Mike Pence, Tim Tebow, Tony Dungy have all been 'Christian Shamed.' This ugly form of bigotry must s

[txradioguy]

Is believing in God a sign of mental illness? Is praying a silly exercise in make-believe – just a big waste of time and a delusional activity?

I certainly don’t think so, nor do most Americans. But on Tuesday, panelists on “The View” on ABC TV mocked Vice President Mike Pence for his Christian faith, calling it “scary” and even saying that his religious beliefs are a kind of “mental illness.”

Such comments are an insult to everyone who holds sincere religious beliefs.

The vice president – a deeply religious man – responded Wednesday to the attack, saying at an event sponsored by Axios: “It’s just simply wrong for ABC to have a television program that expresses that kind of religious intolerance.” Pence added that criticism of anyone who is religiously observant shows how “out of touch some in the mainstream media are.”

Pence is right. No matter what you think of his politics, his views on public policy issues, or his performance in elective office, he should not be criticized for his Christian beliefs.

The pile-on started when “The View” played a segment of “Celebrity Big Brother,” in which former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault Newman said that Americans should be worried about Pence because he thinks Jesus speaks to him.

In response to the video segment, panelist Sunny Hostin questioned the sincerity of Pence’s religious beliefs, while panelist Joy Behar suggested that Pence might have a mental illness.

“It’s one thing to talk to Jesus,” Behar said. “It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you.”

Media outlets and social media critics immediately piled on Pence, with many of them putting the worst possible spin on Pence’s faith and prayer life.

What the media and critics haven’t done, and won’t do, is to point out that their attacks on Pence are part of a larger and very disturbing trend in American life – an ugly form of prejudice called Christian shaming. 

We experienced Christian shaming recently when NBC sports commentator Tony Dungy came under fire for commending Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles of the victorious Philadelphia Eagles on his faith before the game and for calling Foles’ faith a significant factor in his confidence and performance against the New England Patriots.

Dungy’s remarks were met with a wave of social media outrage.

The first response was a critic who tweeted, “unbelievable you would use your employer, @NBCSports, to spout this nonsense on the air.”

Another early critic tweeted, “Does NBC want you preaching on air?”

We also experienced this sort of Christian shaming when social media flash mobs mocked evangelicals who had called on our nation to pray in the aftermath of terrible shootings (like the one in Parkland, Florida on Wednesday), natural disasters and other harrowing events that have unfolded in recent years.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/02/16/mike-pence-tim-tebow-tony-dungy-have-all-been-christian-shamed-this-ugly-form-bigotry-must-stop.html

[EasyAce]

Is believing in God a sign of mental illness?

No.

[guitar4jesus]

It must not stop and it will not stop....

John 15:18-27

If it stops, you will need to check yourself.