February 26, 2015 4:33 AM

Erick Erickson and hypocrisy: Like peanut butter and jelly

Redstate.com editor Erick Erickson went a bit further than Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) on Saturday, casting doubt as to whether President Barack Obama is a Christian. Walker’s comments followed The Washington Post reporting that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) said he didn’t know if Obama is a Christian…. “I don’t know,” Walker said when asked about Obama’s faith.

My first reaction upon seeing Erickson’s tweet was to be angry at someone who excels at being an arrogant, contemptible prick. It’s how Erick Erickson has managed to make a name for himself. A barely competent writer and a lazy, well-below-average “journalist,” Erickson’s made his nut by becoming a Conservative (as in, “facts be damned!”) blogger and attracting funding from those who support his anger- and bile-filled brand of “journalism.”

That Erickson feels he has ANY right to comment on the President’s spirituality is prima facie absurd. The idea that he sees himself as leading a Christ-like life and is therefore able to pass judgment on Barack Obama’s Christian faith is laughable. When last I checked, the separation of Church and State meant that no religious litmus test could be applied to those seeking public office. The President’s faith (or lack thereof) is a matter of personal choice. No one has the right to pass judgment on another for their spiritual choices. Hypocrisy such as that displayed by Erickson, however, is and ought to be fair game.

I suspect Erickson only cares about the President’s faith only insofar as it provides him with yet another petty reason to attack a Chief Executive he despises. He’s dabbled with racism, but accusing the President of being “insufficiently Christian” is a safer mode of attack. Judging whether the President is “Christian enough” is much safer than attacking him for his skin color…which wouldn’t exactly be uncharted territory for Erickson.

It would be easy enough to dissemble Erickson’s facile personal attacks…if I thought he had anything to say. The problem is that he, like so many Conservative bloggers, has convinced himself that smug arrogance is sufficient to fend off any Liberal assault on his unquestioned moral superiority. How arrogant must one be to seriously believe he has any grounds or right to question the President’s religious faith? Evidently the answer to that is “Erick Erickson.”

A public figure’s religious faith- whatever it may or may not be- has no bearing on their worthiness to engage in public service. Erickson may have forgotten- or conveniently chosen to ignore- the America is not a Christian nation; it’s a secular nation with a Christian majority. That may seem like I’m splitting semantic hairs, but it’s crucial to understanding the truth that the Founding Fathers intended that religion and public life be kept separated.

If Erickson wants an example of what happens when religion and politics are intermingled, all he need do is look at the example of Iran and Pakistan.

The hypocrisy that Erickson traffics in is stunning in its depth and breadth. This is a man who feels he possesses the right to criticize this President for the fact that he’s still drawing breath. Even worse, he gave George W. Bush a free pass for damn near destroying the economy and lying his way into a war that saw almost 5000 young Americans sent home in flag-draped boxes. Where was his studied, principled outrage then?

I’d suggest that Erickson should rightly be ashamed of his line of attack and smug arrogance…but his conduct amply demonstrates that he lacks the capacity and ability to feel shame. His self-righteous arrogance blinds him to any thought of simple human decency and kindness. As hard it may be to believe, I suspect he has people in his love who love him. I hope he treats them with more dignity and respect than he does the President.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Technorati

Technorati search

» Blogs that link here

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on February 26, 2015 4:33 AM.

Look up the definition of "scoundrel," and you'll see a picture of Rudy Giuliani was the previous entry in this blog.

WE WANT THE TRUTH!!! is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Contact Me

Powered by Movable Type 6.0.7