Andrew Bolt writes about two Christian politicians:
In the first instance, he is credulous (or at least willing to act so):
PETER Costello was in Jerusalem last week, just a few metres from where Christ rose from the dead, when he heard a voice.
In the second, he is incredulous:
Man who says sorry to people who don’t exist meets man who prays to god that doesn’t exist, either
I wonder what made him change his position?
(More from Darryl Mason.)
28 Comments
Something tells me he’s walking both sides of the crucifix.
That’s the thing with hypocrisy, you can take a contrary position to your previous position, and when you know your flock you also know that they probably wont notice or care as long as your sticking it to ’socialists’ like Rudd or Obama
They don’t exist only when you use the exact same arguments used by Holocaust deniers.
bolt intense dislike for Rudd becomes more apparent whenever the PM shares the international stage with important people, whether its Obama or the pope or others. The rightwingers just can’t stand the fact that Rudd is liked, is popular and is obviously prepared to shift our country away from the suburban province howard had us as onto the world stage of influence. Bolt needs to get a grip.
Actually, I think the Costello/Messiah link was simply an irresistible metaphor, seeing both Costello and Bolt were in Jerusalem at the time when Utegate broke. I don’t think there’s hypocrisy in this instance. Which doesn’t change the fact that Bolt (not to mention the neocons in general) often use Christians as “useful idiots”.
I’m all for scepticism regarding god’s existence – but a positive declaration that s/he doesn’t exist? That’s got to come as a shock for Andy’s religious readers.
It’s certainly thrown the fox into the hen house judging by some of the comments. As an atheist I have no problem with the statement prays to god that doesn’t exist but Andrew claims to be an agnostic so such a statement of certainty would appear to be at odds with being a fence-sitter.
Bolt’s channelling St. Piers the Jowly, an obscurantist 4th C. mystic who saw a vision of shredded Heiner Papers whenever the name of Rudd the Mighty was mentioned.
Aw, c’mon, maybe he’s just referring to Kevin Rudd’s god, not Tony Abbott’s………errrr?? In Boltland Kevin Rudd is wrong about everything, how could he possibly be worshipping the right god, there’s only one god (apparently)?
That’s the first time I’ve seen Bolt write something that actually IS agnostic or atheist in nature, as opposed to his usual “I am an agnostic but isn’t Christianity awesome?”
But I think he means the Pope’s god doesn’t exist, because the only real god is Peter Costello.
No doubt Bolt can prove that god doesn’t exist with a handy graph or two.
I’m all for scepticism regarding god’s existence – but a positive declaration that s/he doesn’t exist? That’s got to come as a shock for Andy’s religious readers.
Unlike you, Leftie I rarely ever read Bolt. In fact you send to his links to see what you’re talking about.
However even I knew he was an atheist, so why would any of his readers be shocked?
I also think you’re being a tad disingenuous here.
PETER Costello was in Jerusalem last week, just a few metres from where Christ rose from the dead, when he heard a voice.
Having rest of the paragraph it is clear he was trying to be ironic and wasn’t playing Costello/believes in God is good shtick.
tee
FWIW, Bolt claims he’s an agnostic, not an atheist.
“However even I knew he was an atheist, so why would any of his readers be shocked?”
Because he was previously claiming to be an agnostic with christian sympathies, that is until he realised that Rudd worshipped the same god as his good friend Pell and it seems that Rudd can never be right (in Boltland)
RobJ
I don’t really think it’s the way you portray it to be.
The Costello comment was Bolt trying to be ironic and in fact it could actually be seen as a put down by a true believer as he’s making light of Costello’s beliefs in a way.
In the second comment he’s sounds critical of both Rudd and the Pope. I couldn’t imagine Bolt saying nice things about Pell and not the Pope.
So really, Bolt is actually making fun of religious beliefs in both instances.
Leftie is just reading too much into this.
Of course Bolt dislikes Rudd. However to suggest he’s applying a sort of convoluted double standard here is being just that, convoluted and an example of someone thinking too hard.
In other words Leftie is over intellectualizing this stuff and he’d do much, much better on quiet days explaining to why Guy Rundle says some really stupid things and ought to shave off the goatee.
Bolt is a self proclaimed Pagan. He states it in the messiah column.
“So really, Bolt is actually making fun of religious beliefs in both instances.”
Which is a move away from his usual MO of liking Christians but being an agnostic.
“Bolt is a self proclaimed Pagan. He states it in the messiah column.”
I wish he’s make his mind up……
I would presume he likes Christians that are conservative in their orientation and would dislike those Christians that aren’t so and there are quite a number of them.
I would also say that as a conservative he sees the cultural value Christianity can bring to the table provided that it’s practiced rather than played lip service to or distorted.
Dunno but I’m just guessing.
Damn:
Pagan? What are you smoking today?
tee: I do not smoke. he stated it. Go back and read it.
Damn:
He’s using the word “Pagan” loosely to describe his views in that piece. He’s not a friggen pagan in the reasl sense of the word, dopey.
Don’t you see that?
Damn, how many times did I remind you at leftie’s site to get an adult to check you comments before they’re posted. huh? How many damned times? Of course you didn’t listen to me and we now end up we’re we usually end up with all your unsupervised comments.
Yes, ‘God’ has been getting less existential since the emergence of green nazism, feminism, the equal rights movement and Gough Whitlam. Andy can also show that the decline in the reality of ‘God’ has been happening since cardigans started to go out of fashion, women were allowed into front bars and the first signs in japanese appeared in Surfers Paradise. Prat.
Bolt disrespects the Pope just like a Dawkins or a Hitchens does. You might see that as proof that AB actually quite likes Christians who disagree with the Vatican’s criticism of free market economics, support for multiculturalism, opposition to the invasion of Iraq in ‘03—but I don’t quite buy that “absence of evidence is evidence of absence” logic, brother.
The truth is probably what I’ve long thought—Bolt agrees with the Ayn Rand attitude towards religion, much more than he admires any particular Christian (too bad for the fans in his comments thread who normally agree with what he says but are offended by his quote).
Pagans aren’t agnostic. Bolt is confused about religion as usual. Tee, doesn’t it strike you as a tad cynical (or at the very least, hypocritical) to be spruiking for the “cultural value” of a belief system you reject?
“In Boltland Kevin Rudd is wrong about everything, how could he possibly be worshipping the right god”
Perhaps Rudd is a “secret muslim” like Obama?
“Perhaps Rudd is a “secret muslim” like Obama?”
and a TERRORIST!
and a SOCIALIST!
Damn, a SOCIALIST? That’s worse than being a TERRORIST! Thread over, confessions wins!
Heh. I love the Obama Muslim theme. Before he was elected it was also linked in with the birth certificate and his dad and nude photos of someone or other. Some even talked about how Obama was hand-in-hand with Kenyan politicians who were killing people and stuff. In reality, he’s snubbed Kenya and singled it our for criticism. Can’t wait for Jerome Corsi’s next book. Anyway, back on topic…