The American Spectator

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Adventures With Andrew

6.26.06 @ 12:01AM

(Page 2 of 5)

Sullivan's debate technique is simply to avoid debate altogether by putting forth one unsupported assertion after another as if they were facts. When someone dares to challenge these "facts," Andrew gets ugly and starts the ad hominem attacks with the usual strawmen: racists, homophobes, religious fundamentalists, bigots, etc., that seem to make up the non-Sullivan populace. Once, when I pointed out to him his errors about the Geneva Convention, his reply was "you sicken me." Gee, how intellectual.

Andrew's most despicable venture into moral relativism occurred this week when the mutilated bodies of the two American soldiers were found. Sullivan proclaimed that it was only to be expected that the enemy would ratchet up their level of barbarism to match ours, that we had lost the "moral high ground" that was the purpose of the Geneva Convention, and that we had no right to complain about this atrocity. No, Andrew, the Geneva Convention was not designed to give you "good feelings" of being morally superior. It was designed to reward those who fight for nation-states, and to severely punish thugs and terrorists like al Qaeda members who don't.

Readers might try going over to his blog site to see if he will come down off of his cross long enough to reply to your letters. It happens occasionally, but he's usually answering some fawning fan letter, talking about his Beagle, or relating his feelings.
-- Timothy L. Huettner, M.D.
Tulsa, Oklahoma

"Guilty" -- I love Jesus, my family, President Bush, the U.S. military and America. Sorry Andrew, "I'm not going away nor am I joining the other slaves on your liberal plantation."
-- Michael Tomlinson
Curtis Bay, Maryland

Thank you for this article, Mr. Newman. I'm wondering where Andrew Sullivan gets his moral authority? Is he God? It's very easy to justify one's sin and then try to get others to go along with your view. It's easy for man to continue to devalue God's authority. But I can guarantee just because man tries to make deals or justify his sin -- God doesn't change His mind. Sin is sin -- no matter what man calls it. I'm not bashing homosexuals -- I'm speaking of ALL sin. We try to justify our sins every day, by making deals with God, running from God, putting up fronts, comparing ourselves to others to make us feel better -- the only thing is God knows our hearts. He wants us to come to him with repentant hearts, so we acknowledge our faults, then we can grow closer to the person God wants us to become and continue to have a relationship with him. God doesn't take away the consequences of our own actions, but He does lead us to grow. Abraham sinned & continued to have faith in God. God didn't hate him, God loved Abraham -- but that did not mean that Abraham did not have to suffer the consequences of his actions. God is sovereign and he continued to bless Abraham when he repented and chose to follow God. Just as Christ knew not all would follow him. That does not mean Christ hated those that did not follow -- He knew that man has free will. There may come a time in their life that they will choose to believe. Christ did not change God's Will to conform to man desires -- Christ changed man's heart to conform to God's Will. But man needs to realize ALL choices he makes will have consequences. God's view of sin will never change no matter how hard man tries to justify it. So I guess Mr. Sullivan would consider me a "Christianist." So call me what you want -- my faith is in God and His Authority, not man's justifications. Thank you for your time.
-- Kathy
Arizona

Mr. Andrew Sullivan is obviously hijacking the name "Catholic" while doing everything in his power to prove that he is not. I seem to remember a Bible verse about those whose "glory is their shame." The point he makes about not bearing false witness to "who he is" is quite interesting, and disingenuous. Rephrase that to "who (and what) he CHOOSES TO BE," and he'd be far closer to the truth. As a typical, so-called Catholic (actually a "Catholic" know-nothing who speaks from the fullness of his ignorance), he ought to sit down and read the first chapter of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. Not the whole epistle, mind you, just the first chapter. God did not make us evil, and to do evil. He originally made us good, and we freely chose evil. That has been the teaching of the Church since Day One. God did not make you gay, sir; you chose that sinful behavior for yourself, because you love yourself with a very disordered love, and you do not love God. Remember the first question in the Baltimore Catechism: Why are we here? To know, love and serve God in this life, so as to be happy with Him in the next. Try putting God and His Commandments first, rather than your perverted passions. You'll be better off for it.
-- Bob Schwartz
Buffalo, New York

Perhaps it's best summed up thusly: there are those who seek to be reconciled to God, and there are those who seek to reconcile God to themselves. Those who seek reconciliation to God through Christ, and seek to be remade in the image of God, are Christians. Those who seek to remake God in their image are liberal Christians-in-name-only.

Anyone who discounts Christ's sacrifice and intercession with God, and instead lectures God about how they have taken the liberty to tell Him what He should, and should not, take offense at, or more accurately, what His divine plan and design for humans ought really to be, is treading on very dangerous territory. If one is not to have any god before Him, how scandalous then to presume to be His god. Anyone doing such a thing is either a lunatic fanning the flames of Hell or is a closet atheist who wants to hijack Christianity to tame it and to use its assets for the pursuit of whatever "social justice" happens to be at the time.
-- D. Lewis
McKenzie, Tennessee

R. Andrew Newman does his Red State roots proud. I grow more and more weary of gays thundering about the bigotry of conservatives because we disagree with them on gay marriage.

Does not our Constitution grants us all the right of free speech? What about freedom of thought?

Andrew Sullivan reminds me of another "gay conservative" who became so verklempt with the right over homosexuality he converted to liberalism -- anyone else recall David Brock? Homosexuals are always gay first and insist on viewing the world through that prism. Who cares what they do in their bedrooms?

I am beginning to think "gay conservative" is an oxymoron.
-- Judy Beumler
Kentucky

Re: Sullivan's latest jab at conservative Christians; Now I remember why I no longer subscribe to Time magazine.
-- G. Wardle

AGREEMENT
Re: Jay D. Homnick's California on Four Billion Dollars:

It doesn't matter whether "nuptials" is plural or singular. The verb in Homnick's sentence is "was," and the referent subject is "cause," so it was correct the way he wrote it.
-- Howard Hirsch
Dayton, Nevada

Letter to the Editor

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