I’m no fan of Ann Coulter, so I don’t really want to be writing about her. But I came across this article from David Kuo’s blog and thought it made some points worth reading. While it is nothing new - nothing we don’t already know - perhaps it is still something many need to hear repeated.

The writing is actually not Kuo’s, but from theologian Darrell Bock. Kuo has posted a couple of times this week on Christians’ response to Coulter’s most recent comments, and Bock has responded to her (and those like her) quite well, imo. He addresses Coulter and her form of political commentary, and how Americans (and certainly those of us who wear the name of Christ) can and should do better.

And this is not, as Bock points out, unique to Coulter, or to those on one side of the political spectrum. There are plenty of others just like her on both sides. The initial focus on her stems from the fact that she is the one currently in the headlines and also seems to be one of the most visible of her ilk. Her outrageous and sometimes offensive statements usually draw a lot of attention (which, I believe, is her primary motive in what she does) as they have yet again this week.

Here is part of Bock’s response:

She needs to be called out for hiding behind an argument that “they do it, too.” This sounds exactly like something a five year old would say. It actually reflects very poorly on the cause she attempts to defend. More than that, she needs to be rebuked for arguing about how godless others are when the moral level of her own discourse relies on making fun of others using not so veiled personal attacks. Listeners clearly see such remarks as what they are – tasteless – while she attempts to say she really was not addressing the person directly. In my business, that is called a lie. It is a godless thing to do. If conservatives are going to try to argue for the high ground, they need to see that her type of argument cuts the ground from underneath them, as it smells of being hypocritical. Yes, it stinks to high heaven.

In the song “A Love That’s Stronger Than Our Fear”, from his newest album, Derek Webb sings about those who would “build the kingdom using the devil’s tools.” Sadly, as the post comments almost immediately bore out, some can’t hear Bock’s words and do indeed seem to suggest that even Christians must fight fire with fire, fight unkind words with more unkind words. Hopefully, though, as Bock suggests at the end of his comments, everyone who chooses to involve themselves in political discussion can grow up and stop acting like children, especially those who claim to follow Jesus.