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis... These self-obsessed women seemed genuinely unaware that 9/11 was an attack on our nation and acted as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them... I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands’ deaths so much.”—Excerpt from Godless: The Church of Liberalism June 2006[1][2]
“I don't know if Bill Clinton is gay. But Al Gore - total fag.”—Media Matters; July 2006
"I'm getting a little fed up with hearing about, ‘oh, civilian casualties,’ I think we ought to nuke North Korea right now just to give the rest of the world a warning.”—Media Matters; July 2006
“Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity (as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along the lines of 'kill everyone who doesn't smell bad and doesn't answer to the name Mohammed).” –From her column; March 4, 20
“There are no good Democrats.”—Interview with Brian Lamb; August 11, 2002
“I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word "faggot", so I — so kind of an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards.”—Speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, Washington, DC, March 2, 2007
“The lower species are here for our use. God said so: Go forth, be fruitful, multiply, and rape the planet — it's yours. That's our job: drilling, mining and stripping. Sweaters are the anti-Biblical view. Big gas-guzzling cars with phones and CD players and wet bars — that's the Biblical view.”—Oil Good; Democrats bad; October 12, 2000
“They're [Democrats] always accusing us of repressing their speech. I say let's do it. Let's repress them. Frankly, I'm not a big fan of the First Amendment.”—University of Florida speech; October 20, 2005
“I'd build a wall. In fact, I'd hire illegal immigrants to build the wall. And throw out the illegals who are here. [...] It's cheap labor.”--Fox News; The O'Reilly Factor; Transcript via Media Matters; April 14, 2006
“We should invade their [Muslims] countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.”—Media Matters, September 12, 2001
“I think our motto should be, post-9-11, 'raghead talks tough, raghead faces consequences.'”—At CPAC Conference; February 10, 2006
“I think [women] should be armed but should not vote...women have no capacity to understand how money is earned. They have a lot of ideas on how to spend it...it's always more money on education, more money on child care, more money on day care.”—Comedy Central; Politically Incorrect; February 26, 2001
“I think there should be a literacy test and a poll tax for people to vote.”—Fox News; Hannity & Colmes; August 17, 1997
“Liberals hate America, they hate flag-wavers, they hate abortion opponents, they hate all religions except Islam, post 9/11. Even Islamic terrorists don't hate America like liberals do. They don't have the energy. If they had that much energy, they'd have indoor plumbing by now.” –Slander (2002) p. 5-6
“Then there are the 22 million Americans on food stamps. And of course there are the 39 million greedy geezers collecting Social Security. The greatest generation rewarded itself with a pretty big meal.”—WorldNetDaily; December 2, 2003.
Brian McLaren is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. He has a way about him, a way of making complicated issues understandable without oversimplifying them. The complexity remains in tact, but you walk away feeling as if you actually understand it. He's passionate without being arrogant. He's thoughtful and unafraid to question the "staples" of Christendom. He recently made some remarks in an interview that I appreciated. I particularly loved his response to the reporter who tried to pin him into the "liberal" or "conservative" box (because don't you know those are our only two options?) The reporter asked if he was "a liberal" and McLaren answered:
I have been sick the last week and curled up on my couch for the most part. It's also been a trying time for my family back in New Jersey, to put it mildly. Living so far away has left me feeling a bit helpless. As a result, blogging hasn't exactly been a top 
For years, Pamela Anderson has always given money or bought meals for homeless people on the street. No matter what city she is in, or who she is with, or how much of a hurry she is in, she always gives to any homeless people she sees along the away. Recently, she was asked why she feels compelled to do this and has NEVER passed any homeless people by. She responded:
