What most of the so-called "pro-life Christians" are calling President Obama's "in-artful" reference to the crusades when addressing religious extremism is not what really pissed off the Mike Huckabee's nor is it what they're unwilling to admit.
Joy-Ann Reid in less then two minutes straightens it out and lays it bare, beginning @ minute 2:35 of this 'Last Word' video | February 9. 2015 (link):
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Transcript of Joy-Ann Reid:
"The thing is, and this is one of those rare times you [Lawrence O'Donnell] and I disagree but, I think the relationship between the Crusades and the Islamic State (ISIL) is an inverted relationship.
In the case of the Crusades, it was the Church proper mounting a holy war, going into the Middle East and wreaking incredible destruction in the name of the official Church. Whereas in the point of the Islamic State (ISIL), they are antithetical to the religion.
I watched that twenty minute video of what they did to that pilot. That is not the practice of religion. They are more on the order of what the Klan (KKK) has done to Christianity. Not a thousand years ago during the Crusades. Not in 1099, but fifty years ago, twenty years ago.
There are African Americans alive right now who remember crosses, actually the Cross, the Crucifix burned on their lawn by people who were considered "good Christians". The Sheriff, the good Christian folk of the community who were perverting and twisting the Christian religion into violent hatred of African Americans.
The people who blow up abortion clinics and shoot doctors. Not a thousand years ago, in the current contemporary world are doing so in the name of Jesus. They're doing so claiming to be Christians.
And I think the President did, very explicitly say, ISIS is taking a religion and twisting it to sick sadistic ends. He said that explicitly, but he also said humility requires us to admit that extremists can exist in any religion. There are Buddhist monks who engage in violence. There are Christians who engage in violence, and that it is not only Islam that is capable of it.
I really don't understand why that's controversial."
(end of Joy-Ann Reid transcript)
Note: One thing I've noticed is that there wasn't that much objection to the President's use of the Crusades of 1099 era as an example of religious extremism. Some were nearly eager to endorse this point.
Others like Huckabee have jumped on it, both eager and angrily self righteous that it was 1000 years in the past - and so very unfair..
But for the mere mention of more recent pro-life Christian atrocities including a reminder of Jim Crow, the description of "in-artful" wasn't nearly harsh enough criticism of the President.
- Kudos, Joy-Ann Reid
