Bear with the link chain here. From this at Oliver Willis' blog, I went here to a commentary upon this post at TPM Cafe by Brian McLaren.
McLaren's piece is pretty innocuous, but the issue isn't McLaren or his piece. Rather, it is the reaction it elicited from readers. The writer at Revolution in Jesus Land" is all hurt that some folks might not be as respectful of Christianity and Christian clergy as they might deserve.
In the past, I have been troubled by some of the hostility that many on the left express when discussing not just Christianity, but religion in general. I am still somewhat taken aback by the occasional comment that floats to the surface, but I do not summarily dismiss the comments, nor do I whine about how horribly I am treated. Rather, I gird my loins (metaphorically speaking) and respond.
The whining going on is pretty pathetic, if you ask me. McLaren is a big boy, and can take care of himself. If he can't deal with a bunch of criticisms and complaints about Christianity, then perhaps he shouldn't be a pastor. In America, it is perfectly all right for a Christian to speak out. It is also perfectly all right for non-Christians (and even some Christians) to tell the person speaking they are full of crap and their beliefs are a tissue of lies and vague illusions. If the one being so addressed gets his or her feelings hurt, I guess I have reached the point now where I can only respond thusly - grow up.
