Bryan, all I have to say is that if God were actively orchestrating misfortune and/or terrorists to punish those whose pride and perversity make a mockery of Christ … you might be in a lot of trouble.
Originally shared by +Ginny Gibbs:
Bryan Fischer Is a Dolt: Hebdo Blasphemy
Hat tip to +Dave Hill for my spiffy new tag.
Bryan Fischer Suggests The Charlie Hebdo Attack Was God’s Punishment For Magazine’s Blasphemy
On his radio program today, Bryan Fischer speculated that the attack by radical Muslim terrorists on the French magazine Charlie Hebdo that killed twelve people may have been God’s retribution for
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disgusting
Not seeing much victim-blaming apart frrom the usual syspects (People like Fischer and the Catholic League on the right, and the likes of Arthur Chu on the left.
The argument is always framed the same way:
1. "Killing is wrong, wrong, wrong, and the folk who did the killing should be fully punished, but …"
2. "… if only Charlie Hebdo had been less [offensive / blasphemous / racist / obnoxious] then they probably wouldn't be dead."
It's an argument for authoritarians, who are not limited to the Right or the Left but who are always willing to suggest that some opinions should be prevented from being expressed because they are too hurtful / annoying / obscene / blasphemous.
Fischer's argument is, of course, disturbingly close to that of the killers (for all he plays around with it just being blue-skying): I'm sure they felt that God / Allah was driving their actions, too.
It also turns the first caveat above on its head: killing is always wrong, unless it's being done at the behest of God (whose behest we can always apply in cases where we don't like the victims).
And I've never been thrilled about the conceit of God's divine wrath being carried out by bad people who are, themselves, later punished for doing so, whether it's the terrorists here or the tribes that God sent to persecute the sinning Israelites. It strikes me as bad theology.
The same "but" as in "I'm not racist, but…" or "Rape is wrong but she shouldn't have worn that skirt…."
Three things:
1. If this attack by radical Muslim terrorists was God's retribution, then presumably so are all such attacks. What did the residents of the World Trade Center do to bring down a wrath so many hundreds of times more terrible?
2. If this were a punishment for anti-Christian blasphemy, wouldn't God have sent Christians so the cause would be apparent? Why would he disguise it as anti-Muslim blasphemy?
3. Why hasn't God punished any of the people that Fischer has accused of anti-Christian behavior? Surely in Fischer's mind Charlie Hebdo is not the worst offender.
+Scott Randel "God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform."
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Pretty convenient, that.
Scott.
#1
YES.
Pity we will never get an answer for that one.
+Scott Randel Yup.
Being a theist (and esp. having been raised Catholic), I'm not cowed by Mysteries. I just mistrust people who wave them around too quickly when asked for explanations.
To the specific questions, if I were (heaven forefend) Bryan Fischer, I'd say.
"1. This was meant as a wake-up call to America and the world of the encroaching evil of Islam. Also, there were probably gay people in that building.
2. God has in the past used pagans and unbelievers to mete out His just punishment, as seen in the Old Testament. Also, that helps keep Real Christians' hands clean.
3. Their punishment is assured, unless they accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior. If this terrible, terrible action has a silver lining, it is that it may cause people to repent and turn to the Lord."
There. Now I have to wash my hands — they feel dirty typing that.
You're good at this. Too good. I hope you never fall into the wrong hands.
If this is how God punishes blasphemy, why has Bryan Fischer not been struck by lightning?
“So Mr Fischer-Hill, are you saying that the US should not have gone into way in Afghanistan, because Al-Quida were doing gods work? Instead the west should have accepted Gods punishment”