Ann Coulter, Stop Speaking for Jesus

"If Dr. Brantly had practiced at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles and turned one single Hollywood power-broker to Christ, he would have done more good for the entire world than anything he could accomplish in a century spent in Liberia." ~ Ann Coulter

"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'" ~ Jesus Christ, Matthew 7:22-23


I guess when you read as many blogs and articles as I do, the odds will be that something at some point will make you gag.  Enter Ms. Coulter's entry from yesterday.

At one level I get it.  She, and many others on both sides of the political spectrum, owe their livelihood to their ability to shock people by their comments, further divide an already divided nation, and marginalize those who disagree, regardless of whether or not that person can present facts.  And I confess, I often agree with her assessments.

But her latest observation is beyond even her pale (pun intended).

Perhaps I should stop for a moment and let some of you catch up; afterall  you may not recognize the name of the aforementioned doctor or be familiar with the topic at hand.

Samaritan's Purse is an aid organization related to the Billy Graham Evangelical Association.  They routinely send volunteer doctors and nurses to remote parts around the world, offering free medical and dental care to people who may have never before seen a doctor.  Not surprisingly, many of these people have illnesses that we in the United States can hardly imagine.

Dr. Kent Brantly is one of those doctors.  Serving recently in Liberia, Africa, he contracted the Ebola virus, which if left untreated is deadly.  Samaritan's Purse immediately arranged transport for both Dr. Brantly and Nancy Writebol, a fellow missionary who also caught the disease, back to the U.S. where they could get treatment.

Again, enter Ms. Coulter.

I don't know if her facts are correct, but her blog begins with the statement that his return cost the organization $2 million, and she questions whether this was worth it; not whether it was worth saving the two, but whether serving in Africa is worth the risk.

If she had stopped there, I would disagree with her, but I would at least be able to respect the differing viewpoint.  If she had stopped there.

She didn't.

Instead, she dresses up her vitriol in an feeble attempt to appear a caring Christian, lamenting the lost in this nation who are not cared for while this doctor apparently flitters about in Africa, as if to say Jesus cares more for Americans than He does for the lost in other nations.

This would be sad if not so sickening and jingoistic.

She does make some interesting points in noting that too many lost, hurting people in this country are ignored by some in favor of reaching out to other nations.  In that she is correct.  But minus the venom in her sentiment, why does it have to be either/or?  Why would we ever think that we need to ignore one group while focusing on the other?  Can't it be that the Church is far big enough to reach lost Americans AND lost Africans (and lost Europeans and lost South Americans and lost Asians and....)?

In Jesus' last earthly words, as recorded in Acts 1:8, he encourages His disciples that "you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The last time I checked a map, the U.S. is not the sum-total of the end of the earth.  I believe that Africa can be included in that description.