| |
|
|
COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVES?
The right turns tight
BY ADAM REILLY
|
|
|
|
|
With Bush in the White House and Republicans in solid control of Congress, it’s the small consolations that make being a liberal bearable. To wit: John Aravosis, author of AmericaBlog (AmericaBlog.blogspot.com), recently noted that right-wing religious Web sites are paying far less attention to the humanitarian crisis in Asia than their left-wing counterparts are. As of Sunday — one week after massive flooding killed more than 100,000 people, and left countless more injured and homeless — Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson had said nothing about tsunami relief on his site (PatRobertson.com). Ditto for religious-right pillars such as Jerry Falwell (JerryFalwell.com); the National Association of Evangelicals (www.nae.net); the Family Research Council (www.frc.org); and Concerned Women for America (www.cwfa.org). In contrast, the progressive ecumenical group Interfaith Alliance (www.interfaithalliance.org) topped its home page with an appeal for tsunami-related donations. So, for that matter, did the liberal United Church of Christ (www.ucc.org) and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (rac.org). The Family Research Council, to its credit, had posted a link for tsunami relief by Tuesday. Robertson hadn’t (though his site does carry a prominent advertisement for his latest book, Courting Disaster). Nor had the National Association of Evangelicals (which does, however, link to Ronald Reagan’s "Evil Empire" speech); Concerned Women for America (whose site offers visitors a chance to "Learn the TRUTH about Alfred Kinsey"); or Jerry Falwell (though you’re invited to join the good reverend — aboard the Queen Mary II! — for a $2995 cruise later this year). Hmm. Kind of makes you wonder about the whole "compassionate conservative" thing.
|
