Israel,Gays And The RNC Have Had Enough: Bryan Fischer Gets Fired, But Not Silenced.

The Rachel Maddow Show (see below) had quite a field day with the news that AFA spokesperson Bryan Fischer has been released from his position as Director of Issues Analysis (whatever that means) from the American Family Association.

It came down to this: the RNC's upcoming junket to Israel is being bankrolled by the American Family Association, a listed hate group according to the Southern Poverty Law Center primarily because of its distorted views on gays. Debra Nussbaum Cohen of HAARETZ broke the story.

Then all hell broke loose - in Israel.

Evangelical political operative planned 9-day freebie trip for national committee members, on behalf of the conservative Christian AFA group which blasts Muslims, gays. SPLC rights group staffer: Our issue is not with the trip, but with the 'heinous beliefs' of those sponsoring it.

The problem, as the AFA knew it however, was Bryan Fischer and his statements about America being such a Christian nation that no other religion had any rights at all:

Crooks & Liars:

On his radio show last Monday, right-wing embarrassment to humanity Bryan Fischer offered complete, definitive proof that America is a Christian nation: Delicious bacon, which he claims would not be sold in America if it was not a Christian nation.

But the reason given for Mr. Fischer's demise in that position? 

Maddow quoted AFA President Tim Wildmon as dismissing Fischer as “just a talk show host” who is no longer associated with the AFA. When asked specifically what bothered him about Fischer, he cited “the soundbite quotes, you know, the Hitler and the homosexuality one… we reject that.”

Rejoicing On The Left AND The Right

John Amato (C&L) had it right: Bryan Fischer has long been an embarrassment to humanity and also to the Right, the more centered, legitimate Right. Although politicos like Rick Santorum have appeared on his show before, his presence at the 2012 Values Voter Summit was highly criticized. So much so that he was never asked to speak again. He has excoriated Native Americans, Muslims (of course), and African Americans. He has been the strident voice of pseudo-historian David Barton whose Seven Mountains theology is as political as it gets and comes dangerously close to theocracy: America must not simply be a Christian nation but a Christian ONLY nation. Fischer has appeared in the writings of this author numerous times, notably HERE, HERE, and HERE. He has been dissed by The New Yorker and has told gays to fund "their own disease (AIDS)" for research.

Yes, he has talked against gays, it seems, from his first moment of life - even more than abortion, that other darling of demonizing Christofascists. If the reason for the SPLC hate designation is the AFA's rhetoric against gays, Bryan Fischer has spouted 99% of that rhetoric. 

Fischer is a hate group in himself. 

His rhetoric, in fact, has been so toxic that the Left might breath a sigh of relief than shout "hallelujah". Being pummeled by Fischer ad infinitum makes one numb. Oh, the pundits will say "finally!" and "thank God!" but many will miss following his name with the odd title of Director of Issues Analysis. 

"Just A Talk Show Host"

For years, the AFA has been fending off criticisms of Fischer, treating them as trifling whimpers from a disgruntled Left. For years, Fischer has been depicting gays as "terrorists "nazis" "fascists" and pawns of Satan. So why has the AFA suddenly "rejected" his years of hate speech? It is obvious that Tim Wildman (president and founder) can countenance anti-gay speech but not anti-Semitism, especially when that anti-Semitism is broadcast before a very expensive gift to the GOP. 

It is also obvious that the AFA just can't bring itself to tell the truth: it "fired" Bryan Fischer, but it didn't silence him. It still needs him and he realizes that. Fischer has been their mouthpiece of hate. He just can't be their OFFICIAL mouthpiece of hate. 

So Bryan Fischer will still be with us on the airwaves spewing venom for all the people he deems not Christian enough for him to praise (or just leave alone). He will still be offending a majority of America. He will still be the odd specter of Fred Phelps. 

Now if Fischer ever loses his show on the AFA's channel ...

Coming Out Of The Hate Closet For The New Year: Answering A "Patriot"

Hate Begets Hate

With this writing, I am coming out of the hate closet. I've tried my whole life to "love" everyone - even my enemies, but I've sinned in this regard and I can no longer be hypocritical about it.

I hate the Christian Right.

A big "DUH!" just exploded from the internet ether. Yes, I'm stating the obvious, but this is one of the few times I've ever admitted to pure, unadulterated hatred. I have to admit the admission feels good, since hatred is part of the "human condition" and comes easily to everyone - certainly easier than love. In admitting it, I feel more human.

What brought about this admission? Pressure has built up over the years to admit my guilt, but today, I received a comment for an article, Why I Hate Duck Dynasty. (As If It Matters). I will not name the person commenting. All I can say to describe him is that he is a member of the Patriot Movement according to his avatar. 

     "You claim to be a reverend and yet seem to have no religion in you. You are filled with hate for anyone who might not like homosexuality and homosexuals. You are angry and bitter and write mostly negative pieces about one subject only. You say you are angry because you have to write about it when you don't. You simply are ego driven to project yourself out there on others because you want everyone to listen to you, you, you... You are angry because you judge icon Phil Robertson to be shallow, but maybe you should look in the mirror?

     "And you say America is easy to deceive and this is precisely why liberalism and homosexuality have been allowed to dominate our culture in recent years which many are now coming to regret. Many growing millions out there are now more resentful than ever reverend. And since it is politically incorrect to have such views, those tens of millions will just keep it to themselves. Homosexuals come out of the closet and push anti-homosexuals into the closet. Way to go there reverend.

     "Yes America is easy to deceive which is precisely why you and others have taken advantage of it to ram your platform down everyone's throats whether they want it or not. You don't seem to care.

      " Why I Hate Duck Dynasty. (As If It Matters)" And it don't matter, but project your hate anyways reverend.

It was the last sentiment that prompted me to come out of the hate closet: hate always matters and the comment's vituperative rant made me realize that I have hated some people just as much as they hate me. But WHY I hate, ah, that is something of which the commenter doesn't have a clue.

"... you seem to have no religion in you."

God, I hate that.

Response: there is none of YOUR religion in me.Which may be a good thing. I have FAITH in more than a codified religion: I have faith in God, in scholarship and humanity (in that order). Note: I did not write "God, the Bible, and America," which is what you would have preferred.

"You ... write mostly negative pieces about one subject only."

I hate that too.

Response: you (like the rest of the Christian Right), assume that because someone writes negatively about something on a consistent basis, they are obsessed (or possessed). I've written about a myriad number of things regarding religion and politics, but I think of myself as merely focused (another good thing).

"You simply are ego driven to project yourself..."

Response: Writing is almost always an egotistical act. You write when you comment (and you comment extensively here at OpEdNews - over 1000!). Interestingly, I've noticed from your profile that you have not contributed articles, only comments. Perhaps you are an avowed apologeticist. Perhaps the only way you can get your point across is by posing a negative against a negative. Perhaps you are an ardent cynic. That is a contribution, to be sure, yet you've never written any unique article on this progressive (read: liberal, to you) site. Lamenting the sad state of American culture seems to be your raison d'etre, commenting constantly and very, very often, as if you have nothing better to do with your life.

" ...politically incorrect to have such views ..."

Response: "Political correctness" was formed so that people could speak politely to and about one another. True, it has been formed by some rather stringent codes, but the Christian Right has never bowed to political correctness: it speaks its mind no matter how insulting, degrading, or demonizing it may be. It speaks against what it wants and who it wants and is never slapped on the wrist: the myth of pulpit hate speech being criminalized is just that - a myth. 

" ...the "growing millions"

Response: The "growing millions" of which you speak may be the wounded tiger about which I often write: dangerous in its stance against personal freedoms (freedom that seem to go contrary to "religious freedom" but do not). It is also dangerous in its stance against diversity of any kind: those "millions" who are "coming to regret" are merely the ones who despair of the change to diversity and want everything to be as it (never really) was: a Father-Knows-Best-flag-waving-Christian-only nation. You claim to be a patriot, but is that true patriotism? I wonder. The first patriots were for freedom ... and change. They took a big first step into the future and did not dwell on the past. They embraced new and diverse thinking because they loathed the chains of a theocracy as well as a monarchy.

"... ram your platform sown everyone's throats"

Response: It's not so much ramming down throats as repeating dictums of love and tolerance (some Biblical) because many people like yourself are so narrow-minded as to be thick-headed. Seems to be an oxymoron but it is not. But herein is where a common in-your-face myth stands: those asking for tolerance are not hypocritical, lacking tolerance, because we ask for tolerance only from the people we think are reasonable. Have we ever asked for tolerance specifically from you? I doubt it. We're not into butting our heads against stone walls. After viewing your other comments, for example, I would never ask for tolerance from you - or your compatriots.

Thanks and No Thanks

I do have to thank you, of course, for forcing me out of my hate closet. Others have tried, but missed the mark. Your comment made me realize that I am human and cannot therefore, like God, love every human in existence. I strive to love, but slip into intolerance and hatred occasionally.

I do not hate Christianity. I believe myself to be Christian in that I try to follow the teachings of Christ. True, I do not believe some other things the Christian Right believes to be true: I do not believe, for example, in Creationism, the inerrancy of the Bible, Augustine of Hippo's construct of Original Sin, or the theology of being "born again." I am certainly not YOUR kind of Christian, but I am Christian in my own way and (hopefully) in the eyes of the Creator. 

As to the Christian Right: I hate them, of course, for their abhorrent righteous arrogance. Theirs is not the "one, true faith" simply because there is no one, true faith. Any faith that enlightens, inspires man to better himself and his neighbor is a "true faith." And hypocrisy? The Christian Right has always been rife with it - lousy with a hypocrisy that has corrupted everything it has touched. 

It may well have corrupted you. 

God bless you.