Friday, October 12, 2007

Ann Coulter Speaks the Truth...And Offends



While I do not agree with everything Ann Coulter has to say, she has apparently gotten herself into a whole lot of hot water by saying that she wishes that all Jews would convert to Christianity. Of course, the host, Donny Deutsch, said that he was "offended" by her comments, and likened her to the head of Iran who wants to wipe Israel off the map.

Now, let us deal with Mr. Deutsch's objections. First of all, the idea that saying that we wish that all Jews are Christians is akin to the military force of Iran to wipe Israel off the map is utter nonsense. The only sword that the Chruch bears is the sword of the spirit, and we trust in the Holy Spirit of God to convert the Jewish people. We do not bear the sword of nuclear weapons, bombs, and guns. It is not even a true conversion if someone only says something because they are looking down the barrel of a gun. It is only a true conversion if the heart is changed. However, that is exactly what we trust in the spirit of God to do to the Jewish people.

Now, what about Mr. Deutsch being "offended" at such a comment? Well, either he is in sin and rebellion against God or he is not. There is no middle ground. I have talked with Jews who say the exact same thing about me. This is an issue of factual truth and falsity. Is Christianity true, or is Judaism true? Whichever side is wrong is engaging in an horrendus sin against God, the Jews for allegedly rejecting the Messiah, and the Christians for allegedly believing in a false God, and trusting in a false sacrifice. Thus, because of the self-contradictory nature of the truth claims of each religion, both cannot be right. I would liken Mr. Deutsch's statement to a person who gets offended when they are told that their belief that 2+2=5 is false. The *scholarly* way to defend such a position is to demonstrate that the Jewish faith is true, and the Christian faith is false. However, there is no defense of the Jewish position offered in that interview; just statements about how "offended" the host is. Ann Coulter tried to engage him in the topic, but he just simply would not do it.

What this tells us is that this secularist, like so many others who support religious pluralism, does not realize that religion is founded upon an entire world and life view. If we have a society of religious pluralism, it will lead to utter chaos, simply because the ultimate authority for every person will be different. As Greg Bahnsen once said:

If the authority for those principles derives from nothing more than individual human choice and contract, their authority likewise ends whenever individuals choose -- and leaves unexplained the (apparently involuntary) moral duty to keep one's contracts. Many "creators" is the formula for social anarchy, not freedom.

If we are going to deal with the problems that arise because of different worldviews, we have to get down and deal with the tough philosophical questions of which worldview is true. I believe, as Greg Bahnsen did, that the Christian worldview will turn out to be the only defensible worldview.

3 comments:

RedKnight said...

The difference between christians and Jews is that Jews do not feel the need to convince everybody to become a Judaic monotheist. They believe that there are righteous indisuals amongst all of the peoples of the world. Also muslims believe that both Jews and christians are wrong in rejecting Muhammad as the prophet of the God of Abraham. So as I understand it, they feel that both Donny Deutsch, and Ann Coulter, are destined for Jahannam(Hell), if they do not become muslim. My last point is to ask you, what would be done with all of the unbelievers, if and when you puritan calvinists take over America? Will we be exiled, executed, enslaved? If we are not given the freedom to practise our religion, and or live our lives as we see fit, according to our free will, then I feel that those like yourself are no better than Islamists. In fact you may even be worse, as Islamists at least permit infidels to live as subjects under there rule. And christians, including calvinists have violently persecuted heretics under there rule. Which you should very well know, if you've ever studied the history of the Christian church. P.S. I believe in free will because "life is a dance you choose", as Aselin Debison has so well stated.

PuritanCalvinist said...

rednight,

1. We would never force anyone to convert. We conquer the world by the sword of the spirit, not the physical sword. People who are non Christians would be allowed to practice their religion, but we would be seeking to convert them.

2. What do you mean "Live your lives as you see fit?" You yourself deny that. You just told us that you do not like the idea of a Muslim slaying people who do not accept Islam. So, you want us to allow you to live life the way you see fit, when you will not allow a radical Muslim to live life the way he sees fit??????? Surely this borders on incoherence.

3. The question is which worldview [Jew, Christian, or Muslim] is objectively, factually true. That will determine who is going to hell.

4. The question is the objective truth of individual worldviews. Every worldview has persecuted someone at some time or another. Remember the French Revolution and Soviet Communism? Thus, I would rather have a system that can make sense of why it is wrong to execute people for various reasons, than a worldview that cannot make sense out of morality at all.

RedKnight said...

1.Alright, I should have qualified my statement. I believe that, as long as it harms none, one may do as one will. This is the law of liberty in love. 2. Yes both the french and Bolshevik revolutions may have involved attrocities against those thought to be counter-revolutionary, but it was not based upon it. The liberal democratic and or socialistic doctrines behind the respective revolutions recognised indivisual human rights. So it was in spite of the ideology, rather than because of it, that abuses of power accured. Under fascism however the state, and or church, is considered to be more important than the indivisual citizen. As a consequence, dissidents are not only deprived of power, but of life and liberty as well. This was the cause of the people being burned to death under clerics like John Calvin, and gassed to death by dictators like Adolf Hitler.