The Daily Beast’s self-professing “BuJu” (Buddhist Jew), Jay Michaelson, decided to make the world a better place by proffering up a little literary hate fest directed at the evangelistic outreach group formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, now called “Cru”. Michaelson took it upon himself to notify everyone how this group of nutty Bible-bangers are really an insidious threat to world harmony. He wrote:

Like many a Daily Beast reader, I found Campus Crusade for Christ to be somewhere between annoying and amusing. You remember them from college: the Jesus freaks, intent on spreading the 'Good News,' somewhere between quaint and creepy.

Yes, because BuJu’s don’t even register on the creepy scale, do they? But after the requisite condescension and mockery of Bible believers, Michaelson got down to leveling the hard-hitting accusation against this sinister group of Christians:

Its members are supposed to be the earnest Christians, preaching the Gospel but not fomenting hate around the world.

It’s amazing how supposedly intellectual folks on the left can’t seem to figure out that “preaching the Gospel” and “fomenting hate around the world” will always be identical to them given their jacked-up worldview. The message of Christ that He is the exclusive way to heaven is naturally divisive. That’s why Jesus said Himself that He “did not come to bring peace on earth but division.”  

The pretty simple, straightforward truth that somehow evades the brilliant intellects of leftist scholars is that truth is divisive. And when they stand, as Michaelson does, opposed to truth, its proclamation is going to appear hateful. The Gospel of John is pretty clear as to why: “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

And that exposing of evil, specifically the evil of sexual immorality, is what Michaelson resents. He blasts Cru for hosting an event in Africa that featured a presentation of Dr. Seyoum Antonios, where the speaker warned against the deadly embrace of homosexualism as natural. Michaelson sneers:

Among the takeaways from Antonios's presentation: Thirty-three percent of homosexuals are pedophiles, gay couples are coming to Africa to steal children and turn them homosexual, homosexuality is a Western plot to kill Africans, and gay people are 15 times more likely to be murderers than straight people....

Now, there are homophobes everywhere. But Antonios is a powerful homophobe.

What is interesting about this rant is that Michaelson merely taunts. He doesn’t refute. Does Michaelson disagree that 33% of those practicing homosexuality have tendencies towards child sex?  In the United States nearly 33% of all sex-crimes against children are committed by homosexuals (about 3% of the population committing 33% of the crime). Does Michaelson deny that couples that practice homosexuality are looking to Africa to adopt children?

If so, why doesn’t he refute them with evidence? Is this what counts as academic analysis these days?

Of course there’s one other somewhat uncomfortable reality to note here. Let’s suppose for a second that Antonios’ arguments were as radically untrue as what Michaelson wants us to believe. What does it say about Jay Michaelson’s view of dark-skinned Africans that he thinks they are too stupid to discover the truth on their own? Why does this lily-white liberal academic from the Ivy League think the poor black folk in Africa need his brain power to protect them from their ignorant naiveté?

I wanted to ask Mr. Michaelson all these questions, so I invited him onto my radio program for an interview. His response: “Thanks – I’ll pass.” Funny how easily intimidated visiting scholars from prestigious universities can be when someone in media actually challenges their anti-Christian bigotry.

Peter is a public high school teacher & radio host in Indiana. Emailpeter@peterheck.com, follow @peterheck on Twitter, visitwww.peterheck.com, or like him on Facebook.