Bill O’Reilly’s claim that media outlets describing Anders Breivik as a “Christian extremist” are attempting to discredit Christianity has been widely dissected. But a semi-unrelated remark of his in the same segment also caught my attention, and I thought it was worth noting. O’Reilly says:
… The second reason the liberal media is pushing the Christian angle is they don’t like Christians very much. Because we are too judgmental. Many Christians oppose abortion, gay marriage, and legalized narcotics — secular-left causes. The media understand the opposition is often based on religion, so they want to diminish Christianity, and highlighting so-called Christian-based terror is a way to do that.
How much longer will he be able to keep up this ruse? That gay marriage and legalized narcotics are somehow “secular-left causes,” supported only by people who wish to undermine the foundations of traditional American culture? Personally, I’m in favor or undermining certain aspects of traditional American culture, especially its patriarchal and morally reactionary elements, and I happen to believe that instituting gay marriage and legalized narcotics will have a salutary social effect. But I’m probably in the minority, and I know many, many people who argue in favor of gay marriage and legalized narcotics for vastly different reasons. Often, those reasons are rooted conservative principles. While there’s no doubt that people of a secular-left disposition are likelier to support gay marriage and drug legalization than members of other subgroups, both views are becoming increasingly prevalent among conservatives and libertarians — especially younger ones. The guilt-by-association logic O’Reilly employs, thus, is on the verge of becoming obsolete. Soon he’ll need to actually adress the arguments on their merits.