Remember how a few weeks back, the Religious Right was suddenly up in arms because President Obama had supposedly stopped using the phrase “freedom of religion” and started using “freedom of worship” instead?
To people like Chuck Colson it was proof of some Obama-orchestrated plot to radically narrow the rights of Christians in order to ultimately destroy Christianity in America.
Of course, it was also complete nonsense.
But today, Colson is back with a new commentary claiming that the Obama administration has suddenly backtracked and begun using the term “religious freedom”:
[It] seems the Administration was deliberately soft-peddling freedom of religion. Why? My first thought maybe was to marginalize Christianity in public life here in America? That’s not a whacky premise, given the increasing restrictions we see on religion here at home.
But more likely, I’ve realized, it’s an effort to appease Islamic countries, where the American belief in freedom of religion is not appreciated.
So I was surprised, to say the least, when the President spoke recently to a Muslim audience about the Ground Zero mosque. He said the following: “I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country.”
And later he said, “This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable.”
Well, folks, I gotta confess. I’m now really confused. After speaking about nothing but “freedom of worship” for nearly a year, suddenly, before a Muslim audience, the President speaks about religious freedom. Why the change? … Folks, I really don’t get it. I don’t want to impugn anybody’s motives. But why the deliberate confusion? Do you have any ideas? Is it perhaps freedom of religion for some, and freedom of religion for others? Why?
Let me try and clear up Colson’s confusion for him: the President has been talking about religious freedom all along!
I hate to break it to you, but the Administration does not owe you an explanation about why your right-wing conspiracy theory has come completely unraveled in the face of basic facts, nor it is obligated to clear up the confusion caused by your own cluelessness.
