TheCall and Christian Extremists Declare War - Part 2

A reader left a comment that perhaps I am "too paranoid" in terms of the threat posed by Christian Right extremists and the prospect that some of their minions might resort to violence either at the unofficial bidding of the professional Christian set or as rogue independent operatives. Lest readers forget, in my by gone Republican days I met a few of these extremist types face to face: Pat Robertson, Ralph Reed and numerous Christian Coalition functionaries for example and some of them were pretty frightening.

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Whether they and those like them would intentionally incite actual violence is open to debate. That their rhetoric might be construed by the unbalanced and fanatics as a green light to act is less open to debate. One need only look at the relatively recent murder of abortion provider Dr. George Tiller and the incitement that preceded it to realize that words do have consequences and that there are Christianist with martyr ideologies. On the issue of abortion, Randall Terry continues to speak out in language that seems to encourage violence. Here are some highlights as reported by Think Progress:
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Randall Terry, founder of the right-wing extremist group Operation Rescue, warns that his supporters may engage in violent acts of terrorism unless Congress prohibits abortion services from being covered in the new health reform legislation:

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[T]e sheer horror and frustration of such an evil policy will lead some people to absolutely refuse to pay their taxes. And I believe — if my reading of history from America and around the world is correct — that there are others who will be tempted to acts of violence. “If the government of this country tramples the faith and values of its citizens, history will hold those in power responsible for the violent convulsions that follow.”

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Terry is probably the first public figure to raise terrorism as a potential response to a health bill which allows Americans to keep the same access to reproductive care that they currently enjoy.

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I'd rather be guilty of a little paranoia rather than be blind to the fact that violence is a possibility when dealing with those to whom the rights of others and freedom of religion are meaningless. I've been threatened by an aide to a GOP Congressman in the past and the players in that instance were far less crazy than Terry and extreme Christianists like him.