Benign Religion. . .

Strangely enough, the left has come to see Christianity as anything but a benign religion and as such has provided frontal assault after frontal assault against orthodox Christianity.  It began in a formal way, perhaps as a government agenda, with abortion and the labeling of the pro-life position as extreme.  It has certainly followed through which respect to Christian opposition to any redefinition of marriage to include same sex or other partners other than one man and one woman.  This has certainly manifested itself well in portraying the Christians as preoccupied with sex, prudish, or simply out of touch with the world.  It has gone so far as to label as hate speech any opposition to these sacred freedoms never enshrined in the Constitution and to limit the freedom of religion to a freedom of worship.

In contrast, these same people are radical supporters of dialog, conversation, and building bridges between culture and those once well known as enemies of Christianity and, indeed, the West.  So the folks who would label orthodox Christianity as a danger to freedom, find welcome for Islam and promote a warmer acceptance of Islamic neighbors and their religion all across America.  About 8 years ago it was revealed the Islamic adherents were seeking permission to build a facility near the site of the Twin Towers.  While some complained that this was offensive, the left insisted that opposition to such moderate Muslims was offensive.  About 15 years ago, Muslims began building a facility near the site of the great Battle of Tours when Charles the Hammer Martel defeated Islamic invaders on 25 October 732 AD.  Though the progress has been slow, the basic structure has already been built as a memorial to Muslim martyrs.

History has shown that Christianity is far from an enemy of cultural advancement.  In fact, the flourishing of the arts, musics, and science that we call the Renaissance happened under the tutelage and largely from the patronage of the Church.  The role of women, the toleration of other religions, the work of charity for the poor, and work to end slavery have all been profoundly advanced by and because of the Christian faith.  While there is no shortage of individuals who could be cited as enemies of these causes, they happened in large part because of the sanction of the Church.  They were slow causes, especially in comparison to the quick move made by the GLBTQ community from the fringes into the mainline of American acceptance and culture, but their progress was due in no small measure to Christians and the work of the Church.

On the other hand, Islamic history has not been one of progress but one of increasingly sectarian intolerance.   What we see in the Middle East today is in stark contrast to historical Islamic rulers and empires -- even ones known for violence.  Where is there as a benign form of Islam that eschews the violence and rejection of toleration which has become the hallmark of democratic society?  Yet the left continues to champion understanding and toleration for groups and individuals who offer little in return.  My point here is not to bash Muslims but to ask what is going on among the left leaning groups here and abroad?  What kind of myopia labels orthodox Christianity as hate speech for its rejection of killing babies, sanctioning suicide for those who believe life is too painful to live, defining sex and gender at will, and working to reshape so many millenia of understanding as to what constitutes marriage and family? 

Those on the left insist that the only good Christianity is one that does not really believe in its tenets while supporting Islam even in its most fundamental and threatening forms.  I really do not get it?  I am not trying to put down Islam; instead what I am trying to figure out is how in my lifetime Christianity became the enemy.  If someone can provide me an explanation, I would appreciate it.  In the meantime, Happy Holy Cross Day!