Europeans must hate black people, just like President Bush.

Let me get this straight. Kanye West is accusing progressive, enlightened Eurosecularists of racism against black people because he didn’t win the Best Video Award at MTV’s Europe Music branch? Well, imagine that. Fairly or unfairly, this incident reminds me of allegations of Hollywood homophobia after “Crash” broadsided “Brokeback Mountain” to capture the Best Picture Award at the Oscars.:

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/what-did-i-tell-you/

Is Kanye West unaware of a burgeoning human rights movement led, ironically, by American evangelical leaders such as Chuck Colson, James Dobson, and Senator Sam Brownback and supported by Jews such as Senator Joseph Lieberman and blacks such as Kweisi Mfume and Reverend Marvin Williams? This unlikely alliance for religious freedom has expanded to highlight human rights abuses against Tibetan Buddhists and Uyghur Muslims in China, Baha’is in Iran, sex slaves in Cambodia, persecuted Christians in Saudi Arabia and North Korea, and—get this—black animists in Darfur, Sudan. Their historical inspiration is William Wilberforce, a British evangelical who led the abolition of the United Kingdom’s slave trade in the early 1800s and thus granted the moral backbone for the British navy’s leadership and enforcement of Pax Brittanica. Professor Allen D. Hertzke of the University of Oklahoma has documented this ecumenical activity in a book I thoroughly enjoy to this day: “Freeing God’s Children: The Unlikely Alliance for Global Human Rights.” This overseas activism for the advancement of religious freedom—and other basic human rights in the process—has even caught the eye of Walter Russell Mead of the Council on Foreign Relations:

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20060901faessay85504/walter-russell-mead/god-s-country.html

Evangelical connections to the southern arc of Christendom, especially Africa, are based upon a literal interpretation of Matthew 28:19, the “Go and make disciples of all nations” commandment from Jesus Christ Himself. Even elements of Roman Catholic involvement are present in this social justice movement to restore free will for the human person, as was demonstrated during the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998, on the watch of then-President Bill Clinton, thanks to past Roman Catholic connections with Democrats and involvement in human rights work in Latin America, Vietnam, and—you guessed it—Sudan. Since social justice tends to be a progressive cause, if Kanye West really is unaware of this new human rights movement, then he has no idea what he’s missing out on… especially since Europe is regarded as the cradle of Christian civilization. This ecumenical movement for human rights makes me proud to share the same basic theological and spiritual worldview as the “neoconservative Christian right…” notwithstanding certain allegations of homosexual sex directed against former presidents of the National Association of Evangelicals such as Ted Haggard. In fact, as Professor Hertzke argues, “It is through commitments ‘outside of ourselves’ that we discover our better angels.” These better angels will be invaluable in preserving consistent moral clarity in domestic and foreign policy, regardless of previous preceptions about disproportionate influence from famous “neoconservative” outlets like the Project for the New American Century.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist visited Darfur to perform surgery for patients under the auspices of Samaritan’s Purse. Border security champion Representative Tom Tancredo challenged chief Sudan policy diplomatic spokesman Walter Kansteiner in 2002 for his view that imposing capital market sanctions on the Sudanese regime would be counterproductive to the Global War on Terror—which I nowadays refer to as World War 3. Right now, George Walker Bush, an evangelical United Methodist, is the President of the United States. The case for elevating human rights, especially freedom of religion, and thus promoting and enhancing the moral credibility of American leadership could not be any stronger. Given this context, American evangelical leadership will be critical in blunting charges of hypocrisy and racism such as those leveled against President Bush by Kanye West.

OK, for the record Kanye West did NOT claim European racism. He merely went on a sore loser rant. That’s why I carefully said “perhaps” he applied the same judgement against Europe that he used against President Bush.

I think this new rant merely serves to undermine the credibility of his prior rant. This guy is irrational and likely to say just about anything under pressure.

Very well, I thus stand corrected. However, I do admit to being a little curious regarding your opinion about everything else I said… namely, the part about the leadership of the Christian right in advancing humanitarian causes in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, and all the rest.

CAcorn4,

I’m intrigued by the evangelical involvement, and I’ll look for more information. My first impression is that this could be simply a modern application of old fashioned missionary work. And my concern might be that in their zeal to convert “pagans” to Christianity, they may impose aspects of religious dogma that may not be in the best interests of some groups. Specifically, I believe the Bush administration has put restrictions on aid agencies working in Africa that they cannot distribute condoms. Since condoms are so vital to fighting the AIDS epidemic, I’m concerned that some of religious involvement in Africa might not be as effective as it would be otherwise.

If people deserve aid it shouldn’t come with coercive strings attached, or an ulterior motive of proselytism. Jesus didn’t apply a litmus test before he healed the sick or helped the poor.