Last weekend, online “social news and entertainment company” BuzzFeed published a public service video that, on its face, was intended to show that not all Christians are bigoted, judgmental, “homophobic,” and all the other cl0se-minded negatives that have come to be associated with a religion practiced by 83% of Americans. I say “on its face” because the 2-minute-long thought experiment is not really about Christianity at all, but rather a defense of liberal doctrine served up with a side of conservative stereotypes.
The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway does an effective job of enumerating the flaws in the video from a Christian perspective. But the pitch also fails from a secular perspective.
Before getting down to cases, I offer exhibit A, the video, which as of this writing has been viewed 11 million times, followed by the transcript:
I’m Christian, But I’m Not…
Posted by BuzzFeed Video on Sunday, September 6, 2015
“BuzzFeed presents, I’m Christian but I’m not…”
- I’m Christian but I’m not homophobic;
- I’m Christian and I’m definitely not perfect;
- I’m Christian but I’m not close-minded;
- but I’m not unaccepting;
- but I’m not uneducated;
- but I am not judgmental;
- but I’m not conservative;
- I’m not ignorant;
- but I don’t place myself on a pedestal;
- I’m Christian but I don’t have all the answers.
Text: “What are you?”
- but I am accepting;
- but I am queer;
- I am gay;
- but I am a feminist;
- I’m a feminist;
- definitely am a feminist;
- but I do believe in science, in fact I think science makes God look really cool;
- I’m not afraid to talk about sex;
- I love me some Beyonce;
- but I love wine;
- I do believe in monogamy before sex but I will give you sex advice if you need it;
- but I do go to church on Sundays;
- I was a YoungLife camp counselor;
- I do listen to Christian music, Christian rock, Christian rap, T-Mac, all the cool kids;
- I have friends from all walks of life and different religions, and I love them all.
Text: What do you want people to know about Christianity?
- I guess what I’d like people to know about Christianity today is that we’re all kind of not crazy;
- We shouldn’t be judged on just the people that you see in the media, or just the people that you’ve met in everyday life. every Christian is different, and we deserve a chance to explain ourselves;
- A lot of people think Christianity ruins people, but to me I think it’s people that are ruining Christianity, you never really see the good that happens, you only see the hypocrites, and the people who put themselves on a higher pedestal;
- But at its core it’s really about love and acceptance and being a good neighbor;
- Just because we prescribe [sic] to a faith that has some really terrible people in it doesn’t make all of us terrible;
- I don’t think that Christians should judge people for who they are or what they do, I think everybody is in [sic] different part of life on their own path to wherever they’re trying to go. We’re all people and love is the most important thing.
It doesn’t take much effort to expose the sophistry in these assertions. Take the claims “I’m accepting” and “I’m not judgmental.” Once again, they are not limited to Christianity, but they are cornerstones of the smug, holier-than-thou attitude that typifies the liberal mindset. To which end, here are a few examples of how accepting and non-judgmental those on the left are. The speakers are well-known liberal commentators (via CNS News):
- “So, Michele, slit your wrist! Go ahead! I mean, you know, why not? I mean, if you want to — or, you know, do us all a better thing. Move that knife up about two feet. I mean, start right at the collarbone.” — Montel Williams talking about Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Air America’s Montel Across America, Sept. 2, 2009.
- “He is an enemy of the country, in my opinion, Dick Cheney is, he is an enemy of the country…. You know, Lord, take him to the Promised Land, will you? See, I don’t even wish the guy goes to Hell, I just want to get him the hell out of here.” — Ed Schultz, The Ed Schultz Show, May 11, 2009.
- “I’m waiting for the day when I pick it up, pick up a newspaper or click on the Internet and find out he’s choked to death on his own throat fat or a great big wad of saliva or something, you know, whatever. Go away, Rush, you make me sick!” — Radio host Mike Malloy on the Jan. 4, 2010 Mike Malloy Show.
- “I’m just saying if he [Dick Cheney] did die, other people, more people would live. That’s a fact.” — Bill Maher on his HBO show Real Time, Mar. 2, 2007.
The video’s biggest secular failing is that it professes to champion virtues that most liberals embrace only when it is convenient. If the Christians in this video believe in diversity, why do they refuse to accept diverse views? If they cherish openness, why do they close their minds to other opinions?
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