In three RPK postings a few days back, I reported on the comment made by Rep. Todd Akin (R - MO) that liberals hate God and want to replace God with big government (see here, here, and here). After refusing to apologize for the remark, he did make a limp apology. And now he seems to be applying a strategy of not speaking about the incident, surely assuming that it will just go away if he doesn't add fuel to the fire. However, the story does continue to bounce around the Web a bit mostly on either Missouri websites or on liberal ones such as the Huffington Post (see here, for example). Just yesterday, July 8th, Victoria Seigel posted a helpful list (here) of the various news outlets that have commented on the story.In this light, Peter Wehner's posting, "Liberalism, Religion and the Enlightenment," is a notable contribution that goes beyond the right wing outrage sparking left wing outrage tone that has characterized most of the responses to Akin's inflammatory comment. Wehner is a self-styled conservative and agrees that liberalism generally is skeptical of religion and has even taken on an anti-religious tone at times. His analysis, however, is measured, seeks to be balanced, and refrains from the rhetoric of ideological outrage. He concludes the piece by writing,
As a general matter, liberals and conservatives view religion in the public square in very different ways, with many liberals alarmed at the prospect and many conservatives encouraged by it. Both sides have some historical justification for their views. But conservatives, in the here and now, have, I think, the much stronger case. The quickest way to undermine it is to make claims that are too sweeping and therefore false, the product of rage rather than reason. Which brings me full circle to Representative Akin’s comments, which didn’t do him, his cause, or his country any good.This is what we need much more of in our public discourse: responsible, reasoned, and respectful commentary that can see why others think the way they do without necessarily agreeing with them. Would that such comments were the norm rather than the exception.
