Is there a non-white group that Bryan Fischer hasn’t stereotyped? If not, just give him time.
Fred Clark at Slacktivist says Evangelicals Have a Bryan Fischer Problem, and he sure is correct.
Here is the Focal Point program where Fischer goes off on Hispanics. Check him out at 2:21 where he rants that Hispanics are socialist by nature.
Remember socialist is not a compliment coming from Fischer. It gets worse. He claims that Hispanics want to plunder the U.S. and that “goodies” from government is all they want. Before we go on, with two minutes of thinking about Fischer’s stereotype of Mexico, we can dismiss his rant. If Mexico was giving out so many goodies and that is all Mexicans wanted, then why come here and work?
At 7:30, Fischer distinguishes between good immigrants and bad ones. Europeans are good and Hispanics are bad. The Europeans share American values and Hispanics don’t, according to Fischer. Fischer is barely able to conceal his stereotypes and it becomes obvious that, for him, white protestant is good and non-white, non-protestant is not (see especially after minute 8, if you can stand it).
Fischer reinforces many of the stereotypes about Hispanics that bigoted whites believe. It is amazing that he continues to have such a high profile with an organization that many Republicans and evangelicals support.
In his blog post, Fred Clark sets out a significant problem for evangelicals that is posed by Fischer and the AFA:
Just as everything Bryan Fischer has to say about “biblical values” gets outweighed by everything he has to say about people who aren’t white, so too everything mainstream evangelicals have to say about “biblical values” gets outweighed by everything they haven’t said about people like Bryan Fischer.
Or, put more directly: Until mainstream evangelicals denounce racists and bigots like Bryan Fischer — clearly and unambiguously — they will lack the moral credibility that might make anyone care what they have to say about any other moral issues.
In my view, Fred is correct, evangelicals have a problem and I see little effort being made to address it. In fact, those who say something are often dismissed as liberals. Note to any Christian leader who is reading: Do you agree with Fischer? If so, remain silent. If not, issue a press release expressing your disagreement.
Perhaps this group should lead the way.
Oops I meant Army of Knuckle dragging Neanderthals
TxHistoryProf says: “I see a much stronger work ethic among Hispanics than many WASPs.”
I could say something similar about immigrants, based on what I see here in London.
I’ll say it again: Fischer is engaging in arrant nonsense.
Maybe God is ‘socialist’ by nature … the Trinity, you know!
🙂
TxHistoryProf says: “I see a much stronger work ethic among Hispanics than many WASPs.”
I could say something similar about immigrants, based on what I see here in London.
I’ll say it again: Fischer is engaging in arrant nonsense.
Oops I meant Army of Knuckle dragging Neanderthals
Wow. In Texas I see a much stronger work ethic among Hispanics than many WASPs. As mentioned earlier, modern day Know Nothing Party. Where does this guy live? THIS guy is why I am an Independent and NOT a Republican. Our society has changed. Just as the European immigrants changed 20th societal norms so has Hispanic immigration. Why should freedom and Liberty have a price tag or quota? The even scarier part is that he has a whole army of Neanb
Wow. In Texas I see a much stronger work ethic among Hispanics than many WASPs. As mentioned earlier, modern day Know Nothing Party. Where does this guy live? THIS guy is why I am an Independent and NOT a Republican. Our society has changed. Just as the European immigrants changed 20th societal norms so has Hispanic immigration. Why should freedom and Liberty have a price tag or quota? The even scarier part is that he has a whole army of Neanb
I’m sorry, I have to make a correction, the governor’s name mentioned above is Susana Martinez, not Diana Martinez.
Richard Willmer,
as for “nature”, that word is often used in the sense of mentality, or the unconscient/half conscient deep structure of the mind.
I doubt that Fischer really wanted to say that the average Hispanic is innately and completely unable to learn a non-clientelistic way of life. And I’m definitely on his side by stressing that a change in Hispanic mentality won’t happen in a decade (perhaps a century) and won’t happen necessarily (but only under preconditions which have to be created).
In fact, there’s a historical parallel. The British poors were not so much different from present Hispanics, but became an “honest working class”, partly by unusual social conditions (industrialization), partly by the influence of Evangelicalism. Which may mean that Evangelicals can indeed make a difference, but only if they accept the problem Fischer speaks over, not if they take him for a fool.
(To be exact: I know that the British working class was heavily “socialist” in the Aneurin-Bevan way. But that – even if it, too, didn’t work on the long run – was quite different from clientelism, which means that the term “socialism” is not precise enough to be used.)
I’m sorry, I have to make a correction, the governor’s name mentioned above is Susana Martinez, not Diana Martinez.
Richard Willmer,
as for “nature”, that word is often used in the sense of mentality, or the unconscient/half conscient deep structure of the mind.
I doubt that Fischer really wanted to say that the average Hispanic is innately and completely unable to learn a non-clientelistic way of life. And I’m definitely on his side by stressing that a change in Hispanic mentality won’t happen in a decade (perhaps a century) and won’t happen necessarily (but only under preconditions which have to be created).
In fact, there’s a historical parallel. The British poors were not so much different from present Hispanics, but became an “honest working class”, partly by unusual social conditions (industrialization), partly by the influence of Evangelicalism. Which may mean that Evangelicals can indeed make a difference, but only if they accept the problem Fischer speaks over, not if they take him for a fool.
(To be exact: I know that the British working class was heavily “socialist” in the Aneurin-Bevan way. But that – even if it, too, didn’t work on the long run – was quite different from clientelism, which means that the term “socialism” is not precise enough to be used.)
Marco Rubio, is a Senator from Florida, a son of Cuban refugees, and Diana Martinez is a governor of New Mexico, a daughter of Mexican immigrants, a country that has been having a socialist government for the last 50 years, are known for records as criticis of the Big Government, the one that the Democratic party supports, and they also expressed concerns that many Hispanics in the US have been buying into that. Just my two cents worth.
Marco Rubio, is a Senator from Florida, a son of Cuban refugees, and Diana Martinez is a governor of New Mexico, a daughter of Mexican immigrants, a country that has been having a socialist government for the last 50 years, are known for records as criticis of the Big Government, the one that the Democratic party supports, and they also expressed concerns that many Hispanics in the US have been buying into that. Just my two cents worth.
Fischer said socialist ‘by nature’. Whatever one might think of ‘socialism’ (and indeed whether the Democratic is in any real sense ‘socialist’), his statement is frankly ridiculous.
Would such people as Rubio and Martinez find Fischer’s appraisal of Hispanics insulting? I suggest we ask them.
(Fischer is trashing around for an explanation for the GOP’s poor showing – over 3.3 million fewer votes than a president fighting an election in difficult economic times – in the presidential election; as usual, I suspect, he would like to ‘blame someone else’.)
So it’s sort of like when billionaires channel huge amount of money into super pacs to try and get Republicans elected so they can hold onto and/or expand their tax breaks?
Fischer said socialist ‘by nature’. Whatever one might think of ‘socialism’ (and indeed whether the Democratic is in any real sense ‘socialist’), his statement is frankly ridiculous.
Would such people as Rubio and Martinez find Fischer’s appraisal of Hispanics insulting? I suggest we ask them.
(Fischer is trashing around for an explanation for the GOP’s poor showing – over 3.3 million fewer votes than a president fighting an election in difficult economic times – in the presidential election; as usual, I suspect, he would like to ‘blame someone else’.)
What does Fischer call “socialism”?
A system, in which people support a politician in order to get goodies and politicians promise to deliver goodies in order to get supported.
This system is pre-modern. In Antiquity it was known as “clientelism”, in present Africa it’s known as the “big man system”. So, immigrants out of pre-modern societies are used to it. On the other hand, Northern Europeans and Americans hopefully thought that they’d overcome it.
This system doesn’t work on the long run (if you are European, you can look for that at Greece or Italy).
Even moderate Republicans like Dewey or Rockefeller would have shunned it. It’s definite the Democrat way of life.
So it’s sort of like when billionaires channel huge amount of money into super pacs to try and get Republicans elected so they can hold onto and/or expand their tax breaks?
I’m pretty sure that Marco Rubio and Diana Martinez, both conservative Republican politicians, who happen to be Hispanics, would agree with Fischer and won’t take offense at his comments.
Maybe God is ‘socialist’ by nature … the Trinity, you know!
🙂
What does Fischer call “socialism”?
A system, in which people support a politician in order to get goodies and politicians promise to deliver goodies in order to get supported.
This system is pre-modern. In Antiquity it was known as “clientelism”, in present Africa it’s known as the “big man system”. So, immigrants out of pre-modern societies are used to it. On the other hand, Northern Europeans and Americans hopefully thought that they’d overcome it.
This system doesn’t work on the long run (if you are European, you can look for that at Greece or Italy).
Even moderate Republicans like Dewey or Rockefeller would have shunned it. It’s definite the Democrat way of life.
I’m pretty sure that Marco Rubio and Diana Martinez, both conservative Republican politicians, who happen to be Hispanics, would agree with Fischer and won’t take offense at his comments.
inca nitta – Good one.
inca nitta – Good one.
Warren, it is obvious that you are a socialist by nature. You will have to answer to God for that.
Warren, it is obvious that you are a socialist by nature. You will have to answer to God for that.
JCF says:
November 15, 2012 at 4:46 am
“come 2015, Republican Presidential wannabees will start trooping back to his show? ”
They probably will, but if they do this video (and I’m sure several others) will resurface, and once they do those candidates (and/or Fischer) will be forced to denounce Fischer’s comments. Similar to the backlash against Bob Jones University in 2000.
Republican’s now realize they can’t win without getting a much bigger percentage of the minority vote. And that won’t happen if they allow themselves to be associated with the likes of Fischer.
OK, I’m violating Godwin’s law, but it’s appropriate.
How guilty should we judge the German people to be for allowing Adolf Hitler to speak for Germany?
We should judge Evangelicals by no more strict a standard than that, and with rather more leniency in fact. While some Evangelical pastors have called for the extermination of some minorities In Jesus Name, it’s still only carried out at a retail not wholesale state-supported level, and with zero prospect of getting any worse. Only 1 in 3 cases get resolved, and only 1 in 30 result in prosecutions, but it’s still frowned upon by the law, and some do serious jail time, and none get rewarded by the state.
We’re only memorialising 266 Trans people killed this year, not 266,000.
So while the comparison is apt, there is a large difference of degree, if not of kind, in your tacit consent.
But whaddaya bet, come 2015, Republican Presidential wannabees will start trooping back to his show? [“Hispanics to whom we are out-reaching, please not to notice!”]
JCF says:
November 15, 2012 at 4:46 am
“come 2015, Republican Presidential wannabees will start trooping back to his show? ”
They probably will, but if they do this video (and I’m sure several others) will resurface, and once they do those candidates (and/or Fischer) will be forced to denounce Fischer’s comments. Similar to the backlash against Bob Jones University in 2000.
Republican’s now realize they can’t win without getting a much bigger percentage of the minority vote. And that won’t happen if they allow themselves to be associated with the likes of Fischer.
OK, I’m violating Godwin’s law, but it’s appropriate.
How guilty should we judge the German people to be for allowing Adolf Hitler to speak for Germany?
We should judge Evangelicals by no more strict a standard than that, and with rather more leniency in fact. While some Evangelical pastors have called for the extermination of some minorities In Jesus Name, it’s still only carried out at a retail not wholesale state-supported level, and with zero prospect of getting any worse. Only 1 in 3 cases get resolved, and only 1 in 30 result in prosecutions, but it’s still frowned upon by the law, and some do serious jail time, and none get rewarded by the state.
We’re only memorialising 266 Trans people killed this year, not 266,000.
So while the comparison is apt, there is a large difference of degree, if not of kind, in your tacit consent.
But whaddaya bet, come 2015, Republican Presidential wannabees will start trooping back to his show? [“Hispanics to whom we are out-reaching, please not to notice!”]
Fischer is antithetical to very tenets of Christianity. His screeds are rife with bigotry, pride, and judgmental pride.
Clearly Fischer has no idea what he is talking about when he references Korea (starting about 4:20). Note, he claims how secure the border is between North/South Korea, implying (falsely) that US troops are helping South Korea keep North Korean refugees out. South Korea considers ALL koreans citizens, and any north koreans that can escape to the south are welcome. The border is secure because the NORTH korean military is preventing its citizens from “voting with their feet.” As for the rest of his ignorant screed, it is obviously targeted at white males, many of whom wear white sheets.
I’d say Fischer’s comments do more to hurt conservative christians than latinos. A lot of pundits are saying this kind of thinking is what cost Romney the election, and I think I’m beginning to agree with that.
Not a WASP, you’re not welcome in the US. Fischer truly is the embodiement of the Know-Nothings of the 19th century.
Fischer is antithetical to very tenets of Christianity. His screeds are rife with bigotry, pride, and judgmental pride.
Clearly Fischer has no idea what he is talking about when he references Korea (starting about 4:20). Note, he claims how secure the border is between North/South Korea, implying (falsely) that US troops are helping South Korea keep North Korean refugees out. South Korea considers ALL koreans citizens, and any north koreans that can escape to the south are welcome. The border is secure because the NORTH korean military is preventing its citizens from “voting with their feet.” As for the rest of his ignorant screed, it is obviously targeted at white males, many of whom wear white sheets.
I’d say Fischer’s comments do more to hurt conservative christians than latinos. A lot of pundits are saying this kind of thinking is what cost Romney the election, and I think I’m beginning to agree with that.
Mr Fisher cannot imagine he is the reason immigrants don’t want to be Republicans.
Not a WASP, you’re not welcome in the US. Fischer truly is the embodiement of the Know-Nothings of the 19th century.
Mr Fisher cannot imagine he is the reason immigrants don’t want to be Republicans.