Let He Who Is Without Ebola Cast the First Stone

Cast-the-first-stoneThere was some hubbub about my column last week, where I complained about Christians, like Dr. Kent Brantly, who abandon America to do much-praised work in Third World countries.

I planned to respond to my critics this week, but, unfortunately, there’s nothing to respond to. They call me names, say I’m cruel, malicious, not a Christian, compare me to Howard Stern and cite the titles of my books as if they are self-refuting. (Zippy, aren’t they?)

In other words, it feels like a book tour.

Missing from these alleged refutations is what we call a “point.” What is with these Christians? I know God didn’t distribute brains evenly, but can’t they make an argument? Christian websites should start separating columns into “Arguments” and “Anger” sections.

I’ve decided to help out my detractors with a few pointers.

First, exposing error is much more hurtful than name-calling.

Take former Bush speechwriter Peter Wehner’s digs:

– “The irony of Coulter accusing anyone of narcissism seems lost on her.”

– “Let’s just say that when one thinks about what St. Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control — Ann Coulter’s name doesn’t leap immediately to mind.”

– “Near the end of her 1987 book, Ms. (Elisabeth) Elliot writes this: ‘If there should appear in the 20th century one who was truly holy … would we say, “Away with him! Crucify him!”?’ … If Elisabeth Elliot didn’t personally know Ann Coulter, she certainly knew her type.”

I’ve always hoped to be part of an “ilk,” but I guess “type” will do.

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention — and I hope, for their sake, the brother-in-law of some important Baptist — wrote:

– “Ann Coulter has not suddenly pivoted to saying some outrageous, shocking thing. She’s made a living at it.”

(Original!)

– “Ann Coulter’s … comments are none of my concern. The church is to hold accountable those who are on the inside, not those on the outside” of the church.

Whoa, Russell! You got so wrapped up in your insults, you forgot that your whole point was to defend Christian missions to those so far “on the outside” of the church, they’re practicing voodoo! I don’t care how big a Baptist your brother-in-law is, Russ; you need a class in logic.

Liberals have been trying to insult me into submission for more than a decade. These guys think they can succeed where Vanity Fair failed?

Second, to get the upper hand on someone you disagree with, it’s crucial to know what that person said. I find that the ancient art of reading is invaluable in this regard.

On a website called Southern Baptist Convention Voices, Alan Cross wrote: “Conservatives like Ann Coulter, Michael Savage and Donald Trump (or whatever he actually is) have sounded off saying that the Christian missionaries who contracted the virus should NOT be brought back to this country to be treated. We must protect ourselves, they say.”

I said nothing of the sort.

My complaint was not with the bringing-back part, but with the going-over part. My rationale: 1) America is in the fight of its life and if this country dies, the world dies; and 2) the cost of Dr. Brantly’s medical care has now exceeded any good he did there.

I also expressly said: “There’s little danger of an Ebola plague breaking loose from the treatment of these two Americans at the Emory University Hospital.”

(In his defense, Cross devoted most of his column to promoting his own book, so maybe refuting me wasn’t really the point.)

Wehner also skipped the reading step. He falsely accused me of “mocking” Dr. Brantly (in addition to his main point that I am cruel, narcissistic, callous and malicious). “It takes an unusually callous and malicious heart,” Wehner says, to mock a “husband and father who, while serving others, is stricken with a virulent disease.”

I don’t think I “mocked” Dr. Brantly. I mocked — I would say “assailed” — the whole concept of American Christians fleeing their own country, which needs them, to run off to Third World hellholes. (“Mocking” would be saying something like, “Let’s just say that when one thinks about what St. Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit … Dr. Brantly’s name doesn’t leap immediately to mind.”)

True, Dr. Brantly’s mission was my example. I like to give examples in my writing. I find it’s more effective than abstract theorizing about how a hypothetical person might go on a Christian mission to Liberia that would end up being completely counterproductive by costing his Christian charity $2 million if he ended up catching the Ebola virus there.

No one has responded to that argument. It was a major strategic error for my critics to ignore one of my central points, while beating a straw man to death. (He’s a “husband and father”!)

Third, I strongly advise against using one-size-fits-all arguments that can be turned back against you.

They say: “How do you know whether God called Dr. Brantly to go to Liberia?”

Ah ha! But then I riposte: “How do you know whether God called me to write that column?”

And there we are, stuck at an impasse.

This is the weakest technique of my critics, and one that is sadly common among certain types of Christians. (We usually call them “atheists.”)

In this case, it’s even worse than the usual “who’s to say?” dodge, inasmuch as I set forth evidence for what I’m saying about there being glory-seeking and cowardice in Christian missions to Third World hellholes.

Among other things, I wrote: “Of course, if Brantly had evangelized in New York City or Los Angeles, The New York Times would get upset and accuse him of anti-Semitism, until he swore — as the pope did — that you don’t have to be a Christian to go to heaven. Evangelize in Liberia, and the Times’ Nicholas Kristof will be totally impressed.”

(Hey, you know what else a Christian desperate for a pat on the head from The New York Times might do? Write a column questioning Ann Coulter’s salvation!)

Thus, I clearly pointed out that one path — missions to Third World hellholes — leads to worldly glory, while another — serving Christ in America — leads to abuse and ridicule.

The counter-argument to that point would be to say that Dr. Brantly has never been hailed as a hero or won humanitarian awards. But that would be false. Or they might tell me that Christians in Hollywood are the toast of the town — maybe Mel Gibson could write a guest column! That also would not be true.

My critics are left retreating into absurdity, essentially asking: “How do you know whether God calls on people to behave in ways that will get them standing ovations?”

I ask these similarly thought-provoking questions:

“How do you know whether God called the Dixie Chicks to insult George W. Bush in front of an America-hating audience, winning thunderous applause?”

“How do you know whether God called Gov. O’Malley to grandstand about the poor illegal immigrants at our border — while secretly demanding that none of them be sent to his state?”

“How do you know whether God called Samaritan’s Purse to fly out the affluent white Americans at a cost of millions of dollars, and give them an incredibly scarce medicine, while leaving the poor Africans to die?”?

Oh I don’t know. Call it a sneaking suspicion.

Ironically, despite the flailing anger of my critics — in fact because of it! — I’ve changed my mind. I see now that not everyone is called to be a Christian witness in an advanced nation.

You guys should definitely go to Africa.

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  • rivkah f.

    While admirable and praiseworthy, Christians who volunteer in disease-ridden Africa definitely can do much good in their own cities. As a Jew, I shall cite the words of the Babylonian Talmud (Tractate Baba Metzia, 71a) when discussing to whom charity & care must be given first: ” [Between] the poor of your city and the poor of other [cities], the poor of your city come first [or, take precedence]“. (In Hebrew, “‘aniyei ircha kodmim.”) I understood Ms. Coulter’s article of last week in accordance with the saying of the rabbis. There is much to be done at home by all of us and the chances of catching ebola are minimal.

  • tpartygramma

    Could it be that the missionaries are following Christ’s words when he said, ”

    Matthew 28:19-20King James Version (KJV)

    19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

    • Ganesha_akbar

      Or could it be that missionaries among the voodoo heathen need to use their God given wisdom to know when to cut their losses?

      “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” [Matthew 10:14-16]

      • tpartygramma

        That was a non-sequiter.

        • Ganesha_akbar

          Pokémon denial? That’s all you’ve got?

          Cited verses stand. Try harder to keep up.

          • tpartygramma

            No, your “cited verses” do not stand except in your mind! Your term “voodoo heathen” gave you away. Your post was sarcastic and off the mark.

  • Buster’s View

    Completely ignoring that many missions and missionaries work both in the US and overseas. You accuse your critics of flailing Ann, but I’d say your response here more fits that description.

    Those of us that contribute to or participate in missions in “hellholes” know that there is risk involved and that it may be costly to deal with something bad that happens. So should all Christians just stay within the confines of the United States or a nice safe Western country? That is a ridiculous argument. We were specifically directed to go into all the world. We also are directed to serve the least of these. Who are you to decide who among “these” should be served? You call it glory seeking, but you are far more likely to be praised if someone knows what you are doing to help others–which is more likely if you are working in nice safe places for the media and politicians to visit. Mostly no one ever knows or cares about the important work overseas missionaries do. Glory doesn’t much come into it. Had these two missionaries not contracted Ebola, you would never have heard of them or cared about what they do.

  • http://libertyandculture.blogspot.com/ Jason P

    Having read Ann’s critics (and her selection of their criticism is representative) I have to wonder if there is something wrong with Christianity: its altruism. I’ve seen too few Christian defenders of her sentiment. When I suggest “charity starts at home” I get called a pagan throw-back to Ancient Rome, a child killer, and worse. Perhaps it’s just a certain strain of Christianity that I call the enemy-loving cheek-turning “other-first” type. Or perhaps it is deeper. What is it?

    • Sheik Yerbouti

      The self-hatred aspect is particularly puzzling. I begin to wonder if the leftist doctrine has caused this by polluting the media. True Christians are taught to repent for their own sins. Is this what they are like when they repent for sins of others or a collective? Could it be they have decided to absorb the burden for all of the sins of whites in the US and anyone who doesn’t jump aboard is the enemy? Where is the Christianity in that?

  • Frommer Bishkva

    I’m afraid you just dug yourself a deeper hole.

  • Ron

    I feel sorry for those who respond by calling names or hurling deprecations. Dr. Brantley & others are responding to Jesus’ command in Matthew to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations ….” and also in Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy spirit has come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.” Those are calls to local missions as well as foreign missions. Dr. Brantly and others are simply answering the call of God!

    • fpm

      Truth is in the Bible, if one actually believe, one will have protection power promised in the Bible. Now please tell in spirit see if this actually reflected in this case? The way Saul did during battles with Philistines and Amalek were more closely reflecting the situation in this case. If God called someone to do something and people obey and follow, the result will always be blessing and glory to and from God. This Ebola case is more closely a waring sign to non-believers and believers alike as the tower in Siloam mentioned by Jesus Christ.

  • Lynne

    Anne, I thought would get pummeled for that commentary, and I would guess you knew it too. I think I understood your point, that the U.S. needs Christians to stay in America and share the gospel at home. God knows we have need of conversion, not some “fundamental change” of our nation. I left America partly because there ARE so many Christians at home, and a church on every corner. If someone really has a hankering to know Christ, it isn’t too hard to find someone who already knows him. Also in my experience, most of my non-Christian friends in the U.S. prefer me to keep Jesus to myself. Here, I get asked all the time about Jesus, and people discuss religion daily. Breath of fresh air. Its worth a little hardship to have someone react positively to Christ. But, that is not how most of my Christian friends feel. They are still living in the U.S., and having an influence in their communities. I applaud them. Some of us enjoy other cultures and want to spread the good news where it is wanted. Sometimes that means getting dirty and risking disease. We take seriously that “all nations” part of Great Commission.

  • Ganesha_akbar

    Found myself in a 2002 time warp this morning reading “Slander” when I breezed through Ann’s chapter defending the (so-called) “Religious Right.” Southern Baptist tools should try reading it, if they ever learn that skill set.

    Aside from her brilliantly sardonic way of disassembling the Left’s silly straw man, what struck me was her (then ironic) contrast to some future media slander campaign against the radical “Tax Nut” movement.

    Her ability to predict the next generation of Leftist absurdities (in this case, the much maligned Taxed Enough Already rallies) is positively Casandra-like.

    • tpartygramma

      Sarcasm, once again. Not clever.

  • Amy

    Just say you’re sorry, Ann. I was raised among missionaries and don’t see them through rose-tinted lenses at all — but, if charity begins at home, you were uncharitable. There are all kinds of missions right here in the US. If someone is called by God to go overseas, then so be it. I say this as one who is extremely cynical about overseas mission work.

    • No Surrender

      Cynical is exactly my word too.

    • fpm

      Compare to many earlier missionaries in nineteenth and earlier twentieth century, when they actually sacrificed their lives for those lost souls, modern missionaries seems to go after fame and self-righteousness.

      • Amy

        You are more cynical than I. I don’t think missionaries are after fame. . . .some may be serving out of a degree of self-righteousness, but it’s presumptuous to assume knowledge of another’s heart — at least without familiarity with the person. Even then, it’s dicey business.

        • fpm

          When Jesus says “therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”. I don’t think He is cynical at all.

          • Amy

            I don’t think Jesus was ever cynical. Either Oswald Chambers or AB Simpson wrote an excellent commentary on refusing to be disillusioned which it is time for me to re-read. I appreciate your application of “wise as serpents and gentle as doves,” and get your point.

  • Durin

    Last I heard, on average ~97% of US church’s budgets were spent on activities in the USA and 3% were spent on missionaries. Do you *really* think that not directing that 3% here is the reason why we have troubles here in the USA?

    • fpm

      If indeed churches spent 97% inside the US, then how do you explain moral breakdown and lawless and Godless in this country?

      • Boogie’s Daddy

        What relation does the money we may donate have to the results we see?
        God never asked for our (Christians) money. It’s our time and hearts that he wants to see invested. Too many churches aren’t calling members to know God’s voice and act on it. They merely encourage the collecting of money to be distributed….Job Done.
        Like the Department of Education budget and excellence in education. Throw ALL of your money at it. It will change nothing.

        • fpm

          Interesting thought, that’s exactly the point since every believer should make sure that churches spent God’s money the right way. The way how churches used the money and the results came out shows how are the leaders’ hearts toward God.The book of Malachi says it all. True believers need to act according to the examples of the seven churches mentioned in the Revelation.

      • Durin

        I don’t know. I can speculate, but can’t give an answer that is any more solid than anyone else’s. What I can say is that failures here are not due to financial over-emphasis on missions. The concern in the article and from other posters that the principle of “charity begins at home” is being neglected is shall we say a bit overwrought.

  • Lanna

    Well basically, these Drs risked their lives to save others. How many people are willing to do that, Hope they can come up with more vaccines to combat Ebola.

  • Urban Cwhore

    Ann,

    I have admired your work for many years and still do. We are about the same age, and I still remember seeing an article about you in (I believe) National Review in the early 90′s and thinking “she is going places”! I had stopped reading that mragazine before you left ;), but I still though well of you and John.

    Keep going sweetheart, you’re doing great!

  • andrew semyte

    Ann Coulter is a stupid Zionist c u n t

    • UCSPanther

      And you are a childish moron.

  • Jakareh

    If you choose to go to Ebolaland for whatever reason, then if you come down with Ebola, you should stay in Ebolaland and get the treatment Ebolalanders get, not expect millions of dollars to be spent on your behalf or that America will risk an outbreak by flying you back here while you’re bleeding from every orifice. People should relearn to live with the consequences of their choices.