obama prayer breakfast -02-15

Speaking last week at the National Prayer Breakfast on the subject of the latest atrocities committed by the Islamic terror group ISIS, President Obama admonished us as follows:

Lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.”

Indeed so, Mr. President. But conceding that point, let’s take a moment to examine the record since the 11th and 15th centuries.

In that time, Western Europeans – overwhelmingly Christian – have made literacy the norm, established the university, established and nurtured representative government, done away with slavery on two continents, largely eradicated infectious disease, enshrined property rights, ended famine, harnessed electricity, established the rule of law through impartial courts, done away with religious persecution and more than doubled the average lifespan – all while creating art, music and literature that elevates the spirit and enriches the soul.

All of this to say that for whatever sins committed by mediaeval Christians, those sins have been more than atoned in the ensuing 1,000 years.

No one on Earth today is threatened by radical Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians or Catholics. But as we have seen in just the past few days, we all have reason to fear radical Islamists.

That the president would call Christians by name for deeds committed a thousand years ago and yet be unwilling to call Islamic terrorists by name for deeds committed last week, is an insult to every Christian, every peaceful citizen and indeed every thinking person.

For me, it’s the low point in his presidency.

And that’s saying something.